Sex and the Streets
January 6th, 2012 by Carrie Gleason
On the Game by Monique Polak and Last Chance by Lesley Choyce are two novels that explore extreme situations faced by some desperate young people: teenage prostitution.
In On the Game, journalist, writing instructor, and prize-winning author Monique Polak has fictionalized the true story of a fifteen-year-old girl who is lured into prostitution by her first love, an older man who preys on young, innocent, and lonely girls like her. Although Yolande, the main character, is rescued from a dangerous situation in the end, many girls in the real world are not. This is a realistic, cautionary tale about how a teen can be lured into the sex trade without realizing what is happening.
On the Game is a Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens selection. To see what teen readers think of On the Game, view the reader comments on Monique Polak's website: http://moniquepolak.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=422&Itemid=64
In Lesley Choyce's novel Last Chance, two teens, Melanie and Trent, are navigating life on the streets. Although neither is in a position to look after the other, Trent finds them a place to stay, while Melanie learns to buy food on very tight budget. Despite all their struggles trying work within the social welfare system, stay in school, and make ends meet, it seems like they might just be okay — until Melanie finds out that the reality of their situation is much darker than she could have imagined: Trent lied to her about his job working the night shift at a factory, instead he's been working the streets as a male prostitute.
Last Chance is a Resource Links 2010 Year's Best book. Visit the blog of this 8th-grade teacher for a review: http://readingjunky.blogspot.com/2010/06/last-chance-by-lesley-choyce.html
