Denise by John Benton

From the back cover of Denise:

"Denise, I know a way to get rid of all those problems you're having.  I mean all of them."

You probably know someone like Frank—a high school drug pusher who always had an answer ready.  And someone like Denise was ready for anything.  After all, who wouldn't want some kicks, when your mother literally kicks you around?  Who wouldn't want to run away when you discover a dark family secret about yourself?

Denise left her troubles at home and found something far worse on the streets.  Heroin... prostitution... loneliness.  In the end, she felt more used and abused than ever, until...

Someone gave Denise a choice—perhaps the most difficult one she'd ever had to make.  She had to face the truth.  She had to change.  

Would she do it ?  Find out.

This was the very first book that I read by John Benton last summer.  I don't remember much about it, but I placed sticky notes on a few pages.

This book contains strong homophobic content.  A majority of Benton's books contain implied homophobic statements, but they are much worse and quite prominent in parts of this book.  Normally I would include some examples of the content, but I'm not comfortable doing so.  

Many of my followers are gay, and I won't subject them to reading these statements.  I don't want the statements in this blog, since they could be misconstrued as being endorsed by me regardless of what I write.  I'm thinking about how search engine results highlight short phrases from sites in the search results.  I can't risk having that happen.

This is why I was flabbergasted and offended last summer when a member of the Vintage Teen Books group suggested that gay members of the group would be scared of being in my group due to me allowing discussion of these books.  Most people understand that old books have objectionable content and that group moderators do not endorse that content.  Good grief!

Read this post for the full context about this book and the Vintage Teen Books group.

I marked a hilarious passage from pages 46 and 47.  Denise and her boyfriend, Frank, go out to the garage to smoke marijuana.

We went out back into the garage and lit up in the darkness.  We had almost finished the joint when suddenly the lights went on.  I yanked the stick out of my mouth and threw it on the floor.  But not in time, for there stood my mother!

"What on earth is going on out here?" she demanded.

I stuttered, trying to think of something to say.  But Frank piped up with, "We're smoking pot."

That stupid Frank!  I thought he was so smart, so cool.  Why did he admit it?  This was going to be nothing but trouble for me—and him too!

"Smoking pot?" Mom asked.  "Where did you get it?"

"Well, I just happened to have a few joints with me, Mrs. Brady.  Do you want some?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  No way would Frank be able to spend the night at our house now.  He'd be lucky if Mom just threw him out and didn't call the cops!

"I've got another joint, Mrs. Brady," Frank said.  "Denise and I were just going to smoke it.  Why don't you join us?"

Mom hesitated and looked around to see if anyone else was there.  Then she smiled faintly and said, "You know, I've always wondered about marijuana.  I've heard some good things about it and lots of bad.  But I've always had a secret desire to try it."

That was all the encouragement Frank needed.  He quickly lit the stick, handed it to her and said, "Inhale, taking a deep breath.  Then hold it."

When she did, it absolutely disgusted me—that big, fat slob, smoking pot!  So when Frank took the stick and handed it to me, I pushed it away with, "No thanks, Frank.  I'll see you later."

Denise is a very good book.