High and Outside

High and Outside. Linnea A. Due. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1980. 195 pp.
Niki Etchen is the oh-so-typical high school junior. She is the star pitcher of her softball team, an honors student, and a probable editor of the school newspaper. Well, Niki does have one flaw: she has a serious drinking problem. Niki’s problem leads her into terrible situations almost every day and every night. At first she loses her boyfriend, then she loses her closest friend Martha, another star softball player who does not have a drinking problem like Niki. All of Niki’s drinking problems are brought on by her parents, Carl and Joyce Etchen. Niki’s parents have been allowing her to drink wine during dinner and join them during their cocktail hour ever since she was ten years old. Niki ends up abusing this “privilege” and also sneaks a few beers before she goes to sleep at night. Sometimes when she wakes up to go to school she does not remember who she is or what she did the previous nights. Niki’s drinking causes serious problems at school, at home, and with her social life. Niki is headed straight towards a dead-end road and the only way out is to admit she has problems and face up to them.
High and Outside is an extremely good book for young adults to read, especially girls. This book is a truly sentimental book for anyone to read as it touches on the subject of teen alcoholism. Linnea A. Due emphasizes the fact that not everyone is perfect and some people have their own flaws no matter how perfect they may seem. She also gets straight to the point that teen alcoholism does exist and that it needs to be recognized. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.
Rank: 9 out of 10
Reviewed by: Chelsea