Reviewed by
Jennifer Harrison

N/A

Reviewer Rating: * *
Title: ALONE I STAND
Category: Youth Fiction
Author: Nadyia Tremaine
Publisher: Bookmice.com
Release date: July 1, 2000
ISBN: 1-930756-94-1

A fairly notable effort for her first novel, fourteen-year old Nadyia Tremaine has created a tale of teen angst and the struggle to fit into a conformist society. 

Tremaine expects readers to look for and comprehend the moral of her story, and her introduction cautions, "Better things will come your way, trust me." Although designed for a target audience of thirteen-to-eighteen year-old readers, this would be a perfect read for anyone working with teenagers. 

Tremaine has created vivid characters in the form of the main character, outcast Ada Kyman, her "social butterfly" best friend, Faith, and Faith’s boyfriend, Colin Parker, as well as the manipulative character of Liam McKenzy, who befriends Ada. 

What begins as an apparently harmless friendship soon takes on a hideous undertone, as the story becomes one of revenge between Liam and Colin. Eventually ending in the murder of Colin and Faith, and the suicide of Liam, this tale is unfortunately an example of the harsh reality facing society and today’s teens. The ending makes some of Liam’s initial words to Ada, "I would never hurt you" (35) seem even more chilling.

The character of Ada makes a remarkable transformation from the girl who claims at the beginning, "I knew I didn’t love my mother" to a young woman who has successfully completed a journey of self-realization. She claims, "I am Ada Kyman - daughter, sister, and friend." I’m not a heroine, a role model, or an inspiration to anyone, and I really shouldn’t be. I’m just someone who didn’t scream loud enough, someone who dodged the bullet. Respect, that’s all I need.

Copyright © 2000 by Jennifer Harrison