Boot Camp by Tod Strasser

Strasser, Tod. Boot Camp. Simon and Schuster, 2007. ISBN-10: 141690848x


Summary
Garrett is kidnapped and taken to Harmony Lake, a private boarding school that promises parents it will fix their children. Students who follow the rules and admit their "mistakes" will rise through the ranks and eventually graduate. Breaking the rules gets you sent back to level one. Psychological manipulation and physical abuse are commonplace. Kids have died at Harmony Lake. Garrett was sent to Harmony Lake because his parents didn't approve of his older girlfriend. Sarah refused to believe her parents' religion. And Pauly was too wimpy for his dad. So Sarah, Pauly and Garrett hatch a plan to escape. They'll go all the way to Canada. But if they don't make it, the consequences will be severe.


Evaluation
Boot Camp is well researched and even more thrilling because of it. Strasser's afterword and resource list gives more information about real boot camps in the US. Garrett is not a particularly likeable character, but his biggest flaw is being a sarcastic smart-mouth. Certainly, Garrett does not deserve to be sent to Harmony Lake. Strasser makes a strong case for the rights of teens and sheds lights on an under-investigated subject.

Reader's Annotation
At Harmony Lake, parents are always right and kids are always wrong. At Harmony Lake, teens will be transformed into obedient, respectful and remorseful sons and daughters. Even if it takes beatings, starvings, and verbal manipulation, Harmony Lake will deliver results. Even if some kids die. Now that Garrett finds himself at Harmony Lake he has to learn the rules to survive and hope that he can escape before its too late.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness
Kids who disagree with their parents will find that parents aren't always right.


Genre and Subject
Realistic fiction
Boot camps are private "schools" that promise to correct problem behaviors in teens

Why I read it
I didn't know that boot camps existed and was intrigued to learn more about them