Rites of Passage

Gr 9 Up—Sam McKenna can never turn down a dare, and before one of her older brothers committed suicide, he proposed the ultimate challenge—be one of the first females to matriculate and graduate from prestigious Denmark Military School. Her military family can do little to help her as Sam faces harassment, sexism, and outright abuse from members of an all-male secret society on campus. This group is determined that no females will remain at the academy, but they have vastly underestimated the protagonist's fortitude. Hensley's contemporary novel is not an easy read because of the graphic depictions of hazing, but this worthwhile addition to the YA realm is notable for its portrayal of a strong female in the face of adversity. For fans of Catherine Gilbert Murdock's "Dairy Queen" trilogy (Houghton Harcourt) and Trish Doller's Something Like Normal (Bloomsbury, 2012).—Amanda C. Buschmann, Atascocita Middle School, Humble, TX