Review of American Teen (2008) by Nate Z — 07 Feb 2009

Though Burstein does her best to find a jock, a geek, a prom queen, rebel, and heartthrob, this is not the real life version of The Breakfast Club. These kids never attempt to find any common ground, never want to know each other, canâ??t get away from each other fast enough and never can see the world from each otherâ??s perspectives even for five minutes. This might happen at their five- or ten- or twenty-year high school reunions, but kids in high school are too insecure and too self-absorbed, no matter how popular or how cool they may seem to anyone.

Anyone who makes it out of high school knows what happens after high school. Things might get worse and better and worse again but it is never as bad as high school. Why? People learn. People grow. People move on. We hope. Those that stagnate and hold on to the glory days of high school never succeed.