Things Left Unsaid: A Novel in Poems

by Stephanie Hemphill

Sarah used to be the good girl. The one who always had her hand raised in class, always obeyed her parents.
Until she met Robin. Once Robin comes into the picture, Sarah's life changes. Her closet begins to fill with black clothes. Good grades become something to be studiously avoided. And maintaining her other friendships doesn't seem so important anymore. Sarah thought she knew Robin. But Robin eats danger for breakfast, pushes the limits way too far, and forces Sarah to question everything in her life - everything Sarah thought she had wanted.
In stunning verse, this novel slowly reveals the complexities of friendship - the power it has to define, destroy, and eventually heal again.

Genres: Young Adult, Poetry, Fiction, Teen, Novel In Verse, Realistic Fiction

261 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Stephanie Hemphill's first novel in poems, Things Left Unsaid, was published by Hyperion in 2005 and was awarded the 2006 Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Excellence in Poetry by the Children's Literature Council of Southern California.

Her second novel, a verse portrait of Sylvia Plath, Your Own, Sylvia was published by Knopf in March 2007. A third novel in verse for teens, Wicked Girls, a verse story of the Salem witch trials, will come out from Hyperion in the spring of 2009.

Stephanie received an SCBWI Magazine Merit Award in Poetry and chaired the PEN Award's Children's Literature Committee. She has been writing, studying and presenting poetry for adults and children for many years at UCLA, the University of Illinois (where she received an award from The Academy of American Poets), with Writers at Work and at conferences across the country. Stephanie lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Mr. Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite fiction books told in poem format EVER! Sarah is tired of being the good girl and doing what everyone expects her to. Robin, her new best friend, is rebellious and encourages Sarah to be to. However, when disaster strikes Sarah must reconsider who she is and who she wants to be. Very well-written.

[Tai Alexandria · Rating 1 out of 5]

i started reding the first couple of pages and i just got soooooooo tired of reding it because it that boring (i had to go the library twice in one day because the book was boring atleast to me)

[Joelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sarah, the main character, is a high school girl, who is a straight “A” student gone bad. A new year is starting and Sarah has to start taking S.A.T. practice, when she decides that she isn’t going be a “good girl” anymore. One night she goes to a party, but decides to leave so she goes upstairs to get her jean jacket, and when she opens the door to the bedroom, the “badest girl” from her school, robin, is wearing her coat. The girl tells her to go with her to get something to eat at a diner and Sarah goes with her. She and robin start hanging out more and more, and Sarah starts wearing the exact same things as robin. Everything she buys is black; her whole wardrobe is filled with only black clothes. Through the year Sarah’s grades go down to “f”s, her friends warn her to stay away from Robin, but Sarah refuses to listen! Her parents are worried about her, but don’t know what to do. One night Sarah goes over to Robin’s house, to pick her up, so they could go to a party, and when she got there Robin was drunk. She tried to help her get up, and Robin started screaming at her telling her that she wants to be her, and that she wishes that she will stop. Robin ends up trying to kill herself, so every one thinks that Sarah will try to kill herself too. Everyone at school treats her different and the school makes her go to the school counselor. Her parents always want to talk to make sure everything is ok. Sarah keeps calling the mental hospital where Robin is, but she avoids her calls. So finally Sarah goes back to her old ways, being a “good girl” and every one is happy. When Robin gets out of the hospital, she asks Sarah if they could get together, so they could talk, and Sarah agrees, but when they talk Sarah tells her that she doesn’t want to be her anymore. Sarah gets her grades back up, and gets color back in her wardrobe. At the end it was like a happily ever after ending. I didn't like that ending because it was so cliche.
This book is very realistic, it can and does happen every where. I think that a lot of boys and girls try to fit in and be popular. These books made me realize that people, friends or not, can influence you to do things that you normally wouldn’t do. Through-out this book I kept thinking that so many kids, and adults, are very easily influenced to do things, when they want something. When this happens, could forget about friends that they knew since they were little, just like what happened in the book

[Shelby Runnells · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was heart-warming, yet heart-breaking at the same time. This is just the type of book I enjoy reading. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a sad-happy kind of book.

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this book. I thought that it was actually pretty good considering it was free verse. It told a good story and I was always engaged. It was a quick read and I recommend it to anyone looking for a really good free verse book.

[710Imaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book about finding your true self. I would recommend this to people who love books in verse.

[Joanna Hahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was just okay. Never really felt much for any of the characters. Quick read.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as I thought but it still was a good book. It teaches you to be a good person and always have your own ideas.

[Kendall Yarnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't finish this, it got boring and I got kinda confused.

[Bailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew you could say a lot by using poetry but this book says A LOT

[Beth Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe it's just because I'm a sucker for novels-in-verse, having been spoiled by Sonya Sones' spectacular writing style, but 'Things Left Unsaid' by Stephanie Hemphill made me thrilled to be able to pick up another author's verse and feel just as compelled as I do when reading anything by Sones.

The main character in 'Things Left Unsaid' is Sarah, who has decided to shed her outer good-girl exterior and embrace going against everything she always felt was the right thing to do. No longer does she care about her grades in school or how she's seen by friends or family. Instead, she'd rather hang out with Robin, a friend who doesn't seem to have limits and finds herself drowning in dangerous issues as the novel progresses. Sarah's other friends, Amanda and Gina, are polar opposites in and of themselves, so it's not easy for Sarah to be swayed by either one of them, for they find it hard to come to a consensus to help bring Sarah back to the "right path," whatever that might be.

Robin's brushes with danger, including a suicide attempt, make Sarah re-think everything she's been doing the whole year through. She finds her relationships faltering, not necessarily of her own doing. Gina, especially, seems more of a "frenemy" more often than not, clearly going for the things that Sarah most wants, including Derek Crawford. Despite hanging out with Gina, Hemphill's verse makes it clear that he is interested in Sarah. It's just how to make that transition happen that is the hard part.

Sarah finds herself more learning than once in this novel about growing up, learning how to accept who you are and what you stand for, and the power of friendship. I highly recommend 'Things Left Unsaid,' and I definitely plan to read Hemphill's other novels-in-verse. A captivating read that takes you from August to May of one school year with grace and determination to show that everything can turn out the way you want it to if you set your mind on achieving what you really want - and not what others might see as best for you.

Beth Rodgers, Author of 'Freshman Fourteen,' a Young Adult Novel

[Sana Noor · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest when i picked up the book i had no idea that it was 'A Novel In Poems'. I don't maybe if i knew i would not pick it up or maybe i would because i aspire to someday have my own anthology published. But only after i opened the book when i came back home did i realize that this story was told completely in verse.

This novel truly opened my eyes to the line my mom keeps feeding me, "Your friends must have said this, which is why you are repeating it." "Don't try and act like your friends." "You're changing because of the company you keep."
I never quite understood those words because at that time i would disagree and claim that my friends had no claim whatsoever over my thoughts or actions, and that how could i possibly be someone i'm not. That is before i read this novel. It makes you think and ponder over your own life, your friends and life choices.

Sarah was a good girl before she befriended the bad girl, Robin who brought about all that was bad in her life. Due to Robin's interference her grades started falling, black seemed the only color to be adorned on her and the thread that binds her to the truest friends she's ever had seems to be tearing apart. Only when tragedy strikes and she does not have the overshadowing figure of Robin behind her does Sarah feel alone and for the first time do her eyes open for the better. Everything comes back into perspective and life seems clearer.

Stephanie Hemphill carved a character right out of us that makes the best of us think if what we're doing is correct and exactly what we want. Her characters were so believable that i could easily ponder about them and reflect and compare them to my own friends.

This novel was beautiful and perfect. I recommend this to all those who are confused about a certain point of their life or a certain decision that they made that could have affected others as well. This book may not be an obvious guide that will provide clear cut answers to all your questions but it definitely opens your eyes.

Content: squeaky clean
Profanities: only one...i think

[Cali Jex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in poems, this is the story of Sarah—the good girl, the one who is everything parents hope for in a child. But when she meets Robin, who shows her the adventurous and thrilling side to being bad, Sarah finds herself intrigued. Robin truly is the epitome of the “bad” girl, different from anyone Sarah has ever met. As Sarah and Robin become closer friends, Sarah’s other priorities and friendships fade into the background. She becomes a new person with Robin—a person her parents and old friends are scared of. When Robin’s badishness reaches a high point and she attempts to commit suicide, Sarah is given a wakeup call and sees just how unhealthy and destructive Robin really is. A hard lesson to learn, Sarah begins to find herself again, acknowledging that being bad just isn’t good. Because this novel is structured in poems, it’s a quick and easy read; however, I don’t think the poetic verse did the story justice. There were many scenes that were too vague to understand making Sarah’s journey of self-discovery harder to follow. The situation of the story, however, is probably one of the most realistic and powerful YA tales.

[Abrianne B · Rating 5 out of 5]

In things left unsaid it has a girl that belongs in the background..until she meets Robin. Robin a is girl that doesn't really care what happens to her, to anyone. When they meet, Sarah's life turns upside down. Her closet fills up with all black and dark colors but she knows it is not her. Robin then tries to kill herself and after she completely ignores Sarah and Sarah falls back into the crowd, where she belongs. She finally meets Robin again after she comes out of the hospital. Will Sarah ever take the path with Robin again that she took once before?
I really liked this book because it left me thinking why would Robin want to kill herself. It seemed as she had all she wanted, it seemed as everyone could realize that except for her.
I would recommend this book because it was very interesting and the farther I read on the more I wanted to read. I wouldn't really recommend this for a younger audience. I would have more of a older audience for this book.

[Lindsey Byster · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that I just read was called "Things Left Unsaid." It is about a girl named Sarah who was always respected her family and friends and got straight A's. One day, she meets a girl named Robin who decides to make Sarah a close friend. Robin is the girl who only wears black, she ditches school, she doesn't care about her grades, and she never spends any time with family. Robin turns Sarah into one of those girls and Sarah starts to lose all of her friends, her family's respect towards her, her great grades, and she realizes that her life is getting really confusing. A big event happens in the story and it makes Sarah take a second thought on her friend choice and it changes her whole life. I also really liked this book because it is written in poem format and there are new chapters every couple pages, so I was kept interested and it made the story much easier for me to read! If you want to find out what happens to Sarah in the end, I suggest that you read this book!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 200+ pages of poetry actually tells a very compelling story. I'd give this 3.5 stars if possible because it's really well done. I just felt like parts of the story got really dark and depressing and I started to zone out a bit. I thought that it was a story worth telling. All of us have, at one point, known a Robin. It takes a long time to realize that the Robins of the world aren't really our true friends. I could definitely make a lot of connections to my high school experiences and even some college ones. I liked the story telling and in the end I even came to like Sarah, the narrator, a lot. I just couldn't get over how draining the darker parts of the novel were for me. But I suppose the realism might be what makes it a good book?

[Ozge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book last summer, but i recently found it again in my bookshelf, so i decided to read it to refresh my memory about the book. I think a lot of teens can relate to the issues in this book.
It's about a "good girl," Sarah. she has good grades, good friends, and a great life...until Robin comes into her life. As soon as she starts hanging out with Robin everything changes. She starts turning emo, and her grades drop and she loses her other friends, but she doesn't care because she has Robin. But then...Robin commits suicide and Sarah is all alone...
This book talks about friendship and teen drama. I thought it was a good book and i would recommend it if you're the type of person who likes reading about teen drama.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked out this book not really knowing what i was about to read. When i started reading it i thought it was just going to be about the main character Sarah being in innocent daughter going to a party and doing something that wasnt suppose to get out but did. Then i started reading it and it turns out she turns to the dark side with her new freind Robin. There were part were i got hooked on it ten some parts that i got bored reading cause it kind of just kept draggin in. I do think that this is a good book and recommond it for certain poeple who would be interested in these kind of books. I dont think this would be a book i could read more than twice. But i do think it was a good book and it leaves you with a ending you didn't think that, that was how it was going to end.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel in poems. Each verse was a chapter in the life of a high school girl named Sarah. She is a girl who always gets As and follows the rules until she meets Robin, a troubled girl who thrill seeks and smokes and causes Sarah to change how she thinks about things. Sarah, caught in the middle of not wanting to do the expected and letting Robin make all her decisions for her must choose what she wants. A great novel about identify, peer pressure and finding a voice.

Favorite quotes:
1) "I'm spoken to in hushes and whispers like I'm porcelain, easy to break, sharp enough to cut, and ready to fall apart."

2)"School is creepy on the weekend, like a hibernating grizzly bear you don't want to wake. It feels unnatural to spend Saturday morning staring at a school computer..."

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarah Lewis is tired of being the perfect daughter, with straight A’s and perfect friends. When Robin comes into her life during a party one evening, the two girls become fast friends. Robin is the girl Sarah’s parents would not want her hanging around. When Sarah’s grades start to fall and her entire wardrobe goes from colorful, to colorless, her friends and family start to worry. Will Sarah go down the same self-destructive path that Robin is determined to travel? Stephanie Hemphill’s novel in poems about friendship and learning to stand on our own feet puts us right in Sarah’s shoes as she travels the road to becoming her own person.

[Grace]

i think the book is great and it has a twist in the middle when suddenly something bad happens and after that sarah's (the main character)world comes crashing down and her friends and family are trying to get her to talk about it but she want 1 special friend to talk to. little does she know her 'special friend" forgot all about her and doesnt even care that she exists.in the begining she was a happy persont with a colorful wardrobe and getting good grades and maintaning her friends.when robin comes along she starts wearing black clothes , goes heavy on the black make up,and starts smoking and also loses most of her friends.Anyway thats all i have read....

[Isabel Freedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book, I very much liked the characters and they're actions and feelings. My favorite cahracter was Sarah. I liked her because I felt she was very relatable. If I was in her posistion where I had a friend that was a bad influence I would probably end up following her because it's peer pressure. Sometimes you don't even realize the person is a bad influence on you but you just go along with it. For example, Sarah doesn't realize the damage Robin has done until later. She even says she was "...wading through the wake Robin created." (170). But i also like that Sarah ends up getting back to her old ways a recreating her life. I liked how this book played out and how it was written.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it! novel in verse. if i had read this before meeting stephanie, i could have asked her about her dropping articles before words when Sarah got past a critical point in her life. interesting.
Sarah is an over-achiever. she meets Robin, who is an under-achiever. Sarah is a sponge to Robin's darkness, and lets go of a lot of her goals, following Robin's lead. then, things go crazy for Robin, and sarah has to deal with the loss of a friend who wasn't really that much of a friend, and things are better this way, but that doesn't mean she didnt get attached to Robin. So it still hurts.

[Nesma Bazali · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sarah was a good girl. She always got A's in class and she listened to her parents. When she meets Robin that all changes. She gets worse grades than ever and she disobeys her parents. She doesn't even try in school. Robin is very demanding. Things happen that changes Sarah's and Robin's life. I think this book has challenges many people face. Like peer-pressure and other things. This book does have pretty hard words but if you are into reading about how a girl overcomes many struggles than go for it.

[LibraryGoddess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This quick read is a novel written as a series of poems. In these poems, Sarah tells the story of her junior year, when she decides to stop trying to be a "goody-goody" and enjoy life more. Then she falls under the spell of Robin, a girl who "is exactly the type of friend Mom doesn't approve of..." The reader is drawn into the danger Sarah faces - will she be able to save herself - or to save Robin?

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually LOVE novels in verse, so I wanted to be blown away by this story of a girl who begins a toxic frienship and it's impact on her. Maybe I just read this title too close to "Black Tuesday" but I couldn't barely keep the characters straight. It wasn't a bad book, but it didn't really stick with me.

[Jianny]

I recommend this book because it is really interesting. Once you start reading it, you are captured in the book and you wouldnot want to stop reading it. This book is about a girl named Sarah and as soon as she meets this guy named Robin, she starts acting like him, and doing what he does. In the end, her life changes completely. Read this book, and find out what exactly happens.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another YA novel in verse. I read another book by Hemphill (Your Own, Sylvia), which I liked better. Teenage girls will like this book. It includes the usual teen problems: boys, hanging out with the wrong crowd, and parents who don't "get it." The main character must deal with an awkward friendship with a troubled classmate. All's well in the end, though.

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was a breeze to read as it was very few paragraphs per page and not a lot of poetic pattern scheme to think about but yeah it made me reflect on myself and that is to me great. it went by quick but it had a lot of story and transformations so it was quite an enjoyable read.

[Gabby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought it was interesting. Picked it up because I loved the title and the ideas of the book that it spun in my head. I have to say though the book itself wasn't for me. I loved how everything was written in poems. That was so unique.