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The heartbreaking and hopeful young adult fiction debut from New York Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster.Anyone passing through North Shore, Illinois, would think it was the most picture-perfect place ever, with all the lakefront mansions and manicured hedges and iron gates. No one talks about the fact that the brilliant, talented kids in town have a terrible history of throwing themselves in front of commuter trains. Meet Simone, the bohemian transfer student from London, who is thrust into the strange new reality of an American high school; Mallory, the hypercompetitive queen bee; and Stephen, the first-generation genius who struggles with crippling self-doubt. Each one is shocked when a popular classmate takes his own life and his death triggers more suicides. With so many students facing their own demons, can they find a way to save each other--as well as themselves? Inspired by true events that happened in the author's hometown, The Gatekeepers is a moving story that offers an unflinching look at the pressures teens face and the hope that tragedy can be prevented.
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First published October 10, 2017
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About the author
Jen Lancaster
30 books4,491 followersJen Lancaster is the author of her own memoirs including: as Bitter is the New Black, Bright Lights, Big Ass, Such A Pretty Fat, Pretty in Plaid, My Fair Lazy, and the newest: Jeneration X.
She has also dabbled with fiction in her first book, If You Were Here.
She has also dabbled with fiction in her first book, If You Were Here.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews
October 4, 2017
Teen suicide is a major theme of "The Gatekeepers" but don't be put off by the seriousness of this because mostly it's a book about teens being teens. Going to parties, making friends, struggling with academics, and worrying about what college will accept them. Lancaster does an excellent job of making these characters leap off the page, some of them are almost larger than life but you'll probably fall in love with them just as I did.
The high school they attend is in an affluent area and academics are stressed as are extra curricular activities and not just because these will be enriching for the kids but because they'll look good on college applications. Also, almost all the parents have high powered jobs and make big salaries that go with that however they pour time and attention into their jobs and sometimes not enough quality time parenting. All of this leaves the kids vulnerable to depression and sometimes leaves them desperate enough to kill themselves.
Before reading this book I would have said I was well informed on this topic but Lancaster gives stress factors that can ratchet up pain for some kids. This is also not a book about blaming parents or teachers and other school personnel but about the teens taking their power back or feeling it more fully. It's a book about redemption, learning the signs to look for in potential suicides, and caring deeply about others.
The high school they attend is in an affluent area and academics are stressed as are extra curricular activities and not just because these will be enriching for the kids but because they'll look good on college applications. Also, almost all the parents have high powered jobs and make big salaries that go with that however they pour time and attention into their jobs and sometimes not enough quality time parenting. All of this leaves the kids vulnerable to depression and sometimes leaves them desperate enough to kill themselves.
Before reading this book I would have said I was well informed on this topic but Lancaster gives stress factors that can ratchet up pain for some kids. This is also not a book about blaming parents or teachers and other school personnel but about the teens taking their power back or feeling it more fully. It's a book about redemption, learning the signs to look for in potential suicides, and caring deeply about others.
October 12, 2017
4.5 stars
I have been a long time fan of Jen Lancaster's but for me, her memoirs are where she shines and her fiction novels have been hit or miss for me.
The premise of the novel follows a set of teens who are dealing with a suicide epidemic and each character in turn tells their side of what happens through the course of a year (but predominantly a few months). While this isn't a true story, it's based on true events that have been taking place all over the country.
When I started The Gatekeepers the first couple chapters were almost a bit too much teen-speaky. I know this makes no sense but once you read the novel (and you should!) perhaps you'll understand what I'm trying to say. Either it gets better or I got used to the voice so-to-speak and once I was over that hurdle I flew through the book.
While I feel at times it's a bit too "after school special" (and as a kid I loved the hell out of those so it isn't necessarily a dig) it really does deal with the reality kids are facing now. The alternating viewpoints really show how various kinds of people deal with stress and loss. Some turn inward, some turn to others, some turn to drugs and some give up. It's one of those stories that I think teens need to read to not feel so alone. Heck, as an adult it reminded me how everyone is dealing with something and should be treated with kindness, even if they are outwardly being a jerk.
Overall it was a solid novel and may be one of my favorites of Lancaster's to date.
I have been a long time fan of Jen Lancaster's but for me, her memoirs are where she shines and her fiction novels have been hit or miss for me.
The premise of the novel follows a set of teens who are dealing with a suicide epidemic and each character in turn tells their side of what happens through the course of a year (but predominantly a few months). While this isn't a true story, it's based on true events that have been taking place all over the country.
When I started The Gatekeepers the first couple chapters were almost a bit too much teen-speaky. I know this makes no sense but once you read the novel (and you should!) perhaps you'll understand what I'm trying to say. Either it gets better or I got used to the voice so-to-speak and once I was over that hurdle I flew through the book.
While I feel at times it's a bit too "after school special" (and as a kid I loved the hell out of those so it isn't necessarily a dig) it really does deal with the reality kids are facing now. The alternating viewpoints really show how various kinds of people deal with stress and loss. Some turn inward, some turn to others, some turn to drugs and some give up. It's one of those stories that I think teens need to read to not feel so alone. Heck, as an adult it reminded me how everyone is dealing with something and should be treated with kindness, even if they are outwardly being a jerk.
Overall it was a solid novel and may be one of my favorites of Lancaster's to date.
January 18, 2018
"The Gatekeepers" is definitely NOT an easy read.Its NOT an enjoyable one.Its an important one.So very important.Strong,real, heartbreaking and eye opening.Broke my heart multiple times and *sobs* goreaditokay
March 16, 2018
I was really surprised by this book. It sucked me in and 400+ pages flew by pretty darn fast. There were a few minor things I didn't love-- some teen talk, some HEA couplings, some pushiness/forced usage of statistics and educational information-- but I really loved the importantness of the story and the personalities of the characters.
This book contains a lot of things that I like. Multiple perspectives, high school hierarchies, interesting characters, good writing. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book, but it was so much MORE than what I thought it was going to be.
North Shore was an interesting town to read about. 98% of the kids at North Shore go to college-- their goal is 100%. How is this a thing???? I hope that part is 100% fiction because it ENRAGED me. Who are these people to say that all kids have to go to college or they're failures? College is not the be all end all of life. I'm not saying people shouldn't go, but they sure as shit shouldn't if they don't know what they want to do, or if they just don't want to.
The problem with this town is that there is no room for anything but status quo-- and status quo here is SCARY. It's Ivy League acceptance, it's 999 clubs and state championship winning sports, it's perfect bodies and designer clothes. AND it's being oblivious that all this is causing kids to kill themselves rather than disappoint.
The actual plot of the book follows Simone- who gets swallowed by the PERFECTION beast and turns from a hippie- go where the wind takes her kind of gal, to someone who obsesses over test scores. Mallory was also a standout-- she's the North Shore standard, and then she loses a close friend to the pressure and questions everything.
I flew through this 450-page book because of the intense NEED TO KNOW feelings it gave me. But there were a few minor things that stopped me from full-blown obsession. There was some teen-talk that was #annoying (like using hashtags while talking), and some HEA stuff that I didn't feel was that realistic to the situation. Also, I know this is based on a true story, and I appreciate the research that the author clearly did, but I felt like some of the statistics and educational information could be heavy-handed and pushy at times.
OVERALL: I really enjoyed this and could see a lot of teens relating to the pressure the characters were under. I felt like this book was able to both tell a story AND shine a light on a real-life situation in a coherent way. It will suck you in with the character's stories, but then show you what can happen when teens are under too much pressure from all angles. I totally recommend.
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This book contains a lot of things that I like. Multiple perspectives, high school hierarchies, interesting characters, good writing. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book, but it was so much MORE than what I thought it was going to be.
North Shore was an interesting town to read about. 98% of the kids at North Shore go to college-- their goal is 100%. How is this a thing???? I hope that part is 100% fiction because it ENRAGED me. Who are these people to say that all kids have to go to college or they're failures? College is not the be all end all of life. I'm not saying people shouldn't go, but they sure as shit shouldn't if they don't know what they want to do, or if they just don't want to.
The problem with this town is that there is no room for anything but status quo-- and status quo here is SCARY. It's Ivy League acceptance, it's 999 clubs and state championship winning sports, it's perfect bodies and designer clothes. AND it's being oblivious that all this is causing kids to kill themselves rather than disappoint.
The actual plot of the book follows Simone- who gets swallowed by the PERFECTION beast and turns from a hippie- go where the wind takes her kind of gal, to someone who obsesses over test scores. Mallory was also a standout-- she's the North Shore standard, and then she loses a close friend to the pressure and questions everything.
I flew through this 450-page book because of the intense NEED TO KNOW feelings it gave me. But there were a few minor things that stopped me from full-blown obsession. There was some teen-talk that was #annoying (like using hashtags while talking), and some HEA stuff that I didn't feel was that realistic to the situation. Also, I know this is based on a true story, and I appreciate the research that the author clearly did, but I felt like some of the statistics and educational information could be heavy-handed and pushy at times.
OVERALL: I really enjoyed this and could see a lot of teens relating to the pressure the characters were under. I felt like this book was able to both tell a story AND shine a light on a real-life situation in a coherent way. It will suck you in with the character's stories, but then show you what can happen when teens are under too much pressure from all angles. I totally recommend.
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Pink Polka Dot Books
November 4, 2018
Lancaster tackles the scourge of teen suicide that is attacking the Z Generation across the country and for that she deserves kudos. But her first person writing from each of the main character's heads doesn't ring true. She uses turns of phrase and metaphors more common for her own generation. She's out of touch with what's current for kids born after 1995. How does Mallory know attorneys round up their hours into fifteen minute intervals? Why would Owen describe Mallory as "Strepford-Perfection?" How would an 18-year-old know who the Stepford Wives were? And there are tons of worn out clichés, e.g., "two bulls in the proverbial china shop." "If momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy." I've never heard a teen use these expressions. Owen's thoughts are the most jarring.
It was hard to get past the writing. Lancaster is clearly writing in the wrong genre for her. But I kept reading. The characters are interesting. We all know suburbs like North Shore--where the rich kids live in McMansions and go to schools with rigorous academic standards. The environment is so exacting, there's no free time to be a kid. It's all about getting into an Ivy-League school. And some kids crack under the pressure.
This is a story that needs to be told with the rise of teen suicide. I think maybe a different author should tell it.
It was hard to get past the writing. Lancaster is clearly writing in the wrong genre for her. But I kept reading. The characters are interesting. We all know suburbs like North Shore--where the rich kids live in McMansions and go to schools with rigorous academic standards. The environment is so exacting, there's no free time to be a kid. It's all about getting into an Ivy-League school. And some kids crack under the pressure.
This is a story that needs to be told with the rise of teen suicide. I think maybe a different author should tell it.
August 1, 2018
LFHS friends, this book is about Lake Forest and about the kids that we have lost to suicide. A fair warning: the writing is contrived and especially in the beginning, I was so frustrated that I didn’t want to read it. Something kept me reading though, and I think it was that I needed to get past the writing and face what happened again. I needed to remember those kids’ stories and circumstances; I need to have their memories with me as we head into a new school year. I am not saying that this is a well written book, but I think it is an important read for us, the educators that touch those kids' lives and are affected by them every single day. If you’re a part of the LFHS community, it might be an impactful read.
December 6, 2017
Wow I can't believe this is a Jen Lancaster novel. She is known for her funny autobiographies, so I was surprised how well she wrote a youth adult novel about the pressures of high school students that led too often to suicide.
This is a book that needs to be in every school and the practices that need to be implemented in every school (gatekeepers). I was hooked from the beginning with the different story lines and how each character fit into the story. It had me reading into the early morning hours and I had to find out what happened with each character.
This is a book that needs to be in every school and the practices that need to be implemented in every school (gatekeepers). I was hooked from the beginning with the different story lines and how each character fit into the story. It had me reading into the early morning hours and I had to find out what happened with each character.
September 3, 2017
Disappointing -too large for most teens (435 pages!) and too many perspectives -none of whom I cared about. I love Jen Lancaster but felt this just missed the mark. Important subject (high pressure expectations for teens leading to increased suicide in wealthy communities ) but this is not the book to communicate that to teens at least for me. Alas. Full disclosure -read 100+ pages than skipped to the end but just didn't see it getting any better.
October 28, 2017
One of my favorite author's first attempt at YA. It deals with teen suicide so it's not her usual comedic writing. Her memoirs are still my favorite but this was solid AND important.
November 2, 2017
4.5 stars. What an amazing book. Love Jen Lancaster's funny memoir books. This book really highlighted what an a amazing writer she really is. I would usually not read a book on teen suicide but this book sucked me, I couldn't put it down. Wasn't melodramatic, but timely, fresh, filled with pop culture references and very relatable. Was so well written with characters that while a first seemed stereotypical as you delved into the novel, realized each character was more then what they seemed, which is a major point of the setting and story.
I highly recommend this book.
I highly recommend this book.
October 23, 2017
DNF @ 46%
I told myself that I would read 150 pages and if it didn’t get better than I would stop. Well, I tried to read a little bit more each time and I just couldn’t take it anymore. Why did I keep torturing myself for so long?
The characters in this book annoyed me beyond belief. No personal connections were fused. Every single person named in this book drove me batshit crazy. I don’t care how perfect you believe your little town is, or how fantastic your school is with its preparation for the real world or all the fake friends you guys share.
We all have secrets, some darker and bigger than others. We keep things inside that we don’t want out. These kids had some and I didn’t care if they shared them or not. They were all whiny little shots who won’t ever know what the real world is like due to the silver spoons.
And who the hell brushes off suicide like it’s no big deal!? Wtf!? It’s a huge deal and maybe you should talk about it and heal as a community.
Nothing boiled my blood quite like this read and I sure as hell wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.
If some stranger offers you this book with the beautiful cover, run! Don’t take horrible books from strangers! This time, they don’t have the best candy.
I told myself that I would read 150 pages and if it didn’t get better than I would stop. Well, I tried to read a little bit more each time and I just couldn’t take it anymore. Why did I keep torturing myself for so long?
The characters in this book annoyed me beyond belief. No personal connections were fused. Every single person named in this book drove me batshit crazy. I don’t care how perfect you believe your little town is, or how fantastic your school is with its preparation for the real world or all the fake friends you guys share.
We all have secrets, some darker and bigger than others. We keep things inside that we don’t want out. These kids had some and I didn’t care if they shared them or not. They were all whiny little shots who won’t ever know what the real world is like due to the silver spoons.
And who the hell brushes off suicide like it’s no big deal!? Wtf!? It’s a huge deal and maybe you should talk about it and heal as a community.
Nothing boiled my blood quite like this read and I sure as hell wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.
If some stranger offers you this book with the beautiful cover, run! Don’t take horrible books from strangers! This time, they don’t have the best candy.
May 13, 2017
Reading now. Immersed! Full review when finished!
Want to read
January 21, 2022omg the SHOCK i just experienced when i read the synopsis of this book. i...i went to a hoity-toity high school in north shore, illinois? and HATED it? i’ve never seen this very specific part of illinois mentioned in fiction before. i don't think i can explain this enough. the north shore is the setting of my villain origin story. i need to read this.
October 10, 2017
Thank you to the publisher (via Netgalley) for an advance e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
If you're familiar with Jen Lancaster's previous books for adults and teens, you may want to adjust your expectations for The Gatekeepers. While the author has made her name with her humorous memoirs, in The Gatekeepers, Lancaster tackles the difficult topic of teen suicide. At North Shore High School, the students are constantly competing for the highest grades, the most impressive extracurriculars, and admission to the best colleges. The expectations are high, and the risks are real as this wealthy community has also seen many more than their share of students taking their own lives. This book reinforces the impacts of these expectations on teens, and the importance of awareness and vigilance from their friends, family, and community. The teens in this book are struggling with a wide variety of issues in addition to trying to figure out how to save each other. It's definitely a tough read in spots, and may be too difficult for those who are too close to the topic. However, I was overall impressed with what Lancaster has accomplished in this book and the sense of hope that persisted through the ending.
If you're familiar with Jen Lancaster's previous books for adults and teens, you may want to adjust your expectations for The Gatekeepers. While the author has made her name with her humorous memoirs, in The Gatekeepers, Lancaster tackles the difficult topic of teen suicide. At North Shore High School, the students are constantly competing for the highest grades, the most impressive extracurriculars, and admission to the best colleges. The expectations are high, and the risks are real as this wealthy community has also seen many more than their share of students taking their own lives. This book reinforces the impacts of these expectations on teens, and the importance of awareness and vigilance from their friends, family, and community. The teens in this book are struggling with a wide variety of issues in addition to trying to figure out how to save each other. It's definitely a tough read in spots, and may be too difficult for those who are too close to the topic. However, I was overall impressed with what Lancaster has accomplished in this book and the sense of hope that persisted through the ending.
October 8, 2017
The Gatekeepers is set in a wealthy suburb of Chicago. The families in the story are very aware of "keeping up with the Joneses" and making sure the children in the family are the best and brightest in their endeavors, no matter the cost to the children's mental health. The Gatekeepers is the name of a group developed after several teen suicides in the community, due to the pressures of high school, high parental expectations, not being able to follow a path in which the parents do not participate. The subject matter is solemn but Jen Lancaster manages to infuse her writing with her standard wit. Some of the expressions the teens use don't seem to keep up with the things I hear teens saying in 2017. Some of the focus is on 1980's movies that were popular, such as Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club. While those movies are considered classic teen movies, I'm not sure many teens today can relate to them. They seem more relatable to the generation of the author (of which I am). This book does stand out, though, because Ms. Lancaster does seem able to relate to the problems that teens have from generation to generation - peer pressure, academic pressure, parental pressure, etc. I would recommend this book for ages twelve to sixteen and any fan of Jen Lancaster.
August 17, 2017
As a long-time fan of Jen Lancaster’s adult memoirs and novels, I wasn’t sure what to expect from her first teen book. Those of you who are familiar with her writing style will recognize her snarky humor and 80s movie references. This one takes place in “John Hughes Land” aka the North Shore suburbs of Chicago, and there are plenty of references to Hughes’ beloved teen films. After she moved to this posh area, Lancaster discovered its dirty little secrets. Teens who live on the North Shore feel so much pressure to succeed that they often take drugs and drink to cope. They develop eating disorders and get severely depressed. And some of them jump in front of Metra trains to end their lives. In this story, an unlikely group of friends including Mallory, the overachieving homecoming queen, Simone, the artsy new girl from England, Kent, the geek who loves 90s hip hop, and Owen, the stoner documentary filmmaker, form a group called the Gatekeepers after several of their classmates commit suicide. They vow to stop any more of their friends from taking their own lives. Despite their differences, they develop strong friendships, a definite nod to The Breakfast Club. Together they help one of the most popular guys in school as he battles an addiction to painkillers. It’s a bit like an afterschool special, sure, but the characters are well-developed and likable enough that it works. Teens will certainly relate to one or more of the characters and will hopefully develop empathy for kids in different social circles. The bottom line seems to be that teens need strong support systems of peers and family members that they can openly communicate with in order to avoid severe depression and suicide. That sounds simple enough, but in a world where half the communication happens on social media and hard-working parents are increasingly absent in their kids’ daily lives, it’s tougher than it sounds. I’m curious to hear what teens of different socioeconomic backgrounds think of this story about super rich kids, but all teens deal with depression and the pressure to figure out their future. A relevant topic, charming characters, and enough humor to lighten a very heavy subject.
June 22, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What an absolutely incredible book! I've long been a fan of Lancaster's work and her as a person. She has a gift with words and is an incredible storyteller. This is her best yet, and I will honestly be surprised if I read anything else this year that I find to be better; it is that good. It addresses such an important and timely topic and does it so well. Especially with more discussion happening now regarding teen suicide, and with the popularity of 13 Reasons Why, this will be an important book to put into the hands of teens. Also, I think it will be an important book for parents and those who have any impact on the lives of teens to read as well. In addition to teen suicide, the book addresses the relentless pressure on teens to succeed at everything and push themselves further and further. It's not enough to be a good student, or a talented athlete, or an accomplished artist/musician/dancer/actor, etc. Expectation on teens today is that they have to excel at everything, no matter the cost. Compared to many other books that do address these issues, I think Lancaster has done so well at getting into the why of it and what can be done to watch for signs of someone who is struggling and how one can help them. So many books focus more on the emotional aspects and fallout of suicide without providing hope and solutions. While they are often still really good books that are worth reading, I appreciate what Lancaster has done here and think this book can effect change and do something to help what is happening. I very highly recommend this one and hope it will be read widely. For sure, it should be in every library that serves teens.
What an absolutely incredible book! I've long been a fan of Lancaster's work and her as a person. She has a gift with words and is an incredible storyteller. This is her best yet, and I will honestly be surprised if I read anything else this year that I find to be better; it is that good. It addresses such an important and timely topic and does it so well. Especially with more discussion happening now regarding teen suicide, and with the popularity of 13 Reasons Why, this will be an important book to put into the hands of teens. Also, I think it will be an important book for parents and those who have any impact on the lives of teens to read as well. In addition to teen suicide, the book addresses the relentless pressure on teens to succeed at everything and push themselves further and further. It's not enough to be a good student, or a talented athlete, or an accomplished artist/musician/dancer/actor, etc. Expectation on teens today is that they have to excel at everything, no matter the cost. Compared to many other books that do address these issues, I think Lancaster has done so well at getting into the why of it and what can be done to watch for signs of someone who is struggling and how one can help them. So many books focus more on the emotional aspects and fallout of suicide without providing hope and solutions. While they are often still really good books that are worth reading, I appreciate what Lancaster has done here and think this book can effect change and do something to help what is happening. I very highly recommend this one and hope it will be read widely. For sure, it should be in every library that serves teens.
November 17, 2017
Heartbreakingly close to home
I love Jen Lancaster. A lot. I don't always agree with her on inconsequential things, but I feel like I am better and smarter and more understanding of other women because of her writing. I got about halfway through The Gatekeepers and had to stop reading because I was crying angry tears of rage.
How dare Jen try to write about something so personal and private when she had never experienced it?
I have read many reviews of The Gatekeepers, and many are wrong. The book is not too long for a teen, it sucks you in and consumes you so throughly that when it ends you are breathless with the raw emotions you felt. The cultural references work. It may seem that younger generations would not understand and relate but these are timeless things. Touchstones. Jen has always been a solid writer and storyteller and she was masterful at creating individual voices that were not cliches. I had no trouble knowing exactly who was speaking. Jen clearly reads YA fiction and created an amalgamation of different styles to create a strong narrative.
The Gatekeepers exposes you to painful truths that need to have a light shone on them. It can be painful to read, I cried a lot. However I am deeply grateful for the amount of respect and lack of judgement passed in respect to depression and mental illness. I was spitting mad halfway through, but it made me think and evaluate my feelings and opinions, which is vitally important. Having finished the book and dried my tears I am moved beyond belief by how much I loved this book.
I love Jen Lancaster. A lot. I don't always agree with her on inconsequential things, but I feel like I am better and smarter and more understanding of other women because of her writing. I got about halfway through The Gatekeepers and had to stop reading because I was crying angry tears of rage.
How dare Jen try to write about something so personal and private when she had never experienced it?
I have read many reviews of The Gatekeepers, and many are wrong. The book is not too long for a teen, it sucks you in and consumes you so throughly that when it ends you are breathless with the raw emotions you felt. The cultural references work. It may seem that younger generations would not understand and relate but these are timeless things. Touchstones. Jen has always been a solid writer and storyteller and she was masterful at creating individual voices that were not cliches. I had no trouble knowing exactly who was speaking. Jen clearly reads YA fiction and created an amalgamation of different styles to create a strong narrative.
The Gatekeepers exposes you to painful truths that need to have a light shone on them. It can be painful to read, I cried a lot. However I am deeply grateful for the amount of respect and lack of judgement passed in respect to depression and mental illness. I was spitting mad halfway through, but it made me think and evaluate my feelings and opinions, which is vitally important. Having finished the book and dried my tears I am moved beyond belief by how much I loved this book.
April 30, 2018
Ummmm, am I the only Teen Librarian that didn't love this book?? I almost DNF, but as other characters got a voice, I at least got curious about them. Suicide is a sad and touchy subject and I know no one is exempt of depression, but I kept finding myself thinking "ugh,spoiled rich kids" more than I should.
When the author hit a high scoring SAT word, we had to hear that word multiple times and quickly, I guess just so we'd know that she really knew how to use that word. Also, we get it. You love John Hughes, but people in your same fandom will understand the reference, you don't have to keep telling us what you are referencing.
As far as subject matter goes, or at least putting into the hands of teens that need it..... Well, I live in a low income community so I'll steer them toward books they might better identify with.
*drug use, talk of sex, older teens
When the author hit a high scoring SAT word, we had to hear that word multiple times and quickly, I guess just so we'd know that she really knew how to use that word. Also, we get it. You love John Hughes, but people in your same fandom will understand the reference, you don't have to keep telling us what you are referencing.
As far as subject matter goes, or at least putting into the hands of teens that need it..... Well, I live in a low income community so I'll steer them toward books they might better identify with.
*drug use, talk of sex, older teens
July 19, 2017
This book is up there with my favorites I've read this year. Jen Lancaster did a marvelous job creating characters I loved and that felt so authentic. Not having attended a school like this or being raised in such an affluent community, it was enlightening to see how the types of problems that arise at the other end of the socioeconomic spectrum. This book does deal with teen suicide but was done in a very tactful way. Mental illness still has such a stigma and I am forever thankful to every author that uses their power to shed light on such an important issue.
September 6, 2018
Not a fun read.
March 29, 2020
MASSIVE trigger warnings for this book. I was woefully unprepared.
The story takes place with five main characters: Simone, Mallory, Stephen, Owen, and Kent. It takes place in the North Shore (Illinois, OMG, I'm from there!)
Simone is the new girl from London. She has no interest in acing the ACT/SAT like her North Shore counterparts, and she really just wants stress free learning.
Mallory (MY FAVORITE, I LOVE HER!!!) is the queen bee, but with much more depth than you'd think. She has her own inner demons, like anorexia and over exercising, but she decides to open herself up to being vulnerable if it means helping at risk peers.
Stephen is really tough for me to talk about, because he made me face my own dark thoughts that I felt not too long ago, and when he died, it really freaked me out. Not because I was surprised, but because the reason he died was so horrible.
Owen is the stoner guy, but he has a lot of hidden talents, and he uses them to help form a community.
Kent is Stephen's best friend, and he is constantly trying to bring Stephen up when he gets down. But Kent struggles with this task because Stephen seems to be an all time task.
This story was definitely relatable to the atmosphere at New Trier, the pressure, the parents clamping down on their kids for success. Most of the characters were struggling with their families. Mallory's obsession with calorie counting came from her mother's nickname Calorie Mallory. It was gut wrenching to read about the tension between her and her mother. Watching her grow into an altruistic, community serving helper was amazing. She'll forever be one of my favorite characters created.
Some of the things that just threw me off was the dialogue. I can't speak for all teenagers, but I don't say the word "jelly" as in jealous unless I'm being ironic. I was kind of confused when I saw the line "I knew I should be jelly" especially when it was from Owen's perspective. I don't think your average 18 year old guy would be thinking like that. Also, enough with verbally saying hashtag! It's not a thing! I love Mallory, but that was one flaw of her character. Hashtag's not a thing. Don't bring it back.
Another thing was I feel like so much was covered in this book in too little time. Depression, suicide, drug abuse/addiction. They're all really important topics that need to be represented better, but there was too much for one book.
The story takes place with five main characters: Simone, Mallory, Stephen, Owen, and Kent. It takes place in the North Shore (Illinois, OMG, I'm from there!)
Simone is the new girl from London. She has no interest in acing the ACT/SAT like her North Shore counterparts, and she really just wants stress free learning.
Mallory (MY FAVORITE, I LOVE HER!!!) is the queen bee, but with much more depth than you'd think. She has her own inner demons, like anorexia and over exercising, but she decides to open herself up to being vulnerable if it means helping at risk peers.
Stephen is really tough for me to talk about, because he made me face my own dark thoughts that I felt not too long ago, and when he died, it really freaked me out. Not because I was surprised, but because the reason he died was so horrible.
Owen is the stoner guy, but he has a lot of hidden talents, and he uses them to help form a community.
Kent is Stephen's best friend, and he is constantly trying to bring Stephen up when he gets down. But Kent struggles with this task because Stephen seems to be an all time task.
This story was definitely relatable to the atmosphere at New Trier, the pressure, the parents clamping down on their kids for success. Most of the characters were struggling with their families. Mallory's obsession with calorie counting came from her mother's nickname Calorie Mallory. It was gut wrenching to read about the tension between her and her mother. Watching her grow into an altruistic, community serving helper was amazing. She'll forever be one of my favorite characters created.
Some of the things that just threw me off was the dialogue. I can't speak for all teenagers, but I don't say the word "jelly" as in jealous unless I'm being ironic. I was kind of confused when I saw the line "I knew I should be jelly" especially when it was from Owen's perspective. I don't think your average 18 year old guy would be thinking like that. Also, enough with verbally saying hashtag! It's not a thing! I love Mallory, but that was one flaw of her character. Hashtag's not a thing. Don't bring it back.
Another thing was I feel like so much was covered in this book in too little time. Depression, suicide, drug abuse/addiction. They're all really important topics that need to be represented better, but there was too much for one book.
March 23, 2019
I have read a lot of YA novels – a lot so it always takes me by surprise when a book comes along and completely blows me away. This – The Gatekeepers – is my first 5 Star read of 2019.
It is the story of an idyllic town in middle America. The houses are perfect, the neighbours keep their lawns trimmed to a certain height, and the local high school has the best academic record around. Equally – and less talked about – is how it also has an unusually high suicide rate amongst its teenage population.
Told from multi-perspective, The Gatekeepers shows you just how much pressure teenagers are under to try and attain a level of perfection that doesn’t exist. It comes from either the school pressure, parental pressure or even just the pressure they put on themselves.
I work in a high school and the one thing that is not taught on the curriculum is how to fail and how failing isn’t the end of the world. But it is all ok because they teach you the hypotenuse of an angle. That’s…useful?
I genuinely loved this story. It was heartbreaking and it had me in tears and I will admit I had a severe headache at the end – too much emotion plus the inability to put the book down led to said headache – but it was worth it.
I don’t know anyone else who has read this book which is a shame because this is a book that needs to be shouted about. It should be in every school library and it deserves a higher place on the curriculum than the hypotenuse of an angle.
The Gatekeepers by Jen Lancaster is available now.
It is the story of an idyllic town in middle America. The houses are perfect, the neighbours keep their lawns trimmed to a certain height, and the local high school has the best academic record around. Equally – and less talked about – is how it also has an unusually high suicide rate amongst its teenage population.
Told from multi-perspective, The Gatekeepers shows you just how much pressure teenagers are under to try and attain a level of perfection that doesn’t exist. It comes from either the school pressure, parental pressure or even just the pressure they put on themselves.
I work in a high school and the one thing that is not taught on the curriculum is how to fail and how failing isn’t the end of the world. But it is all ok because they teach you the hypotenuse of an angle. That’s…useful?
I genuinely loved this story. It was heartbreaking and it had me in tears and I will admit I had a severe headache at the end – too much emotion plus the inability to put the book down led to said headache – but it was worth it.
I don’t know anyone else who has read this book which is a shame because this is a book that needs to be shouted about. It should be in every school library and it deserves a higher place on the curriculum than the hypotenuse of an angle.
The Gatekeepers by Jen Lancaster is available now.
November 23, 2017
Well this actually did end up improving...with about 30 pages left till the end of the book. Unfortunately it was just a little too late for The Gatekeepers to leave me wowed. Throughout this story I was waiting, and waiting, and waiting for something to happen but in the end I was left wanting...well for anything really.
The premise of the book really had me hooked: A story based on true events, set in a town where overachiever students, pushed by their parents, resort to suicide to escape the rat-race life they're living in –sounds intriguing albeit far fetched(how hared can affluent teens really have it, right?). Add to that the promise of a band of misfit young adults who set out to make a difference by saving their peers from meeting an untimely fate at their own hands? Now that's got to make for a dark, twisted and nail biting tale. Alas no, that's not what we got fellow reader. Instead we ended up with a plot that dragged on and on and on and...on. And oh my word such drama queens these poor teens turned out to be. To make matters worse,
To touch on a few of the characters, the perfectionist, Mallory was a pain to read, until she grew a pair towards the end. And the bohemian Simone couldn't decide if she was a free spirit or
The premise of the book really had me hooked: A story based on true events, set in a town where overachiever students, pushed by their parents, resort to suicide to escape the rat-race life they're living in –sounds intriguing albeit far fetched(how hared can affluent teens really have it, right?). Add to that the promise of a band of misfit young adults who set out to make a difference by saving their peers from meeting an untimely fate at their own hands? Now that's got to make for a dark, twisted and nail biting tale. Alas no, that's not what we got fellow reader. Instead we ended up with a plot that dragged on and on and on and...on. And oh my word such drama queens these poor teens turned out to be. To make matters worse,
To touch on a few of the characters, the perfectionist, Mallory was a pain to read, until she grew a pair towards the end. And the bohemian Simone couldn't decide if she was a free spirit or
November 25, 2017
I initially thought this would be an adolescent free fall take of "The Stepford Wives". A teenage English outsider starts attending an US high school that churns out scholars, athletes and artists that dominate their fields, win awards and cause Ivy Leagues to salivate at the mention of their names. Yet students keep killing themselves in this land of plenty. Instead "The Gatekeepers" is a sweet, earnest and well meaning examination of privilege and the stressful expectations that accompany it. There is wit but it is gradually obscured by increasingly unrealistic character development. I appreciate the author's attempt to find redemption and to tackle the weight of expectations both outward and inward, but at times it felt flat and disconnected. I enjoyed the story because it is a "feel good" story. But ultimately I could not completely believe the characters and the choices they make. I give it three stars because it is well meaning and sweet but I would prefer a more complex and nuanced examination.
November 14, 2017
Lancaster's The Gatekeepers scared the poop out of me. As a parent, reading this YA novel about wealthy, academically gifted students who are committing suicide in a fictional North Shore of Chicago suburb, was a window into teen life, motivation and anxiety. It was frightening because I'm a parent of two girls, one a teen and one a preteen, and I kept putting myself in the parents' places. I was also a teenager once, and I felt the pressures that these characters felt once upon a time. Lancaster tells the story from several points of view, and they each have their distinct voices. Think The Breakfast Club in the social media age. And the message that John Hughes tries to convey in his film--that one doesn't have to be pigeon-holed into one track or one identity in one's life--is echoed here in The Gatekeepers. This books runs the gamut of emotions, both for the characters and the reader: amusement, hilarity, connection and despair. While the focus is definitely on the phenomena of teen suicide in wealthy suburbs, it is ultimately a message of hope. The tag phrase on the back of Lancaster's book is YOU ARE NOT ALONE, and that is ultimately the theme that she wants to convey, and she succeeds. I recommend for both teens and adults.
October 11, 2017
I have to comment on the length of this book, coming in around 450 pages, it's a bit excessive. Easily a quarter of this book could have come out... if not more, even. I had a really hard time getting into it because the high point in the plot really doesn't even come until the middle the of the book, the entire first half is spent establishing the cast of characters and getting a feel for each of their voices. Secondly, there are a LOT of characters to keep track of. They each have their own issues, their own connection to the larger issue of academic pressure, and then their own connections to the students who ended their lives, ultimately because of academic pressure. We learn early on of two earlier suicides, one after another, but we don't really find out the why for those until much later in the book; in fact, you put it together yourself once the third student dies and you're seeing the pattern with the deaths and the struggles with the students we're following in the story. Those are my primary complaints.
OK, I have to admit, if you didn't know who the author was and were a long time reader of Jen Lancaster, you'd know it was her immediately because of all of the John Hughes mentions and references, which doesn't feel relevant to today's youth- how many teenagers do you know even know who John Hughes was and what movies he made? None. On top of that, the book is actually a really heavy read so the intended humorous quips throughout the book leave a sour taste. You can't make a book about teen suicide fun or funny, you just can't.
All of that aside, the draw of the book is obviously the struggles of today's youth to achieve, be better, do better, push themselves, excel, all of that. On top of that, many students are suffering, privately, with other issues while at the same time trying to talk each other off the ledge so to speak. I feel like if we didn't spend so much time developing the characters and more time delving into the students who ended their lives, this book could have had more of an impact. I didn't care so much about the majority of the characters, I wanted to know more about the ones who died. I guess that's maybe true of everyone who ends their life, we always want to know why. What didn't we know? What could we have done? How can we prevent the next one?
As a parent, this was a fascinating read because we look at the pressure we put on our kids even from a young age. Be good, don't do that, stop being so loud, play nicer, try harder, listen to all of the things we say without a second thought all day long. We'er all guilty. It's definitely a generational thing and it's really too bad because a lot of kids no longer get to be kids. We push expectations on them, we give them access to social media and technology, and then we wonder why they are failing? We aren't helping them, we're ultimately hurting them.
Overall? I'm giving this book 3/5 stars. I didn't hate it, I was genuinely interested and invested in these characters, I wanted to know how they would turn out. The deaths that come in the book are sudden and you truly don't always see it coming, so they hit you hard just as they would if these were real life people you see everyday.
OK, I have to admit, if you didn't know who the author was and were a long time reader of Jen Lancaster, you'd know it was her immediately because of all of the John Hughes mentions and references, which doesn't feel relevant to today's youth- how many teenagers do you know even know who John Hughes was and what movies he made? None. On top of that, the book is actually a really heavy read so the intended humorous quips throughout the book leave a sour taste. You can't make a book about teen suicide fun or funny, you just can't.
All of that aside, the draw of the book is obviously the struggles of today's youth to achieve, be better, do better, push themselves, excel, all of that. On top of that, many students are suffering, privately, with other issues while at the same time trying to talk each other off the ledge so to speak. I feel like if we didn't spend so much time developing the characters and more time delving into the students who ended their lives, this book could have had more of an impact. I didn't care so much about the majority of the characters, I wanted to know more about the ones who died. I guess that's maybe true of everyone who ends their life, we always want to know why. What didn't we know? What could we have done? How can we prevent the next one?
As a parent, this was a fascinating read because we look at the pressure we put on our kids even from a young age. Be good, don't do that, stop being so loud, play nicer, try harder, listen to all of the things we say without a second thought all day long. We'er all guilty. It's definitely a generational thing and it's really too bad because a lot of kids no longer get to be kids. We push expectations on them, we give them access to social media and technology, and then we wonder why they are failing? We aren't helping them, we're ultimately hurting them.
Overall? I'm giving this book 3/5 stars. I didn't hate it, I was genuinely interested and invested in these characters, I wanted to know how they would turn out. The deaths that come in the book are sudden and you truly don't always see it coming, so they hit you hard just as they would if these were real life people you see everyday.
November 7, 2017
Jen Lancaster is one of my favorite comedic writers, so I was a bit leery when I heard she was writing a serious YA novel. But, since she is a favorite, I had to give it a chance, and it did NOT disappoint. As a teacher, even at the middle school level, I have students that run the gamut of levels of despondent when it comes to balancing parent expectations of grades and extracurricular with their own sense of who they are. Times are so different now - I think about being in high school in the late 80s and the path to college versus what high school students now have to navigate to stand out. Teen suicide is at an all time high and this book does an amazing job of telling a story that makes you forget that these characters are fictional. Jen Lancaster, you did not disappoint- I was immersed in the storyline and engaged from cover to cover.
January 5, 2018
Lancaster's message is one that closely relates to the quote about not judging because you don't know what someone is dealing with and in her case, she wrote The Gatekeepers as a way to work through a cluster of suicides in her hometown that was affluent and "shouldn't" have had issues, but every teen struggles regardless of their socioeconomic status, family situation, and more. They struggle with addiction and pain, acceptance and romance, identity and family. So in this story, it's truly a teen drama about all of the pressures of being a teen. It's not that I'm disinterested because I live in their world every day, but there wasn't anything stellar to keep me there once I started.
Teens will enjoy it because it's a slice of life, it's about have/have-nots, people who have it better or worse than them as a way to compare, but it wasn't a book that kept me reading.
Teens will enjoy it because it's a slice of life, it's about have/have-nots, people who have it better or worse than them as a way to compare, but it wasn't a book that kept me reading.
January 20, 2020
This book is incredible. This book is IMPORTANT! I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression my entire life. As a 35 year old woman I still do and I always will. It’s a fact that I have finally come to terms with. If this book had been around when I was 13, going through puberty, while still struggling with understanding my mental health- I just know how MUCH help this would have been. It is possibly one of the most important books I’ve come across in years. Every teen should read this. Not just the ones who struggle with mental illness but every single kid.
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