Stephanie

by Jack Weyland

Reluctant to admit her addiction to alcohol and drugs, sixteen-year-old Stephanie finds it impossible to give up drinking and pills until she faces her problems in a hospital treatment program.

Genres: Lds Fiction, Lds, Young Adult, Fiction, Religion, Christian Fiction, Realistic Fiction

209 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1989

About the author

Jack Weyland is the best-selling author of young-adult fiction for the Latter-day Saint market. In fact, the modern genre of Latter-day Saint-themed popular fiction is one he is largely responsible for creating with his overwhelmingly popular novel Charly. His interest in fiction began with a correspondence course in creative writing taken during a summer at BYU where he was doing research work. Since then he has published more than two dozen books, and over fifty of his short stories have been published by the LDS Church magazine The New Era.

Born in Butte, Montana, Jack received a B.S. degree in physics from Montana State University and a Ph.D. in physics from BYU. Currently he teaches physics at BYU-Idaho. He formerly taught physics at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

Jack and his wife, Sheryl, are the parents of five children and have four grandchildren. His hobbies include racquetball and singing.

Reviews

[Samantha Shelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The universe has once again flowed through the vessel that is the Jack Weyland School of Literary Tricks™️. Jack takes us on a Rapid City ride through the dangerous (not Mormon) streets of drug addiction, teenage girlhood, and leveling with people in Small Group.

Finally, the Mormon solipsism in perfect clarity, with dangerous levels of alcoholism in its blood. As Joe Adrean now is, we may become.

[Melanie King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephanie by Jack Weyland is a book that tells about a rebellious young girl who finds how bad drugs and alcohol can be. Stephanie is a beautiful sixteen year old Mormon girl but Stephanie is living a double life. She is obedient, kind, and a good student in front of her parents. Stephanie's other life must be kept a secret. She drinks and parties with her friends and sometimes skips school to drink and use drugs. Stephanie must learn that what she's been doing is slowly killing her, hopefully she will realize that soon. I really like this book because I have always been told not to do drugs or drink alcohol because its bad for you and can really mess you up. I really loved that Jack Weyland was able to use a real world situation and tie it into the book to give you the experience of what its like to deal with being drunk or using drugs. I also made some connections to the book because I have watched a T.V. show called Alaska State troopers. It shows how messed up people can get when they are on cocaine, speed or just drinking alcohol in general. It can really mess you up. I read a story about how there was a man who had a wife and children, a house, and he had a good job. The man started drinking and he lost his wife and children, his house, and his job. This man lost everything because he decided to take the first drink. I think that this book was important because it teaches you what will happen to you if you drink or do drugs without ever having you actually drink the alcohol or inject the drugs. The theme of this book for me was always tell the truth because if you try to keep it a secret, it just gets worse because Stephanie was trying to hide her separate life from everyone and when it started to get out that she drank and partied it completely ruined her life.

[Lynette ~ Talia's Tomes ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how all of Jack Weyland's books have a moral, a serious issue that they specifically address. Many authors write to tell a story, and if they get a few morals in as well – great! But Brother Weyland is different. He writes to bring a serious issue to light, and to address and help to solve that issue, while still telling an amazing and enthralling story. In Stephanie that issue is drug & alcohol abuse and addiction, and it was fantastically written!

A full review is to come, so let it suffice for me to say that I loved this book! Bro. Weyland really gets into her head, and knows, from many hours of research, how she thinks, what her thought process is, and how she's making it through this. I honestly believe that every teenage girl should read this book, along with all of his other books.

I'm 16, and I highly recommend this book!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this book had a good moral. I did not really connect to this book because i am not doing drugs and i don't have to go through rehab. I think that all teens should read this so they know the trouble they could get into and know that it is not easy to get back your life after you do try drugs. I thought it interesting that no one caught her for at least 4 or 5 years. I think that she would have been caught smoking pot in her house years before.

[C Montaño · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book when I first read it as a teenager. I felt a kinship with the main character and I actually tried to get my parents to read it in the hopes that maybe they would understand what I was going through a little better

[Melissa Thomson]

This was my first Jack Weyland book I read as a teenager. I loved his books.

[Aubz · Rating 1 out of 5]

truly awful if you take it seriously, but an absolutely comical (and triggering) time if you read it through a satirical lens.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephanie is a good kid she always gets straight A's and she is really good at listening to her mom and dad. Until she took the first drink, she went from being a good listener to a good liar she lied to her parents all the time. She went to parties when her mom and dad thought she was at a friends watching TV. She was the reason her life went from normal to upside down, and there was only one way to fix it, rehab.
Stephanie turned into this goofy drunk person who only wanted to party. She was always getting what she wanted until her parents found out and their trust in her dropped. Stephanie's sister Kim was the only one who knew her secret and was the only one Stephanie thought she could trust, she didn't realize how many others she could trust. Kim was quiet she felt that she could have to many problems because that was Stephanie's job to have problems so she kept her feelings to herself.
As humans we often have a tendency to think we have no where to go or have no one that is there for us when sometimes we don't realize how many people care about us. They think that there is no one around for them to talk to so they hurt themselves with drugs and alcohol. Stephanie had bad friends that was another reason why she decided to start drinking and doing drugs but what she didn't think about or probably really didn't care about was that she was killing herself and her sister knew it and all Stephanie said was that she could stop anytime she wanted to but what she didn't realize was that she couldn't she was an addict.
I loved this book it was really good but is was also very sad. I didn't like that she was doing it behind her parents back. She didn't realize that her family has different rules because her friends parents didn't care if they did drugs so she thought she should be able to too. My favorite part about this whole book was the ending. The ending was very good and you could tell that Stephanie came a long way.

[Stephanne Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, I read this when I was the target group, but I do remember that I like it a great deal because she isn't the "normal Mormon". Neither was I. Not that I'm admitting to having these same problems, but that I didn't feel that I fit in and Stephanie helped me in that aspect. Same as Charly did in another of Jack Weyland's books.

There is still the great flaw in writing where the characters are missing individuality. They are seem to have the same voice, but say different things.

Unless you are familiar to Mormon culture you will find this a confusing book.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK attempt to draw attention to the very real challenges of a family member with drug or alcohol addictions, but really should be read more for its entertainment value. There is little of any real substance in it that might be of actual help to someone, and the characters are written without much depth. Nonetheless, it may serve to raise awareness, and to prompt discussion in LDS families, and for that reason alone it is worth reading.

[Megan Alton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years ago my dad said he thought every teenage girl should read this book, I was surprised because my dad doesn't really read. I finally got around to it and I find that I agree with him. While this book is somewhat dated now, I did find it realistic and eye opening. I feel it could be a useful tool for parents will. My only complaint is that it seemed to lack some emotion especially since it deals with a girl going through such a big struggle.

[Marcie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so bored when I read this book. I'm surprised I even finished it with the small attention span I had at 13. Stephanie wasn't a very relatable character. In retrospect I don't think Jack has a clue what it's like to be addicted to drugs or alcohol, only what it's like to be on the outside of addiction so he struggled to give the main character any real personality.

[Danessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. Don't do drugs or your life will be terrible. There. Now you have read the book. So. Heavy. Handed. I am all about books that teach moral truths, and encourage positive lifestyle choices. I have a drug addicted brother, believe me I understand. However, this felt so much like a lecture. I hated it.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack Weyland is known for writing books on subjects that some teens may feel uncomfortable talking to their parents or adults about, especially when it comes to admitting they have done something wrong. This is just another example of one of those books, and it gives an understanding perspective to those who struggle with addictions, and how they may be able to overcome them.

[Dawnetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most Weyland books tend to be written to the purpose of some teen hardship. Because of this he usually deals with very real and very hard topics for teens. Teens need these issues discussed, some earlier then others. Stephanie deals with alcohol and drugs.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fabulous book about a teenage girl who had rebelled against the teachings of the church and her parents. It tells of her struggles through drug addiction and her return to the church. This was an eye-opener on what it takes to come back to the church after making mistakes in life.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt this was one of Weyland's darker books, at least because of the subject matter. While reading it, I felt so weighed down and hopeless concerning the characters and their trials. Certainly a lesson in never getting involved with that part of life.

[Siera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I loved that no one gives up on Stephanie ... except for the people who were encouraging her to do the bad things in the first place. A wonderful, realistic story of healing and overcoming your past.

[Sheralyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this one as a young woman. I remember at the time that I was willing to pick up anything that would not be depressing, my book options were minimal. I am not willing to post my opinion since I was pretty mindless until High School.

[Maddie.Spendlove · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a way good book because it teaches how desperate teenagers can get when they get into the bad crowd, and get hooked on drugs and many other bad notie things. It made me see what NOT to do, so i can stay off the path of badness =D

[Jerica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about an LDS girl that is going behind her parents back by doing all kinds of bad drugs and drinks. She has been dating a guy that is now interested in her religion. She ends up in a rehab. This is an LDS romance fiction.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am writing one review for all of the Jack Weyland reviews. Good church books for teenage girls. I am sure they are totally out dated now and most girls today would laugh at these stories. BUt I loved these romantic stories that incorporated the gospel.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was hard for me to finish this book but once i got to the end i flat that reading Stephanie was a great remember there is always a chance for EVERYONE and to keep on hoping for the best no mater how dark life may get some one I know or for me.

[Tif · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Jack Weyland's stuff. This is a truer-to-life account of teenage addiction. It was disturbing and good at the same time. I think most people, Mormon or not, would like it.

[Maurisa Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book so much that the pages are falling apart!

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book was about a teenager dealing with alcoholism and probably substance abuse in general. I didn't enjoy it as much as Michelle and Debra, but still good.

[Deborah Berberi · Rating 3 out of 5]

good book...don't really remember it too well though.

[Amy]

Read it in high school. I'm sure I liked it but don't really remember.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this so long ago but I remember I enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. I might have to pick it up again and see if I still enjoy it.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not good writing. Okay story.