Jailbait

by Lesléa Newman

Andrea Robin Kaplan is a clique unto herself.

In other words, she has no friends. Her only goal is get through high school with the least amount of humiliation possible, which should be easy— nothing ever happens in the suburbs, right? Wrong.

One day, as Andi walks home from school, a little brown VW drives up and she meets Frank. Frank makes her feel beautiful and special. With Frank, Andi forgets how alone she is.

From boundary breaking author Lesléa Newman comes a haunting story about a girl who is all alone, and a man old enough to know better.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Young Adult, Teen, Realistic Fiction, Coming Of Age, Fiction, Abuse, Romance

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 14, 2005

About the author

Lesléa Newman (born 1955, Brooklyn, NY) is the author of over 50 books including Heather Has Two Mommies, A Letter To Harvey Milk, Writing From The Heart, In Every Laugh a Tear, The Femme Mystique, Still Life with Buddy, Fat Chance and Out of the Closet and Nothing to Wear.
She has received many literary awards including Poetry Fellowships from the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Highlights for Children Fiction Writing Award, the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, and two Pushcart Prize Nominations.
Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists.
Ms. Newman wrote Heather Has Two Mommies, the first children's book to portray lesbian families in a positive way, and has followed up this pioneering work with several more children's books on lesbian and gay families: Gloria Goes To Gay Pride, Belinda's Bouquet, Too Far Away to Touch, and Saturday Is Pattyday.
She is also the author of many books for adults that deal with lesbian identity, Jewish identity and the intersection and collision between the two. Other topics Ms. Newman explores include AIDS, eating disorders, butch/femme relationships and sexual abuse. Her award-winning short story, A Letter To Harvey Milk has been made into a film and adapted for the stage.
In addition to being an author, Ms. Newman is a popular guest lecturer, and has spoken on college campuses across the country including Harvard University, Yale University, the University of Oregon, Bryn Mawr College, Smith College and the University of Judaism. From 2005-2009, Lesléa was a faculty member of the Stonecoast MFA program at the University of Southern Maine. Currently, she is the Poet Laureate of Northampton, MA.

Reviews

[Perky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. Wish Judy Blume had written a book like this when I was growing up. It feels real. Mom and Dad aren't saints, nor do they have all (if any) of the answers. Andi, the protagonist, a teen girl feels real. Her voice is authentic. As for the relationship in the book, Andi bears as much responsibility I think- she really pushed for it. The older man in question is Frank. However, I am not sure I buy the attraction. I am not shallow, but he is a smoker (which she hates), has pockmarked skin, and a weird, possibly half amputated pinkie. She tells us these things, and you can imagine the typical teen reaction: Ewww, gross! Nevertheless, she is attracted to him I guess. Oh, did I mention he's really, really hairy? Anyway, Frank's a perv who drives around Long Island looking for tang (I guess). There is more to the story, but if you're not grossed out, by all means. Four stars for being a page-turner, I guess.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dark disturbing look at a teen girl (Andi) who feels like a stranger in her family, an outcast at her school, but finds acceptance with the wrong person. But the attraction isn't about sex, it's about control, as Andi easily succumbs to Frank's demands and desires. Andi tells the story and readers will find her likable, if somewhat naïve. Like Doing It, this is pushing the envelope: a place Newman's been before with her ground-breaking picture book Heather Has Two Mommies. Sure to be controversial among adults, and passed around clandestinely by teens (to hide the soft-core porn cover), Jailbait might not be the best teen novel of 2005, but probably will be the most talked about book.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would normally run like hell from a title like this. But because it was set in the 1970s, that made it less...abjectly horrible to me, somehow. Instead of being all "GROSS, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU FOR THINKING THIS IS OKAY," I am all, "Awww, those poor children in the 70s just didn't know any better."

[Blue Hummingbird · Rating 3 out of 5]

A vivid account of a fifteen year old girl who finds herself in a sordid affair with a man twice her age. Frank was easily hateable and I prayed countless times Andrea would do the opposite of what she did. The author makes it almost understandable how she could fall for someone so creepy, with a family life that appears to leave a lot to be desired.

I was left a little curious. There were certain implications that Andreas father was too affectionate or needy to his fifteen year old daughter though the topic is never addressed or made a real issue at all. But I did feel like it was relevant.

Overall, a well written book. Realistic dialogue from the mouth and mind of a fifteen year old, dealing with a topic most parents would be scared to even consider.

[Savannah Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book during my freshman year, I went back to it and re-read it again my sophomore year. I picked this book at random at the beginning. I'm so glad I did. It's a pretty mature book, but I liked how it was written. I have only read this book by Leslea Newman. I haven't found any others by her. The book got to the climax pretty fast, but the rising action is what keeps you reading. The end kind of slaps you in the face. You don't expect it. And, which the ending kind of made me mad.

[ky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover caught my eye, but the story-line made me cringe. It is exactly what you are supposed to never do in real life (get into a strangers car, let someone pressure you into sex, believe unrealistic lies such as the ones Frank told) It seems like the main character had NO COMMON SENSE. Even if she is a loner and only has that cow in the pasture for a friend, she should have known better right from the start. It was an okay book, well written, but definitely not one of my favorites.

[Kaela Waidelich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a really good read. I enjoyed learning about her religion and what her family thinks is right and wrong. Even though some say this book in inappropriate, I believe its a good book for people to read, it teaches you that not everything people tell you is okay and correct. Also, that there are rules in life, and we should follow them because they help us survive and stay on the right path in life.

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this book right from the start! This book is very detailed. This story kind of relates to me in a way. One thing i really loved about the book is how the author pulls you in and makes you feel like you are looking through the main characters eyes!

[Ashley]

I read a book called jailbait by leslea newman. This book is

intresting and made me wonder how girls can be attracted to men that

They dont even know. the main character name is andi. She seems to be

very lonely in her life so she befriends new people and a man that is

really older than her. Andi is this girl that is trying to find herself

and be happy with someone else.

Andi wants excitement in her life. So she starts talkin to a man

that she see eveyday passing her in a car. The man is older than what

she is. He becomes closer to her and that why she is known as

jailbait. She goes through so much and learns about who she truly is.

the guy that she begins to talk to is frank. When they first had

sexual chemistry she felt excited and couldnt describe it.

So while they become closer they become boyfriend and girl

friend. Frank is not the best boyfriend. While they keep going out she

realize how frank really is and how moody he can be. She discovers who

She truly is and how she can be so loose with frank.

Andi seems to be a smart girl but then she becomes more than a

friend with frank and thats when you begin to question who she truly

is. But during the ending she stands up for herself and becomes

sronger. Andi is a smart girl and she realizes that she wont be taken

for granted. She becomes brave and tells frank how she truly feels.

This is a good book for teenagers and young adults. This book make

me realize that you can stand up for your self. This is a great book.

it teaches to think before you act.

[Diana Welsch · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book at work to see if it would be a good one to recommend to teens who like to read about people with messed-up lives. Alas, I don't think I'll be recommending it to anyone anytime soon, as it was pretty poorly written and uninteresting.

Jailbait was written in first person, from the point of view of a 15-year old girl named Andrea. She is unpopular, unnatractive, overweight, not very smart, and likes stuffed animals more than is appropriate for someone her age.

She meets a guy named Frank who is obviously slime. He is probably twice her age, drives a junky car that is obviously stolen, and hangs out in an empty model home. However, he pays attention to her, and she is so starved for affection of any kind that she allows him to take advantage of her.

This book was comepletely predictable, but entirely unbelievable. Not that this type of thing doesn't happen, I know that it does. But Andrea wouldn't be able describe in detail all the slimy things that Frank does, down to having to hotwire his car every time he gets in, and still be unaware, as she is at first, that he is not a nice guy.

For this reason, I think the book would have been improved had it been written in third person. The first-person narration of someone who is obviously a pathetic loser is not fun to read. It gets old quick, and it makes the observations that the reader needs to know seem out of place.

If you're looking for a good book about a girl with a messed-up life, read Tenderness by Robert Cormier or Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess.

[Jessica Pinto · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book JailBait , there is a girl named Andrea Robin Kaplan who has no friends in school. She was always lonely. She never would take the school bus to or from school because people would pick on her. She would rather walk , even if it was snowing , raining or a big storm. In her mind it was like she was invisible. One day as Andrea was walking a car drives up to her and she meets a guy named Frank. Throughout the book Frank makes Andrea feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. He makes her feel special too. There was only one problem , Frank was way older than Andrea. Andrea really didn't matter what anyone thought about the age difference but Frank did. Frank could go to jail if anybody told the police. Andrea is jailbait. Jailbait is a young women considered in sexual terms but under the age of consent. It is hard for Andrea to keep hers and Frank relationship a secret but she had to do it for him. Towards the end Andrea and Frank remain together.
I found this book to be really interesting. The one thing I liked about it was that automatically in the first chapter it caught my attention. It was interesting. One thing that I didn't like was that they explained everything but somethings they would just skip to the next topic.I recommend this book to anyone who likes interesting book because it really drags your attention.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Not everyone can relate to this book but there are certain topics in this book that people can relate to. The old clichés “Don’t talk to strangers,” and “Don’t get into a car with a stranger” takes a big part in this book. Lines are crossed when an innocent 15 turning 16 year old girl named Andrea thinks she has fallen in love with an older guy. Andrea is your typical loner who does not have many friends, isn’t the most beautiful, and is made fun of in school. She ends up making a choice that affects her deeply. She seems to be living an alter ego she had created for herself but she learns that everything isn’t what it seems to be. Just because a guy is interested in you doesn’t really mean anything. She does make a few mistakes that people wouldn’t think possible because it’s obvious no one in the right mind would do it, but who hasn’t made a mistake? Everyone learns from them and that’s was Andrea does. She learns from crucial mistakes she had made. I recommend this book to people who like Young Adult Novels.

[Katrina Knittle · Rating 3 out of 5]

So in a way I can relate to the main character of this book. As my husband and I met online. But we exchange countless photo's and didn't lie about our age to each other. We also lived about 10 miles away from each other and found out that we actually ended up going to the same school for a bit.Anyways onto the book! This is a decent book on the subject it is on meeting strangers online. it can be a good or bad thing depending on your age and how you go about it. As you learn for our main character Andi it turns into a bad thing. So Andi seems to be lonely. She looks like she is trying to find herself and become happy with someone. Andi meets Frank online. Frank is an older then she is. They meet up and things go on as they do. (Don't want to spoil it for anyone) In the end she finds who she is and learns to stand up for herself. This a good book for any age group from young adult and up to read.

[Maura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a fairly depressing read. Andrea is from a dysfunctional family and has absolutely no sense of self-worth. Which is why she's easy prey for Frank an older guy who is clearly a pedophile. But this is also a testimony to how predators work...especially as Andrea, quite literally, was asking for it. But she wouldn't have if she hadn't been starved for affection or if Frank hadn't done everything possible to groom his victim, to keep her attached and desperate for his attentions. This is a portrayal of a pretty sick relationship and reveals how this sort of thing is possible.

I don't like feeling depressed about reading something. I try to avoid it. So there's personal preference here. I just don't feel like I got anything out of this book and maybe that's why I didn't like it so much.

[Shelby Marcotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

It's hard to review this book, because although in terms of writing style and certain minor plot points, it wasn't really that great, it does tell a really great story about a mentally and emotionally abused teenage girl who, I don't want to say naive - maybe desperate for some form of affection - accepts the attention of an unstable older man. She becomes emotionally dependent and before long, she comes to realize that he's not her knight in shining armor, but the attachment is there. He breaks her heart and she is finally able to grow and learns a thing or two. I enjoyed it, especially once it was all over and I could think about the hope and empowerment in the last chapter that tied the book together.

[Megan Pohl]

Jailbait is one of thoughs make your stomach hurt type books. The girl in this book was walking home one day and met a man in a brown car. He was alot older than she was so he really shouldnt have been talking to her at all but they would meet up most everyday and getting her into lots of trouble with her mom and school. He had her so brainwashed that he was all she cared about! SHE DIDNT EVEN REALLY KNOW HIM! He would make her dress up for him and do bad stuff. He wanted her to runaway with him but it never happend thank God. I mean i have felt lost before but i would never want to be with a grown man when im in middle school or high school!

[Tiana Teta · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of the book gives away the main idea of the book which I didnt discover until reading. I personally didnt like this book, because of the moody characters and awkward situations and settings. The book wasnt of my taste, but the family life and values of the character were quite amusing.

I wouldnt recommend this book to younger readers, the intense storyline and description would most likely be interesting and understanding for a young adult/teenager.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this book a few years ago, it really hit home for me. I was at the point of talking to strangers and feeling lonely just like the main girl. Unlike me she took it on herself to start a relationship with an older man. At time you would feel like jumping into the book and trying to knock some sense into her. It was a well written book by one of my favorite authors. This book is what every person should read if they are feeling lonely and going to resort to some not so healthy habits.

[Hannah Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

WellI didn't love the writing style but I found the awkwardness of the two main characters painfully authentic. This wasn't an after school special read, which is what I thought it might be. It has grit and realism. It reminded me of that old Laura Dern flick with the guy who comes to her house and takes her away. Creepy.

[Michelle Kwasney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful novel just goes to show that some authors, among them the talented Leslea Newman, can and do successfully write across genres. (How envious I am!) Usually known more for her picture books and poetry, the author's YA title, Jailbait, is none the less brilliant than her work for younger readers.

[elissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oddly atmospheric, and very reminiscient of the 70's. The main character isn't horribly memorable, but it's worth a read. About a teen having a relationship with an older guy. The author also wrote HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES.

[Julian Winters · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is a book about a 15 year old girl named andrea who is unatractive and fat. she is walking home from school one day and meets a guy who drives a brown volkswagon. his name is frank and they hook up. this is a story about losing innocence as a child. its not very well written.

[Brooklyn Teen-central · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Bird, 14yrs

In the 1970s, a 10th grader named Andrea falls in love with a middle-aged loser named Frank.The character was excellent and the plot was beautiful. The writing was very matter of fact.

[Hope · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whoa, can't believe I came across this book. Read it a while back... Lots of ups and downs and some rather maturely creepy subject matter for a teen book. It's a little dark, but at times interesting. If you're bored, female, and young with some time to kill, go for it.

[❤♥♔Nia♔♥❤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this book was written in 2005 and my guess is that it's main purpose is to show kids how predators aim for teens.
It was ok. It's hard to write a book about that subject and make it... I don't know, something teens will take seriously. She did a good job though.

[Veronica Pacheco · Rating 5 out of 5]

The moment I read the first sentence in this book, I instantly knew this would go into my favorites list. It tells a really great story of a naïve teen girl who is desperate for affection. Chances are you're going to like this book.

[Anna Hardesty · Rating 3 out of 5]

One word to describe this book.
Weird.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was really a great book, enjoyed every minute of it. Got me hooked on from page one. read nonstop

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This title is definitely creepy, and for older teens to read.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel so sorry for this girl!