By Heidi Simmons
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“Another Way”
by Holli Kenley
Fiction
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School is back in session and by now kids have reacquainted themselves with friends and foes. Today, students have the added challenge of not only navigating campus life, but also the cyber world. In Holli Kenley’s Another Way (Loving Healing Press, 174 pages), high school kids seek another way to survive sexual tension and social drama.
Chloe is 14 and anxious about starting her freshman year of high school. Her family has made it through the great recession and although the family is closer than ever, Chloe has not, and will not, discuss “sex” with her parents.
Amanda is Chloe’s best friend. She is smart, beautiful and rich. The girls quickly attract the attention of upper classmen. Blair is a popular and charming boy who starts to woo Amanda, who is clearly smitten.
Seeing her friend getting physically closer to Blair, Chloe asks Amanda about sex. Amanda is also a virgin and has not spoken to her folks about sex either. But her church youth group is holding a series about sex and suggests Chloe come along.
Raised in a non-religious home, Chloe is uncomfortable going to church and certainly doesn’t know anything about praying. She likes the pastor, the leaders are non-judgmental and the group is friendly. She also meets Tyrell, a junior at her high school.
Chloe takes the pastor’s lessons and homework seriously. He has given the kids worksheets about self-worth, personal values and goals. Chloe and Amanda talk about sex and make a pact. If the time comes and they have to make a choice about having sex, each will call the other to consult.
Before long, Amanda is caught up in her relationship with Blair and her friendship with Chloe wanes. Amanda no longer attends the sex workshops at church.
At winter formal, Chloe suspects Amanda and Blair have gone all the way. Amanda has changed. She is withdrawn and angry. When Chloe inquires, Amanda tells her never to talk to her again.
Meanwhile, Chloe and Tyrell have become close. She loves Ty but is afraid the relationship is in jeopardy. The weekly meetings at church are coming to an end and Chloe realizes she must now apply what she has learned. Can their relationship survive without sex? Is there truly “another way?”
Chloe reestablishes her friendship with Amanda. Shamed and humiliated, Blair has broken up with her and moved on. And even worse, nude selfies with her ex are being shared on social media.
Together the girls return to the church youth group and learn another valuable lesson — forgiveness. They come to realize there is strength in self-respect, dignity and honor. With renewed hope and useful tools, both girls discover there is indeed another way to deal with the complications of relationships and sex.
Another Way is a gentle coming of age story. Author Kenley uses the voices of the high school kids and the girls to explain the challenges, pressure, desire and curiosity of sex.
Kenley has been a teacher and is an M.A. and Marriage and Family Therapist. She and her husband – a retired and beloved CV principal — have been successfully working with kids their entire careers. The story is set here in the valley with references to Palm Springs and local hangouts.
Through the characters of the pastor, his wife and counselors, the “Another Way” program is spelled out to help kids through self-discovery and personal empowerment. Amanda and Chloe become living examples of the program’s challenges and benefits.
The pastor says: “This isn’t going to be about me telling you what to do or not to do. It’s about you learning how to tap into your own personal compass based on your beliefs, attitudes and values. It’s about listening to your inner voice and your truths and strengthening your sources of worth so you can make responsible decisions for you, for your body and your future.”
Even though the program is administered through a nondenominational church youth group, the religious setting, the God talk, prayers and the religious connotations are minimal. Yes, the pastor tells the kids that God loves and desires all good things for them, but there is no bible beating, dogma or condemnation.
The author includes five appendices and a bibliography. There are book club questions for every chapter that are directed to the individual reader rather than a group. The worksheets that characters Chloe and Tyrell used to understand what they want, what they value and a code of conduct are included.
There is also information for parents on how to talk to their kids and better understand the physiology of their teen’s growing, pruning and changing brain, which is fascinating.
Like many teen protagonists, Chloe is precocious, mature and articulate. Yet I didn’t find her cliché. I was rooting for her and Tyrell. However, I did want to understand Amanda’s boyfriend Blair better. Without knowing much about him, he is reduced to a stereotypical dude who just wants to get laid.
It would be nice to have a male-centric version of Another Way. I’d like to know why Blair treats women with such disrespect – he must feel very small and weak inside.
There’s good information in the narrative and appendices not only for kids and parents, but also for general living. A lot of the text is expository, but it puts the reader in the room and in the program. Life is hard in high school and Another Way offers another tool.
