Review The Facts Speak For Themselves - Brock Cole & FF

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The Facts Speak For Themselves by Brock Cole

ebook, 178 pages

Published September 9th 2009 by namelos (first published 1993)

From Good Reads:

The subject is a white female, age thirteen. Her score on the standard Stanford-Binet puts her in the low-average quarter of her age group. She appears to be in good physical health. She is small for her age, but sturdily built. She reports that her first onset of menses occurred seven months ago. Her periods are scanty and irregular. A long history of sexual abuse.

Offended by her social workers report, above, Linda decides to tell her own version of her life and circumstances. The Facts Speak for Themselves is Linda's story, an uncompromising look at a sexually active adolescent adrift in a world where she is more responsible than the adults around her.

From me:

I chose this book, (which I purchased), as I am trying to read a number of the books on the Banned Book list that I have not read. It was a haunting read for me. It should have been a quick read as it is not really long. For me though the some of the issues were close to me and I had to keep stopping to breathe - just breathe. I think most people will be able to read it in a few hours. It is a good book that delves into a lot of issues people do not really want to speak of. I think most wish the issues were made up and really did not exist. Perhaps that is why it really was selected for the ban. Most people want to look away. They don't want their children reading it because then they might have to acknowledge it and maybe even look at the fact that someone they know may have gone through it or is walking through it now. This desire to look the other way and pretend it doesn't happen is exactly what keeps it happening. You are not protecting your daughter from anything by denying her this book. I understand the parental need to want to do that. I have two daughters. But I also understand the feeling of isolation when you are the one who is dealing with this. For as much as we tell our children if someone touches you in a bad way, we still hold them to this isolation. You can say tell me all you want but when you also say I don't want you to read this for your own good, we get the message. You really don't want to know and you are willing to let us go it alone. So we stay alone with it for years, sometimes our whole lives. Because even though the act, (acts), was, (were), finished before we reached adulthood the memories and the feelings never go away. The isolation carries on. Instead of forbidding your teenager from reading this book why not read it together? Then let your teen take the lead on discussing it. No judgement. Just listening to what they felt and thought. You may learn something, possibly something you don't want to know, about them or someone they care about. The subject this book deals with isn't going anywhere. I desperately wish it was but I am realistic enough to know that it remains a fact of some children's lives. 


The book is a compelling read. It is difficult. There is adult language and sexual situations. It is not as graphic as it could have been and I truly appreciated that. There is not a lot of feelings expressed that maybe some people will want in it. I understood that. When it is happening you shut down. You don't feel. It is something you don't fully understand and, in your mind, there is no one to talk to; so you shut down. You accept it as "normal" for you and then pretend it isn't what it is. You just try to get through each day. I appreciated that coming through for me in this book. Had the author tried to address the various feelings I would have been disappointed.

I give this book a 5 star rating. I think it is one that should be required reading, (for both teens and the adults in their lives), with a lot of listening going on. Knowledge is the key, education is the door, companionship, empathy and understanding are what get you through the door. 

If you are new to the #FF fun, Feature & Follow Friday is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. Feature & Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow them to show off more new blogs! This weeks blogs are:

Jagged Edge

A Neverending Fantasy

This weeks Question is:

 If you could pick one character in a book, movie or television show to swap places with, who would it be?

In a book it is hard to choose just one. Possibly Sookie. I think she gets herself into a lot of things but she cares about family and friends. We all make wrong choices, hers are a little more than average but she always comes through. 

Movie much easier - I loved Sam from Benny and Joon. So I would go for Joon. She had issues but she got through them humanly, was learning to live with them and she got Sam. 

TV would be Cristina from Parenthood. I am familiar with parenting and autism. I feel she does an awesome, realistic portrayal. She is very real and even though she is stressed, she loves her family. I would choose her.

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