Jumping the Nail

In grade 12 Dru finally becomes one of the popular kids because of her good-looking, rich boyfriend, rather than her intelligence and bright future. Part of the in-crowd, Dru is witness to the latest school challenge of jumping off The Nail, a 90-foot high cliff, but when her friend Elise is pressured by into jumping and later commits suicide, Dru sees the world more clearly and learns to make her own decisions rather than be led by others. This novel for grades 7-12 deals with timely issues of risk-taking, relationships, self-discovery, personal awareness, mental health, depression, suicide, and empathy and could be used as a class, independent, or literature circle novel.