If You Loved Me: True-to-Life Stories from Hamilton High

At 15, Lauren Riley promised herself that she would not mess up her life and would stay away from drugs and sex. But two years later, her boyfriend Brandon is pressuring her to forget that promise. Both her parents are lost to her through long-time drug addiction, but through her writing, Lauren tries to deal with her problems and discovers a deeper strength. Based on the reality of everyday high school life, and critiqued by high school students as it was written, this book accurately portrays and confronts the issues of drugs, race, sex, first love, and finding self-expression.