The Gatekeepers

By: Jen Lancaster

Narrated by: Arielle Delisle, Julia Whelan, Michael Goldstrum, Andrew Eiden, Emily Woo Zeller

"How could we know that forever could end at 17?"

Anyone passing through North Shore, Illinois would think it was the most picture-perfect place ever, with all the lakefront mansions and manicured hedges and iron gates. No one talks about the fact that the brilliant, talented kids in town have a terrible history of throwing themselves in front of commuter trains.

Meet Simone, the bohemian transfer student from London, who is thrust into the strange new reality of an American high school; Mallory, the hypercompetitive queen bee; and Stephen, the first-generation genius who struggles with crippling self-doubt. Each one is shocked when a popular classmate takes his own life...except not too shocked. It's happened before. With so many students facing their own demons, can they find a way to save each other - as well as themselves?

©2017 Altgeld Shrugged, Inc (P)2017 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited.

Jen NAILS It

Another terrific book from Jen Lancaster. If you are already acquainted with her books you will thoroughly enjoy this story. When it comes to the characters, the narration is a bit distracting from an otherwise fantastic book.

Great performance

If you could sum up The Gatekeepers in three words, what would they be?

The story is very thoughtful and well delivered. My only complaint is the perpetual use of perpetually. :)

Good storyline but confusing performances

Overall, the storyline was good. A bit junior and better for the teen/tween audience but valuable just the same.

With the intermingling of the character conversations it becomes difficult to follow along w/ the story (I.e. Simone talking to Kent but performing Kent’s voice). I didn’t know if there was an inner monologue or if the experience was a direct conversation.

timely

this is her best work since NewBlack.... Her research is solid.
and her passion clear.

Very Good Book

I loved this book! I have read a number of Jen Lancaster books and I have enjoyed them but is different in a lot of ways, much darker, kind of depressing. It was a little preachy with different people saying almost exactly the same thing. There were a few times either the text was wrong or the narrator screwed up that I noticed, but over all a very good book.

The sensitivity of the topic.

As I listened to this on my commute, I realized even the upper rich classes do in fact have their own issues. I became proud of Owen’s parents, and Simone’s. And really I wanted to shake Mallory’s and Liam’s. But the book approached the suicides, identified a root cause, and solutions. Thank you.

SO worth the credit! This book could save lives!

This book touched on SO many issues that I was amazed at how the author wove it all together! I think this should be required reading in schools, right alongside 13 Reasons Why! And the song mentioned in the book (for which it was likely named I assume) was BEAUTIFUL. I even shared it with a friend battling depressing due to health problems. I've been on both ends of the proverbial "spectrum" where suicide is concerned, so I can relate to a lot of the feelings the characters had. This is the type of book that can really help people and I'm SO glad I stumbled upon it. Ms. Lancaster, thank you for using your talent to really inspire change! I ❤ u!

Good, but...

I love all of the Jen Lancaster books, to include this one, but having two teenagers it’s really apparent that this book is out of touch with teen reality. I really enjoyed the book it’s like teens with technology but talk like 80’s kids. The references are very adult as is the slang and pop culture.

Not my cup of tea.

It Was recommended by my daughter-in-law and for some reason I just think I'm too old for this type of book and I believe it's too mature for my granddaughter. I can't say that it's bad because I've liked the author's other books I am just not thrilled with this one.