Brancato deals sensitively with the subject of teen-age friendship, betrayal, and loss in Facing Up. While touching on the issue of teen-age drinking, Brancato avoids preaching. The middle-income youngsters in her novel are already drinking as part of their socializing—without parental approval. This is clearly wrong, but by showing the consequences of drinking, the author invites the reader to reach his or her own conclusions. The realistic treatment of the subject, as well as Brancato's graphic description of Jep's death and its effect on Dave, may require special attention by teachers and other adults working with younger readers.