Lush
by Natasha Friend
ISBN 0-439-85346-X
Summary:
Samantha (Sam) is a thirteen year old 8th grader who is struggling. Her father is an alcoholic, her mother and grandmother deny it, she is no longer friends with her best friend, and the boys tease her about her big boobs. In an act of desperation, she leaves an autobiographical note in a carrel in the library, hoping a high school girl she admires will pick it up, read it, and give Sam advice. Someone does find the note, and does correspond with Sam, and does befriend her. Sam deals with the typical life of a teen: boys, crushes, popular girls, high school party invites, wanting her family to be normal, protecting her little brother, and dealing with school classes.
My Impressions:
This was a difficult book for me to read because there is an alcoholic in my life. It was difficult because Friend has done her homework and accurately portrays the life of family members who live with an alcoholic. The details are all real. The cover-up by family members, the denial, the emptying of the alcohol bottles. It's hard to deal with an adult, so I can only imagine how horrifying it would be to a young girl who really needs her daddy at such an awkward time in her life.
Alcohol is not glorified in this book. Sam even goes overboard with it at the party and regrets it the next morning and realizes that she had acted like her father. It is treated as a real, serious issue with consequences.
I have a feeling the book has been banned not because of the father's drinking, but because of the boob references (Samantha developed early, and very quickly), one of the characters is gay and the almost-rapes that occur at the high school party she goes to.
I do not think the book should be banned. The author handles all the touchy subjects with honesty. Sam's father finally goes to rehab, Sam and her former best friend make up (and he is ready to defend her honor), and she meets her mysterious letter writer. It gives hope to students that they can survive in an alcoholic family, although it certainly won't be easy. It also can teach students that friends can be found in unlikely places.
Professional Reviews:
Gr 7 Up --To the outside world, 13-year-old Samantha's family seems perfectly happy. However, they are struggling to keep her architect father's alcoholism a secret, and the balancing act of enabling his addiction and protecting their image is becoming more and more difficult. Sam longs to be able to share her burden with a friend and reaches out by leaving an anonymous autobiographical letter in a library book. Her anger and frustration are palpable as she struggles with her love for her dad despite the fact that his promises to clean up never materialize. When Sam is chastised by her mother and grandmother for not believing in his ability to change, readers will sympathize with the injustice of her difficult situation. Yet, the author avoids a maudlin tone by infusing the plot with details of typical teen life, such as Sam's crush on an older boy and embarrassment at her developing body. Witty dialogue and smooth writing move the novel along at a clipped pace, and tension is successfully built and maintained as the teen's father's illness takes a dangerous turn, her budding relationship comes to a head, and her anonymous library pen pal is revealed. Despite the minor appearance of a stereotypical librarian, this is a perceptive novel featuring a likable protagonist to whom readers will easily relate. As in Perfect (Milkweed, 2004), Friend adroitly portrays a weighty topic with touches of humor and grace. By Rebecca M. Jones, Fort Myers-Lee County Library, FL
Jones, R.M. (2006). Lush. School Library Journal, 52(12), 138-140.
Having Fun in the Library:
I'm not sure we could have "fun" with this book. It deals with serious topics. I think it would be a good launching point for a discussion about drinking and alcoholism and where students can find help.
Discussion Questions and Ideas:
- Have you ever felt hopeless about a situation or circumstance?
- If so how have you helped yourself feel better?
- Do you think asking for random advice from the girl in the library helps Sam?
- Discuss how Sam's family members deal with the father's alcoholism?
- Do you think is was a good plan that Sam visited her Dad at rehab without her mother's permission?
- Do you feel that the characters in the book come to a realistic and hopeful resolution?
Friend, N. (2006). Lush. New York: Scholastic Press.
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