Book Review: Lush
Rated by 1 member
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this book is about a girl
struggling to cope with an alcoholic father. Her father hits
her young brother with a bottle when he is in an alcohol-fueled
rage. Also, Sam shares some serious kisses with a high school
boy; he pressures her to have sex one night while she's drunk
at a party -- until he realizes she's only 13. That same night,
she is molested by a group of boys in her grade; when she
returns to school, she's called names and her locker is
vandalized.
Families can talk about "problem novels" like this one that deal with a tough subject. How are books like this one helpful for teens? Why would the author choose to include a list of resources in the back of her book? Parents could also use this book to start talking to their teens about the dangers of drinking ( click here for tips).
Common Sense Media Review
It should be pretty apparent from the title: This book deals
with alcoholism. As such, it is a pretty typical problem novel
with a pretty standard story arc.
Readers won't be surprised when Sam's father finally hits rock bottom (though his violent attack on her sweet young brother seems over the top). Nor will they be shocked when her family finally begins to heal at the end of the book.
Author Natasha Friend does employ a clever device in the letters that Sam exchanges with a mysterious stranger in the library -- though readers may wish it were flushed out a bit more. Friend also creates tender exchanges Sam has with both her parents, and her brother.
In the end, Friend treads over familiar territory here, but her honest depictions of a struggling family may help readers (and their parents) delve into a touchy topic.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
