Book
Summary:
Sam’s father has a drinking problem but he nor her
mother will accept this as truth. Her mother is obsessed with yoga and spends all
of her time at the yoga studio. Sam’s father continues to promise that he will
stop drinking and that he doesn’t have a problem. She fears telling her closest
friends but instead confides her problems to a stranger. She begins exchanging
notes with a secret pen pal through the use of an unused book in the library.
During all the time she spends in the library swapping notes, she meets an
older boy. Sam is thrilled that this boy likes her and even more thrilled when
he invites her to a high school party. Sam wants this boy to like her, even if
it means drinking at the party. Things become more than she can handle and she
reaches a low point. She then realizes that she has started acting like her
father and that she needs to make some changes.
APA
Reference of Book:
Friend,
N. (2007). Lush. New York, NY: Scholastic Paperbacks.
Impressions:
This was a good story about a young teen dealing with
a very difficult situation. Sam is a strong girl who deals with some of the
usual stresses of middle school like mean girls, rude boys, and challenges in
classes. She even deals with a fair amount of sexual harassment that goes
unaddressed. Many students can relate to the experiences Sam has with middle
school classmates. Some students might also relate to the issues with her
father. If they do not have an alcoholic parent, they might relate to parents
who work a lot or who are distant. It was an interesting read and heart
wrenching to read. The reader will feel for Sam and her complicated situation.
Professional
Review:
After years of pretending she has a “normal” family, a
worried teen finally confronts her father’s alcoholism. Thirteen-year-old
Samantha knows her father has a drinking problem, but her parents seem
oblivious. Sam’s father makes empty promises to stop drinking while her mother
immerses herself in yoga classes, defending her husband as a “good man.”
Although Sam carefully camouflages the situation by inviting friends over only
when her father’s away, his binges are getting worse and she’s afraid he will
lose control. Desperate to confide in someone other than her friends, Sam
leaves notes in the library asking for advice from an older girl she doesn’t
really know. When her drunken father injures her little brother and the
family’s future is jeopardized, Sam must deal with anger and uncertainty as she
makes some surprising discoveries about her family, her friends and herself.
Sam comes across as a savvy as well as naïve teen who tells her own story with
humor, honesty and hope. Realistic family drama. (Fiction. 12-15)
Kirkus
Reviews. (2006). [Review of Lush]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/natasha-friend/lush/.
Library
Uses:
Lush
can
be used in the library as part of a book club group. It would be helpful for
students who might be going through a similar situation as what is depicted in
the book. Sam’s difficulties might be helpful to students who need someone to
relate to and someone to help them get through their own situations. The author
includes a list of organizations and books that would be helpful for children
of alcoholic parents that can also be accessed by these students.
