5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Amusing, but not in the intended way., February 26, 2010
This review is from: Almost Lost: The True Story of an Anonymous Teenager's Life on the Streets (Mass Market Paperback)
I am a fifteen-year-old girl. I saw this book sitting in my classroom, thought it might be interesting, and sat down to read it. ...It was bad. So bad, in fact, that I felt moved to write my teacher an unnecessary book report on just how stupid it was. (Normally, I'm incredibly lazy and can't be bothered to do much.)
Sadly, Amazon reviews lack the ability to put in italics, so the bits I quote may not have quite the same effect as they did in the book.
Almost Lost tells yet another "inspirational" tale of a depressed and suicidal teenager, Sammy, healing. The book is advertised as a true story, told from what is supposedly a narrative version of the tapes from Sammy's therapy. However, unlike it claims to be, the book is fabricated by the "editor", Beatrice Sparks. Furthermore, it isn't even a well-fabricated story or a good and moving read as was likely intended.
The book is very poorly written. Sammy does not speak or act at all like a teenager, or much like any but the oddest of people. Half the book reads like an advertisement for therapy and how the power of positive thinking can solve anything, which can be very irritating to the reader. The writing is also sprinkled with gratuitous italics, ALLCAPS, and exclamation points all over the place!
The story begins with the tape of Sammy's first session. He is being forced to attend therapy, and is not happy about it. The first session is readable, immediately after which the story delves into a session between the therapist and Sammy's mom. It especially starts to feel like an advertisement here, as the therapist informs Sammy's mother Paula about the wonders of various therapeutic techniques -- positive thinking included -- as well as hypnosis. A few gems from this session include (copied exactly as is):
"All human beings are born with free agency, and it seems very easy for some to choose negative paths which can only lead to negative destinations!" (Therapist, page 12)
"I'd never thought about it before, but it makes sense. I'm going to start working on putting more positive, optimistic concepts into my life." (Paula, page 14)
"No, I know I can do it! I must! For my girls and my job and my sanity as well for Sammy. Now, how can I handle the fearful overwhelming thoughts that clutch and claw at me during a lot of torturous, endless black nights?" (Paula, page 20)
"When I came here I had no idea I was going to go home trying to work on myself and my new positive attitude." (Paula, page 24)
Sammy comes home three months later; immediately after the contrived account of the mother's therapy, the first person he goes to see is the therapist -- the therapist, of all people. Precious few, if any, teenagers would make the same choice even after months and months of therapy, much less one session. Many seem to loathe and despise their therapists.
The rest of the book follows Sammy's recovery as he tells the therapist of his time on the streets, as part of a gang, and eventually of the incident that led him to leave home: he spilled his father's cocaine on the carpet by accident, and his father dragged Sammy off and... it's quite difficult to tell what happened, as the only description of the incident was "very bad evil dark gloom", et cetera (not an exact quote) -- basically, saying that whatever happened was extremely bad, but so vague it could be anything from simple torture to extensive rape. Towards the end of the book, Sammy very quickly becomes relieved of his pain simply by telling the therapist all about what happened and being reassured he isn't a bad person, and even requests a session with his father. The reunion ends with his father apologizing and admitting he's unfit to be a father. The family gets back together, all is forgiven, and Sammy has a rather sugary happy ending.
Sammy's -- as well as many of the other characters' -- dialogue sounds very much like a psychologist taking cheesy pop psychobabble terms and shoehorning them into a teenager's speech. Some of the more amusing examples are as follows:
"Probably... absolutely. If I had just retained command of my thinking and actions, instead of giving that power to the person who deserved it the least... man..." (Sammy, page 93)
"Absolutely and completely, I allowed him to make me a hate-filled clone monster just like him, always looking for the negative, not caring about anyone's feelings or wants or needs." (Sammy, page 92)
"...I can't believe how quickly my self-esteem was replaced by self-hatred, which then took over every part of my body -- physically, mentally, emotionally,and spiritually." (Sammy, page 100. Note this entire sentence was in italics.)
"What if Casey's feelings of worth come only when he can convince himself that he's better than someone else? What if the only way that he can build up his own ego is by tearing someone else's ego down, or by scaring them or humiliating them?" (Therapist, page 106)
"I agree with you, Sammy the Significant! Love and respect are this world's greatest equalizers." (Therapist, page 107)
"Don't include me in that group, lady. I am out! Out! Out! I guess you could call it MENTAL FREEDOM from the black, squeezing-out-all-beautiful-and-good-things-in-reality mental monsters." (Sammy, page 111)
"That is right on! Once you even move toward the NEGATIVITY TRAP--" (Therapist, page 128)
"Okay, only positives can defeat negatives and drive away the darkness. POSITIVES! POSITIVES! POSITIVES!" (Sammy, page 129)
The summary on the back of the book ends with the phrase, "For every teen who has experienced the pain and loneliness of a no-way-out darkness, and for all those who love them, here is the light that can lead the way back." Well, it is often said that laughter is the best medicine.
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