Customer Reviews

Almost Lost: The True Story of an Anonymous Teenager's Life on the Streets

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I did not find one word of this book believable. What therapist writes session summaries in such a non-clinical fashion? Try as she might, Sparks fails to connect with young adults by using colloquialisms and outdated slang--apparently she still thinks kids use the same expressions and street terms she used for "Go Ask Alice" (a fake diary, I might add). She also favors cute nicknames using alliteration, and she over-uses italics and ALL CAPS to emphasize a point. It's virtually unreadable! I have been in therapy for depression with several different doctors. Depression is a serious illness with social stigma still attached to it. The author is doing a disservice to readers by trying to make her writing 'hip' and as a result trivializing real issues for teenagers today. At least the lawyers made her add the Epilogue (disclaimer).

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.

Well , I was sort of dissapointed with this book. I expected it to be a book about a kid on the streets not about a kid suffering through depression. He got through his depression way TOO fast. Even though I know that these sessions were once a week it just seemed he went from being suicidal to being happy way too fast. The whole have to be happy to be a good person just bothered me. I guess I expected too much from this book. Even though I didn't like it too well I would recommend it to others. It has some good tips about how to deal with unhappiness.

As a fifteen-year-old, I found this book patronizing and insulting. Sammy, a fifteen-year-old, is amazingly dense and unable to verbalize simple thoughts and emotions. It was a class assignment to read this book in English class, and our teacher swore it was a 'real' book. It is obviously total ish. What fifteen-year-old uses words like 'gobbly goop poop', especially an ex-gangbanger? Can you imagine Tookie Williams saying that?

This book is also grossly oversimplified. Sam 'claps his hands over his ears and yells, "I won't talk about him! I won't!" When Ms Sparks inquires about his father. If somebody doesn't want to talk to a psychologist, which Sam apparently doesn't, then wouldn't he just tell her exactly what she wants to hear, get the hell out of the office, and go on his merry way?

And the part where the psychologist talks to him about the fact that millions of teens suffer depression, he is shocked and exclaims, "I thought I was the only one who felt like that!" Well, it all reads like one long PSA.

I bought this book mistakedly thinking it sounded interesting and realistic. I find it nearly impossible to believe that this is a true story transcribed from therapy session tapes from an actual 15 year old boy. I've been in therapy for depression, bipolar, sel-mutilation, and anxiety and I can't even begin to fathom the difference betwen this book and actual therapy. No 15 year old boy is going to say "No one but me could have given permission to anyone or anything to control me, EXCEPT ME! I got so mad at Mom eons ago when I though she was trying to control me...". It's as if the author took a psychology book and used what psychologists say about teenagers and how teenagers should think and tried to epitomize that into a "true" character. In a teenager's 3rd therapy session they aren't going to be all "I want to be happy. I'm in a dark hole and I want to blow my candle out".
The style the book is written in also makes the book nearly impossible to read. The author overuses italics and caps to emphasize words that don't need to be emphasized. Example: "That can happen to anyone who has not been forewarned about and against the NEGATIVE POWER OF NEGATIVE THINKING!"
Long story short: the book is unrealistic and poorly written.

Brought to you from the author of Go Ask Alice... yeah, right.

This is probably not the first great hoax in publishing history, but I'm sure it's one of the most successful.

In spite of the fact that the actual source of this book has long been revealed and known, the publishing company continues to brazenly assert that this is a genuine document. It's as ridiculous as the continuing insistence that The Amityville Horror is a true story, too.

It should take any literate adult no more than one and one half pages to determine that this is neither the language nor the syntax of an adolescent/young adult.

It is a known fact that this shameless propoganda was the work of Beatrice Sparks, a Mormom activist who created an entire series of these books, in which children are destroyed by the evils of homosexuality, premarital sex, drug abuse, satanism, etc.

Without diminishing what positive impact this book, or any of the others, may have had on impressionable youth, and without condemning its good intentions (is anyone in favor of having AIDS?), these books are complete rubbish.

Like Mr. Frey, the intentions are not the point.

The point is that these books are being published as nonfiction.

And they are lies.

THis story is great,I loved how real and interesting it was although parts do get boring. The language used in conversation, like "gook" makes me question how much of it was true. It is pretty simple to read, but it is mind blowing to think of what this 15 year old kid went through! I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially teens in any type of counseling.

I looked foward to reading this book. It seemed very intereasting- suicide, life on the streets. I was wrong. As someone suicidal, I know it's not that easy to get over it. He says "I'm sad" and it's over? And he seemed to good to be true- so innocent and loveable. Isn't it illegal to tape theraphy sessions without consent, anyway?

I did enjoy the Are You On The Road To Mental Illness Quizes, though.

This book seemed like it would be interesting when I first saw it. I had read many of the other books that Beatrice Sparks had "edited" and thought they were pretty good. (Even if she may have written them as some people think) But this book was horribly unrealistic.

The phycologist was too cheesy, and the main character Sam was too happy despite his many problems. The point that set it over the edge for me was he "hi-fived" the phycologist because he was oh-so-happy to be able to talk to her. Real people that have just spent 3 months on the street after running away are not that suddenly happy.

Take my advice, do not read this book!

I thought that the book was great. I am going through in a way what Sammy was going through right now. I've thought about blowing out my candle. I also have some issues with my dad and family. I am seeing a therapist but it would be neat to be able to meet and talk to Dr. B herself. The book was sad and realistic, and it gives me hope. It has really helped me. It is the reason that I've decided to get counseling. I could feel, and understand all the feelings that Sammy felt. I thought it was excellent, as well as all the other books I've read by her.