Customer Reviews

Black-Eyed Suzie

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Suzie is in a safe-box, in her most comfortable position, the fetal position. She won't talk, eat, walk or anything. Her mother is so mad yet won't get her any help. She refuses to acknowledge anything being the matter with her daughter. Suzie's older sister tries to help but she isn't much help at all. Uncle Elliot stops by and forces the family to take action. He forces them to take Suzie to the hospital. In that hospital, a history of abuse starts to take shape and everyone starts to learn of Suzie's past and what is going on in her life. Only then, can they start to heal.

This book is a very easy read. I would recommend this to 7th grade and above. It will get the attention of everyone reading it from the first page to the last. It is very hard to put down; you always want to know what happens to Suzie that has put her in this state of mentality.

Gripping!! You become attached to Suzie and can't help but live her past through her eyes as everything takes shape. You will definitely want some tissues for this book!

Adolescence ... a time of life that's emotionally-fraught in the best of circumstances. Shaw's book steps beyond the "normal" crisis of youthful self-discovery in offering us a grippingly intense profile of a woman-child, Suzie, whose abusive context resulted in her disassociation with reality, ... the state in which we first meet her. Fortunately, the girl survives in the end: scarred perhaps forever, but finally able to acknowledge her past, and to cope with her present and ~ hopefully ~ her future, as well.
This book could easily be read by Amazon's recommended 9-12 year olds, though I personally suggest it for a 12+ readership. It all depends upon a younger child's maturity.
I also feel that parents of youngsters, in reading this, could benefit from it in reliving just a little of their own adolescent trauma. And, too, I suggest that men and women desiring to have children ought to read this book, in order to realize that bearing children is not a "right", but rather a "responsibility". The father of the family is ineffectual. Suzie's mother "bears" a fetus, but cannot "bear" the child. Having been "born" by her parents, the older Suzie cannot be "borne" by them.
As said above, the author ends the tale in a believably "okay!" scenario. Still, it leaves me wondering how often such true-life stories end semi-happily, with children such as Suzie somewhat intact and functional and protected. How many in truth would have had the intervention she had? How many would have some place to go, later? It's a troublesome question ...
Shaw's book is a disturbingly realistic glimpse into the darker side of youthful identity and parental responsibilities. Its characters jump out from the pages, alive, as ambiguously complex as we ourselves are. This book will likely make you cry at times, but it exudes a hopefulness of "sanity" throughout. Read it and see.

Adolescence ... a time of life emotionally-fraught in the best of circumstances. Shaw's book steps beyond the "normal" crisis of youthful self-discovery in offering us a grippingly intense profile of a woman-child, Suzie, whose abusive context resulted in her disassociation with reality, ... the state in which we first meet her. Fortunately, the girl survives in the end: scarred perhaps forever, but finally able to acknowledge her past, and to cope with her present and ~ hopefully ~ her future, as well.

This book could easily be read by Amazon's recommended 9-12 year olds, though I personally suggest it for a 12+ readership. It all depends upon a younger child's maturity, and possible experience of "abuse" somewhere, even if only from a fellow student.

I also feel that parents of youngsters, in reading this, could benefit from it in reliving just a little of their own adolescent trauma. And, too, I suggest that men and women desiring to have children ought to read this book, in order to realize that bearing children is not a "right", but rather a "responsibility". Suzie's mother "bears" a fetus, but cannot "bear" the child. Later, having been "born" by her parents, the older Suzie cannot be "borne" by them.

As said above, the author ends the tale in a believably "okay!" scenario. Still, it leaves me wondering how often such non-fictional stories end so semi-happily, with children such as Suzie somewhat intact and functional and protected. How many in truth would have had the intervention she had? How many would have some place to go, later? It's a troublesome question ...

Shaw's book is a disturbingly realistic glimpse into the darker side of youthful identity and parental responsibilities. Its characters jump out from the pages, alive, to be embraced or hissed at by the reader. Still, as the story progresses, it offers no easy answers: its likeable characters stay likeable, but most of the rest remain rather ambiguously neither wholly "good" nor "bad", as in reality.... As in OUR reality.

This book will likely make you cry at times, but it exudes a hopefulness of "sanity" throughout. Read it and see.

I haven't read this in a while, but I intend to read it again soon. This book is extremely intresting, it wraps you up, so that you're forced to turn the page. It almost makes you feel as though you are in the mental institution with Suzie. I do remember that her recovery was suprizingly quick, but Suzie also says that her problem is not completely solved, making the book very realistic.
I love how Suzie defines talking by how you express yourself, not by the actual words.
Hating pineapple is talking...Wearing Peacock feathers is talking...

Susan Shaw's story drew me in on the very first page. I'm not usually a fan of "problem novels," but Suzie's voice was hard to ignore. The short "chapters" moved the story along quickly and I found I could not put it down. Suzie's problems were revealed gradually, with great care and detail. It made me wonder if the author knew someone like her or had worked with young people struggling with similar psychological problems. I also agree that this book would appeal to both mid-grade and older readers. Highly recommended!

This book may be targeted for young adolescent girls, but is compelling reading for adults as well. Although it is fiction, I believe that it could be useful in cases where abuse is suspected by a teacher or other authority figure. When Suzie learns that she can tell the truth and begin to get well, it opens the door of hope for others. I believe this could be true not just for the other characters in the book, but for those in real life.

I like how the book begins with Suzie, a 12 year old girl, admiring her mother and talking about how she's good at a lot of things then gradually it's apparent to the reader that the mother is extremely bad at one thing: being a mother. This book is partly about child abuse (mostly emotional), mental illness, and learning to deal.

I am not exactly sure what mental illness it is that Suzie has since it is not stated and I'm no expert. I believe she has post-traumatic stress disorder which is what some children who have been abused may end up with. Like I said though, I'm not 100% sure. Either way Suzie is depressed to the point that she cannot talk or move quickly and always has to sit in a certain way. While she's at the mental institution, her mother and a few others tell her that she's not trying to talk and not trying to get better, but like Suzie says, there is no trying, it's not something she can simply do, she just has no words and that's what may help her get out of that place.

As a reader, one will feel awful for poor Suzie and come to hate her parents and sometimes even Deanna, Suzie's sister. The fact that Suzie can't help but love her mother is awful, but I can understand that. It must be hard not to love someone who's cared for you . Her mother did have her good moments after all. What is worse is that Suzie blames herself for her mother's behavior which is what occurs most of the time with a child who has been abused. I wish someone had been there for Suzie in the beginning so that they could tell her there is no excuse for someone to hurt another and it is of course not Suzie's fault that her mother is abusive towards her. As readers find out these thoughts from Suzie, they will want to hug the poor girl.

In the beginning of the story, the author has a few unanswered questions about why Suzie is the way she is. It's clear her mother is abusive, but it is unclear just to what extent and it's not apparent if anything else happened to Suzie. Slowly while Suzie is recovering at St. Dorothy's, there are flashbacks with clues that give insight to what happened to Suzie. These flashbacks include more information on how horrible Suzie's mother can be towards her and the awful things she's said to her daughter. The reader is also given small pieces of information that all add up by the end of the book.

What I did not like about this book was the reason given for the mother's behavior. Supposedly she is an alcoholic, but the reader does not really "see" this so it's almost hard to believe (if that makes sense). The end itself also somewhat disappointed me because it seemed to have gotten wrapped up in a clean way which was strange considering the situation. Suzie does say she has doubts which make it more realistic, but either way, I was not a fan of the ending.

I recommend this read for those that are interested in seeing through the eyes of a girl who has been abused and an alcoholic "mother." The author really manages to convince you that these thoughts are those that a girl like Suzie would have and boy does it put you in her shoes. It's also a neat book about friendship (aww Joshua how I will miss you!) and learning how at times it may be important to speak whether you want to or not.
-T.V and Book Addict

Quotes:
From Suzie's concerned uncle
"'Look at her,' he says. 'Look at the circles under her eyes. When was the last time she ate? Or smiled? Or talked? And her hair...'"
Suzie's thoughts in reply to the above words
"'I can't comb my hair', I want to explain. You can't do that when you have to sit so still. And smiling takes so much energy...'"

Chilling and riveting, angering and thought-provoking. We start off meeting Suzie, the "box" she puts herself in, and the "cloud" she floats on. A safe, quiet world. A world where her mother can't make Suzie talk...because if Suzie can't talk, then she can't say things to anger her mother and cause her mother to hurt her. Suzie stops sleeping. She stops talking to her mother, her sister, her father, her best friend. Everyone. She stops walking. The one thing she can't stop doing is crying. She retreats into this safe box, those safe clouds, hiding, until she is finally taken get help.

This is a beautifully written that book takes takes a frank look at the family dynamics of co-dependency and abuse, and leads the reader on a journey through Suzie's healing process. The reader will root for Suzie as she opens up and starts to trust. After a dramatic breakthrough, Suzie alters the lives of her sister and herself forever.

Black Eyed Suzie is one of the best books I've pulled off the shelves yet. For one thing, it is just a wonderfully written story. True, believable character that you can simpathize and relate with on a totally amazing level. The plot is one that drags you and and forces you to keep reading, no matter what. And after you finish it, you'll end up taking it out and rereading it again and again.

I think troubled teens should give this story, or one like it, a shot. It helps to bring the thought that 'Hey, I'm not the only screwed up person out there.' Over all, a wonderful read that I will return to every chance I get.

The book I am reading is called Black Eyed Suzie by Susan Shaw. Ever since Suzie's mom abused her, Suzie stopped talking. Eventually Suzie's Uncle Elliot saw her and made her go to a mental hospital. At the mental hospital people try to get her to talk but she can't. She feels she has no words.
The conflict in this book is that Suzie can't talk but people try to force her to. At the mental hospital she has conflicts with only one other girl, Karen. Karen pushes her down and breaks her possessions, but Suzie can't do anything because she is too weak. Often, when people at the hospital help her, they're a little too late. After a while in the mental hospital she thinks, `well maybe if I start talking they will let me go to be with my family.' The conflict starts, like I said, when her mom beats her and her dad is never home. The conflict is not easy to resolve for Suzie.
I think that Black Eyed Suzie is good for teenagers who have a problem, who want to learn what kind of problem people have, or just want to read a good book. I think almost anyone would enjoy this book, but I think really teenagers would enjoy it most. I would tell you the ending but I think you can read it and find out.