Customer Reviews

Lisa, Bright and Dark

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I read this book as a pre-teen, as I was beginning to deal with severe juvenile depression. The dark feelings and fear described in the book are real and impossibly unbearable, especially for a child. Some may believe that the material is dated (the terminology is less than PC), however, adults are still reluctant to acknowledge that children/teens experience mental illness. The book helped me to realize that I was neither "crazy" nor alone at a time when my teachers and parents labeled me as shy and typically moody. This book has stayed with me all these years, and I would recommend it to anyone who is dealing with childhood emotional issues or a child with emotional issues. As a current mental health professional, I keep several copies on hand for at-risk children and families.

Lisa Bright and Dark is the tear-jerking tale of Lisa Shillings' descent into madness. This was one of those books that stops and makes you think about how awful it must be to be slowly going insane while the only people who carry enough about you to do anything are your friends while your parents lay back and do nothing. It hurts me to think that anyone should not only have to suffer the pain of not being "sane" but also of having your family not give a damn whether or not you live or die. This book really stirred up a lot of emotions for me not only because I know quite a bit about psychology but also because I know that Lisa's parents and teachers had the power to help her but instead left it up to her friends. I really think that Neufeld does an excellent job of making you pity Lisa. Even though this book is set in the 1960's it is still just as meaningful now, almost 40 years later, as it was then. The part of this book that made me feel the most emotion is the fact that even though Lisa told her parents she was going mad they did nothing, nothing at all. This sort of made me realize how much easier people growing up now have it. Even if your parents don't seem to listen or care about your mental health there are places online and hotlines where you can get help. I totally felt Lisa's pain, not the pain of going mad but the pain of having those closest to you not believe you. If you don't read this book you are really cheating yourself out of one of the most influential pieces of literature written this century. Even if you don't read this book for yourself read it for the Lisas of the world.

Lisa, Bright and Dark by John Neufeld is a great book to read and enjoy. It lets you in on the journey of someone who is moving slowly towards the world of madness.

Lisa Shilling is experiencing mental problems of which seem to put her as an outcast at school. Some of her closest friends, Mary Nell, Betsy and Elizabeth realize that there is a problem. They seek to find answers in their own "group therapy" everyday after school. Although the students see that Lisa has a problem, Lisa's parents deny the facts that are given to them.

Through out the book Lisa makes situations worse just to try to prove it to her parents that she needs help. Many of the other adults know what's going on because of the involvement of their kids, but find it best to stay out of it. Lisa's parents finally give in to the problem after Lisa hurts herself another time. They agree to seek help and things start to turn around for the better.

The author did a good job showing that sometimes parents don't want to understand but if you push hard enough they will give in. Great details get you involved with the realistic situation and can allow you to think about these issues. This is a wonderful book if you want to experience new uncommon issues.

Lisa, Bright and Dark is a short book consisting of 143 pages in medium font. Lisa is beautiful, smart and owns an air of modesty and wisdom aswell as prestige compared to most of her friends and most of the kids her age (16). Her boyfriend is the most wanted boy at school and her friends are the most caring and perfect friends you could ever wish for. What more is there that she could desire?

Lisa desires her freedom.

Sometimes Lisa sits alone and starts to hear voices. She hears them inside her head and they are certainly not her own. Cheerful, optimistic Lisa fails to be the usual Lisa from time to time by dressing in black costume-her beauty subsides to this by shriveling up into a face that's much too pale and thin. Lisa sits through class in a cold daze and has to use all her energy and strength to answer a single question in class. She is drained of every possible hope to live. Lisa is starting to go crazy.

Being a smart girl she tells her parents but they 'ignore' her. Her teachers close their eyes and decide not to understand and Lisa falls continuously whilst also trying desperately to get the adults around her to notice her, getting her voice heard and running away from her illness. Luckily, Mary Nell Ficket (MN) who seems identified in the story as Lisa's closest friend decides to do something about the whole matter.
Along with her friend Betsy Goodman who has never met Lisa before and yet seems to be the only one Lisa feels safe enough to talk to and Elizabeth Frazer who seems to hug deeply a secret that makes her so strong and controlling with Lisa's craziness-the three of them show Lisa, it's her friends who'll make her better.

When you pick up the book in the beginning you have the impression that it is a book based on Lisa completely in a diary format. Well, that's what you get the impression of from other reviews anyway. But surprisingly enough, the more you read-the more you come to realise that Lisa isn't infact the main character much more than the rest of the characters are. Lisa creates a chain of situations and instead of Lisa, we become more attached to her friends who try and clean up the situations and help Lisa regain herself.

This book is easy to read for any age over 12 but it may seem a little intimidating. If you are giving it to a child you ought to be careful. It certainly isn't an average "Ask Alice" style book, it's much more dense if you look into it. Otherwise, it's a good book to read whilst you have a few minutes. I suggest you read it in a noisy atmosphere or a bright environment or you'll become a little drowsy at the end of the book and get a tiny bit 'down' yourself.

I read this book when i was in high school. I was told to read the book and write a review on it by my school councelor. I was so messed up then and i just wasn't doing too good, not just in school but inside myself i felt wrong and i couldn't explain it. I thought for sure that if i didn't get help somehow, someway that i would die from the pain i felt inside myself. My friends tried to help and they spoke to the coucelor, who was also a creative writing teacher and he spoke to me often and had me transfered into his class. I don't how i got by day to day but my friends could see i was just letting go and slipping into whatever insanity that was upon me and so did my councelor. One day i was in class and my councelor had us write a book review. Everyone got to choose thier own book except me. He handed me Lisa, Bright & Dark and told me that in order to pass his class (and graduate high school) i had to review this book. I read it and could not believe how much this story related to me. I so much wanted for someone to help her. I thought for sure no one would. When i got to the end of this story, with out any hesitation i started writing my review. The next day my councelor read it and it actually brought tears to his eyes and he looked at me and told me that everything would be ok and that i was going to be alright. I guess by reading this story i was able to associate it w/ how i felt inside and i was able to seek out the help i needed to make me right. I graduated w/ honors that year and i got the right therapy to be able to pull out of the sickness that i was willingly falling into. I am 28 yrs old now and i really believe that if it wasn't for reading this story and having a great councelor who really cared for me and my well being i would have gone insane.

A story about Lisa. Sixteen, with the world at her fingertips. She's going slowly insane, but no one will listen to her pleas. This story is told by a friend of Lisa's, Besty. She tells of the adults who refuse to see the truth, because they are not strong enough to handle it. She tells of how Lisa's little group of friends do everything to help her. I gave this book 3 stars. I was interested in the story, but it was short and sometimes too wordy. This book is a one day read. It captures you, none the less, because of the characters. A good book for teenagers who may have a friend or who are that friend that needs help. The conclusion to this story gives a ray of hope. That there is hope out there. Books like this one are, "It Happened to Nancy", or "Go ask Alice." This book is written in that tradition. So, if you like 'journals', read this book and jump into the life of Lisa.

I would reccommend John Neufeld's book Lisa Bright and Dark to anyone. It's a "keep you on the edge of your seat book". I really enjoyed this book, mainly because it's about people my own age. I also enjoyed it because it also showed how adults ususally don't listen to everything that you would say just because your not as old as them. This book is about a girl who is about 17 years old and she is going crazy. She tried to tell her parents but, they wouldn't listen to her. All the teachers in school were also trying to ignore the fact, in fear that they would make Lisa's parents feel like they didn't raise her right. The only people who would dare to try to help her was her friends. It really realtes to alot of situations that go on today. Most of the time parents and adults just don't listen to you and take you seriously.That pretty much summerizes what i read so far so thats all the opinion i can give you. All i can say is that strongly reccomend you read this book, and if you don't read it then its your loss.

This book tells the story of Lisa and her friends.

Lisa is a high school student who has gone from being your average bubbly teenage girl to being suicidal and acting very oddly for the times. This story was placed in the sixties, when mental illness was VERY taboo.

Her parents want to ignore her disturbed behavior, because they think she's just being stupid. Her friends, however, are seeing the dangers behind her self-destructive behavior.

I think this book is rather descriptive in its matter, which is good, because sometimes, with things like this, you have to be seeing what's going on in your mind to understand it. Of course, I think it would be cool if they had done the story from Lisa's point of view, too.

When I was a freshman in high school (1984), this was the first book assigned to me for reading in my honors english class. This story is about a young girl who is losing her mind and struggles with the sense of it all. Her friends try to save her while her teachers and parents turn the proverbial cheek to her downhill spiral. I have never forgotten the details of this book and you won't either if you read it. I highly recommend it to all readers of all ages.

Lisa is smart, pretty, popular and going insane. On "bright days" she's normal. On "dark days" she just sits there at her schooldesk and listens to the voices inside her head. Realizing that she is ill, she asks her parents to take her to a psychiatrist. They ignore the problem and say she's just going through a stage.

Lisa begins to act increasingly bizarrely. An episode of self-mutilation at school earns her a six-week vacation in Florida, but no actual help. By then her teachers have realized that something is seriously wrong, but their hands are tied. The only people who really try to help Lisa are her friends: Mary Nell, Betsy, and Elizabeth. Together they form a therapy group where Lisa sits and talks to them about what's going on. But it doesn't help. Lisa walks through a plate-glass window; her parents still don't pay attention. Only when she attempts suicide do they really wake up.

I found this book to be rather dated. It was written back in the sixties. The parents' reaction was unbelievable and the ending came too quickly and too fairy-taleishly. I'm not saying it was a terrible book, but I've read many that were much better.