Customer Reviews

Lush

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's interesting how this book came into my hands. My sixth-grade daughter put it there. We spent some time in the bookstore together and she, as usual, picked out half a dozen books. I picked one and it was a loser. So, she offered me, "Lush" by Natasha Friend. I read it in just over an hour, mostly because I couldn't put it down. I will pass it on to her, with only a slight reservation about some youthful /immature sexual references, which, unfortunately, will cross her path one of these days in spite of anything I do or don't do/say.

This is the simple and well-written story of Samantha "Sam" Gwynn, a typical, suburban teenager. She's in eighth grade and on the verge of . . . everything. As if dealing with hormones popping all around her at school weren't enough to manage, at home she tries to cope with her father's drinking problem, her mother the enabling yoga freak, and her adorable little brother, Luke. She's feuding with her neighbor, Charlie Parker, believing he stole her bra and charged his buddies a buck to view it, and she develops a crush on a popular high school boy. Sam has friends (a fun and believable trio of girls from school), but she needs a confidant--someone to whom she can express her fears about her father's drinking. She sets her sights on a redheaded girl in the library named Juliet and composes a letter to her.

"My dad is what you would call a big drinker (which really equals a big alcoholic--I have done my research)," she writes. Sam leaves the first note with instructions to reply by leaving a note in an obscure book called "The History of Modern Whaling." Thus, an entertaining and mysterious correspondence ensues. As the story unfolds, Sam's humor and intelligence shines through. One can't help but fall in love with her and care deeply about what will happen to her and her family. Natasha Friend is dead-on accurate with the voice/s of the characters and they all pop off the page.

I highly recommend this book for many reasons, but particularly for any young person dealing with an alcoholic parent--or for parents of teens who face this issue in their families. References and resources for kids and teens are printed in the back of the book.

From the author of "A Line Between Friends," McKenna Publishing Group.

The squeal to Perfect, Lush by Natasha Friend could be read from anyone 5th grade to 8th grade. This teaches teens or going on teens a very important lesson.
Lush is about a headstrong girl named Sam who has a huge problem on her hands. Her dad is an alcoholic. So when she doesn't know what to do or who to ask she goes to a random girl in the library that she barley knows, and tells her everything About her dad her little brother and the cute boy in the green hat named Drew. But when her little brother gets sent to the hospital and Sam gets invited to a cool senior party by Drew everything goes down hill. So now her only person she can really trust is the random girl at the library. So when Sam goes to this cool senior party Sam gets drunk and for Drew, well he forces Sam to do stuff that she doesn't really want to do. So them she turns to her best friends when they won't even talk to her because she has been keeping all these secrets from them. Could Sam's life get any worse?
Readers will be hooked by its creative wording and amazing characters. This is Natasha Friends best work yet.

Sam has a secret. Her dad is a swiller, a sot, a toper, a guzzler. Her dad is a lush. She has to navigate junior high, while at the same time keep things from falling apart at home. Watching her mother remain quiet while the family walks on eggshells around her father is driving her crazy. Luke, her four-year-old brother, is who she worries about most of all, though. He isn't old enough to read the signs. The signs of whether it's going to be a good day or a bad day.

With no one to talk to, since she doesn't want anyone to know about her father - even her three very best friends - she decides to write a note, sharing all of her feelings, and give it to a total stranger. Sam makes the trip to the local public library several days a week in order to scout out just the right person. She sees a high school girl and decides to make her move.

Sam folds the note and leaves it in the study carrel the girl always uses. Sam writes in the note that if she wants to write back, to leave her response in the book The History of Modern Whaling, catalog information 360.68 Ton, between pages thirty-two and thirty-three. Sam chose this book because it has been at least thirty years since someone has checked it out. She is sure the dust-covered book wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Someone does write back, though, but not who she expects. The two start a lengthy correspondence where Sam receives several pieces of advice until finally an incident occurs that leads the secret "advice-giver" to set up a time for them to meet.

Natasha Friend has written a touching novel centered around a strong female character. The cycle of emotional abuse that is associated with alcoholism seems to be realistically portrayed and comes full circle, ending with the healing process and what it takes for a family to survive a tragedy, heal, and stay together.

Reviewed by: Karin Perry

I am an adult who enjoys reading a good teen books.

Lush is definitely in this category. Taking an hard, honest look at alcoholism and how it affects the family, this book, while a novel, is inspiring and comforting at the same time.

The writing is down to earth and obviously aimed at a younger audience, but the author never talks down or tries to "pad" the impact in order to protec the reader from the reality.

I recommend this book to all mothers and to their daughters.

Wonderful.

Given the subject matter, this book could have been painfully heavyhanded -- but it wasn't.

When the first page of the book starts out with a 13-year-old girl shaking her head silently because her father is face-planting the lasagna again, you know that you're off to the right track.

Samantha is a typical 7th grader. She's worried about her father's alcoholism - but she's also worried about everyday 8th grade things, like 'why did my chest get bigger over the summer?' and 'why can't boys and girls be friends anymore?'

This book is extremely well-written. Some parts are actually laugh-out-loud funny, particularly Sam's ironic musings and the conversations she has with her friends. I could definitely tell that the author used to teach junior high.

The characters were three-dimensional and endearing:
-Sam's younger brother Luke, with his over-the-top enthusiasm
-Sam's mother scrubbing helplessly at the kitchen counter and contorting her body into yoga-positions because she doesn't know how to fix what's going wrong with her husband
-Sam's father with his broken promises and sincere intentions

I loved this book. I checked it out from my local library and I was going to put it on my amazon wish list. But I changed my mind -- I'm buying it right now!

I HATE to read. Everyone who knows me is quite familiar with my lack of reading. Nobody can convince me to read, but myself. I have read books of course-some good, some bad. I decided to go out and get a bunch of books that would hold my interest. Lush was one of them. I am just so happy that I purchased this astonishing book. Lush is now considered one of my favorite books. Never do I have the patience to sit down and read. On my way home from the book store, I browsed through my new books, read a page of a few of them and then put them away clueless. I then had a second thought to pick up LUSH again. I read the first few pages and could not help, but to read on. I realized my attempt to read this book is actually one that lead me to entertainment while using my brain. Once I got home, I turned to page 13 where I left off and continued. I turned on a shining light, got comfortable, and began to read on. Not only did I enjoy this book, but it taught me a lot. A lot about the experience Samantha went through as well as how to enjoy a real book. Through all the snacks and enjoyment LUSH was one of the best books that I have ever read. It not only held my interest, but it did the most powerful thing a book has done for me in a while. Lush got me motivated to keep reading and come to the conclusion that reading is not so bad-you just need to read what you learn to love!

Samantha Gwynn has a very big secret in the book "Lush" by Natasha Friend. Her dad is an alcoholic and if that isn't enough, she has to deal with 8th grade boys at school and drama between friends. Sam's mom feels practicing yoga will heal their family's problems. As you can probably assume, that doesn't go accordingly. Sam's mom is out every night searching for her dad at random bars or clubs. The whole family never knows what to expect when he comes home except to be ready. After a wild night out, Sam's dad swears his problem is over and he will never drink again, so he says. For maybe a split second, Sam believes him. Of course, his problem only got worse. He was becoming a better liar and finding more places to hide his stash. Eventually, her family checks him into a rehab center after brutally attacking Sam's little brother Luke. While not wanting her friends to know about her family's issues, she finds a random stranger in the library and writes her a letter, in hopes, that she will write back with advice. Although at the end of the story, Sam finds out who the pen pal actually was and boy was she shocked! Samantha was a brave girl who just wanted to be normal. If I was in her position I couldn't possibly imagine what I would do. At the end of the book, I feel that Sam really learns more about herself than anyone else. Although I loved this book and the lessons I learned from it, the book was very predictable. I had a feeling that the father was going to get help and be treated and that somehow the person she was writing to really wasn't who she thought it was. I would definitely recommend this book to kids my age or kids who maybe feel their families might have similar issues to Sam's family.

I am really surprised that no other reviewer seems to feel that the father's bashing his four year old son's head in with a whiskey bottle is a CRIME. No one even thought of calling the police. There was not one moment of consequence for the father.

No other reviewer seems to have any problem with a 17 year old boy getting 13 year old Sam drunk and then trying to have sex with her in her compromised/half conscious state, or that he was coming on to her at all, or that other boys were getting her further drunk and assaulting her. Date rape and statutory rape are CRIMES. No one even thought of calling the police. It might be argued that he didn't know she was only 13 but he also never even asked her age, and had to know she wasn't close to his age. Sam didn't have the experience to know what she was getting into, and AJK should have told her. He knew she was not in high school. I also cringed to read that Sam, still too young, didn't realize the depth of what Drew had done, and was talking about still being attracted to him.

I also felt that it was unfortunate that AJK turned out not to be an older girl. There was not one positive female depiction in the book, except for Charlie's mother, possibly. Sam's friends were typical junior high girls, supportive of her when they felt like it, and turning on her when they felt like it. There was no female depiction of anyone Sam could really turn to, and feel listened to and guided by, and this is also not a positive message for girls.

Sam's dad is sent off to rehab for 28 whole days, and at the end, just like on every page of the book, Sam and Luke are just supposed to be there and be supportive of their father, whether he has stopped drinking or not. Their mother is far more concerned about the father than about being a proper parent to her children, or demanding that her husband be a proper parent, or leave. He bashed her baby's head in, and she is welcoming him home with open arms?

I was appalled at the messages this book sends to the young teens who will read it. It says that if you are assaulted or raped, even if you tell your parents, they will do nothing, and that is okay. It says that even if you are abused and neglected by your drunken parent, it's your problem and you just need to be there for the parent. Your needs don't matter. If you have an enabling mother and grandmother, your needs don't matter. I wish the book had indicated in any way how a child reading it could feel a ray of hope, ways to find resources, ways to find people that they can talk to.

The thing this book has in common with "Speak" by Laurie Halse Andersen, is that it is NEVER appropriate for a girl in junior high to attend parties with or hang out with older teenagers.

I gave this book two stars for the love and care that Sam gives to Luke. I liked their relationship.That is the only thing I liked.

"Hi. You may think it's nuts to write to a total stranger in the library but if you're the kind of person I think you are, you'll read this, anyway."

So begins the note Sam leaves in the study room, hoping she'll soon get a response from someone she has yet to meet.

Sam's father is an alcoholic, but he never says that word. Neither does any other member of his household. Not his quiet and patient wife, Ellen. Not his energetic and silly four-year-old son, Luke. Not his thirteen-year-old daughter, Samantha - but she's thinking it. Lately, she can't stop thinking about it. Sam is torn between worrying about her father and hating what he is doing to himself and to his family. She wishes she could confide in someone about everything. Though Sam has a nice group of longtime best friends, she has never told them about her dad's drinking problem. She doesn't want to ruin their comfortable discussions about school, boys, and life in general - or their perceptions of her family.

Then she gets an idea: write a note and leave it in the library (one of her favorite places) where a cool-looking high school girl is sitting. In the note, Sam asks the recipient to leave a response note between pages 32 and 33 of The History of Modern Whaling, a book that hasn't been checked out in 13 years - that is, if she's interested. She hopes the girl will read it and respond with all sorts of good advice.

Someone does respond, but not exactly as Sam expected - not even who she expected. The rather blunt return message is signed by A.J.K. Though Sam has no idea who that is, something makes her write back again. They become an interesting pair of pen pals, communicating only through notes slipped into the whaling book when no one is looking.

"I am not all right. I am all wrong, and I need to talk to someone, even if that someone is a person who doesn't exist except between pages 32 and 33 of a book that hasn't been checked out in thirteen years."

Lush, written in first-person from Sam's POV, is a straightforward, forward-moving story peppered here and there with notes to and from A.J.K. Sam also delights in regular sleepovers at one of her best friends' houses and joyful moments at home with her little brother. She takes side steps to avoid her former friend Charlie and struggles through gym class, where her teacher always calls her the wrong name. Then her father does something unexpected, further damaging his family and leading Sam to act out at a rather unfortunate party.

Natasha Friend (Perfect) has once again created a realistic story with characters that are sympathetic but not stereotypical, led by a young lady unaware of her own strength. Friend's novel are pitch-perfect for middle school. Sam's search for a surrogate big sister leads her not only to a new friend, but also back to herself. By the time she discovers A.J.K.'s identity, she's also learned plenty about herself, her family, and her friends, both former and current, past and present. Recommended, especially for fans of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

"Third period is Earth science, but I call it dirt science because all we have done so far this year is look at dirt. My lab partner is Jacob Mann, who is also dirty. Dirty fingers, dirty ears, dirty mind. Every time I sit down, he takes it upon himself to make some boob comment. Either that or a blond joke.
The minute I pull out my chair he is ready for me. "Hey, Sam. How do you get a one-armed blond out of a tree?"
"I don't know," I say. "And I don't care."
Jacob makes his voice high and squeaky. "Wave."
"Hardy har har."
"I know, right?" Jacob snickers. "You blonds are wicked smart."
I rarely say anything back. Because I don't want to encourage him.
Here is the problem with eighth-grade boys, though: They don't need encouragement. They just keep on going, anyway."

- Samantha "Sam" being bugged by lab partner Jacob Mann (LUSH)

Sam is your typical 13-year-old girl suffering all the usual doubts, embarrassments, insecurities, and misery adolescents go through in Junior High. However, she is also atypical in that her home situation is not a happy one because her father is an alcoholic, which worries Sam and causes her to keep it a secret from everyone, especially her very close friends. The anxiety, frustration, and anger she feels is realistically portrayed in this novel by Natasha Friend. The dialog is natural and unforced. Ms Friend certainly knows teenagers.

My own 13-year-old daughter enjoyed reading PERFECT by Ms Friend, which was about anorexia. I hadn't read that novel so I thought I'd read this one before giving it to her, as I was curious to see what was so good about this author's writing. After reading LUSH, I'm not sure I'll give it to her to read, though. (SPOILER ALERT!) There is a chapter in the story about a party that Sam goes to after being invited by an older boy she met at the library, and with whom she is infatuated. A high school age crowd is at the party with no adult supervision in which a lot of drinking takes place, resulting in inhibitions being broken down, and the hint of sexual activity taking place. Sam is believed to be older than she really is by the high schoolers and gets involved over her head. Being the old fashioned, over-protective parent I am, I don't think my daughter needs to read about this. She'll find out about growing up early enough when she goes to high school next year...sadly, too early.

While I did relate to the story about the heartache caused by alcoholism, which I, too, grew up with as an adolescent, I had to give the book a 4 star rating instead of 5 stars. It was disturbing to read, bringing to mind the unhappiness I endured as a young boy living with alcoholic and abusive parents. I'm not sure the pre-teen/early teen audience this novel is targeting is emotionally mature enough to handle it. That is my opinion and I'm sure someone out there will disagree. That's their opinion and they're entitled to it, just like I am entitled to mine.