Lush by Natasha Friend

Friend, Natasha. (2007). Lush. NY: Scholastic Paperbacks.
ISBN: 978-0439853477
Awards: Rhode Island Teen Book (2008)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2007)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Alcoholic Parent, Secrets, Family, Friends
Genre: Fiction
Annotation: Thirteen-year-old Samantha's dad is an alcohlic. While dealing with school, boys, and a maturing body, Sam must also cope with her family's secret.
Summary: Samantha is a typical 13 year old in that she has to deal with middle-school, having crushes, and being embarrassed by her maturing body. What isn't typical is her family's secret - her father is an alcoholic. Sam's mother and grandmother push her to have compassion for her father, but Sam isn't so sure. With this weighing on her shoulders, and not being able to talk to her friends, Sam begins trading notes with an anonymous person in the library. She reveals her secret, asks questions, and receives some honest, but hard truths. Everything comes to a head, though, when Sam's father smashes a bottle of Jim Bean on Sam's little brothers face.
Evaluation: I really liked this book. I'm not usually a fan of problem literature, but I chose to read this one because it addresses a fairly common family issue. It is a fast read and doesn't dwell on mellowdramatics. And despite the alcoholism and act of violence, Sam's family is loving, if not a little misguided.