Lush

Natasha Friend's novel Lush is one that would be hard to teach because it involves the issue of alcoholism. To many families, mine included, this is a reality. Sometimes students don't want to talk about or read about what they thing they already know and it could also be an emotional, touchy subject to tackle. I feel it is a good book for 8Th graders or freshman though because it could make the transition from middle school to high school a bit easier. But because of the explicit details the main character goes into, the drinking habits of the father and the whiskey bottle being smashed on the litte brothers face, I would feel it my duty to send out permission slips for parents to approve my teaching of this novel and maybe even hold a conference to summarize the material so that they understand what their children are about to read.

Anyhow, Samantha Gywnn is an 8Th grader with 3 best friends, who know nothing about her father's drinking. Middle school is hard enough, but Sam has an alcoholic father, a little brother to take care of and big breast. She finds comfort in the books at the library and begins a friendship with whoever AJK is that reads the whale book. Each day Samantha writes asking advice and then this secret person 'AJK' writes back. Sam tells him/her her whole life story: dad, brother, boobs, drinking, Drew, her friends, everything and then after the party fiasco that gave Sam a hangover and a bunch of bad rumors that caused a fight between friends AJK needed to meet her. This of course, was after that night her dad went ballistic and smashed a Jim Bean bottle on little Luke's face and Luke got 26 stitches and her father got put in rehab. She met AJK and found out that he was a boy, the library stacker.

So, does Sam's life get put back together? What about Drew? Does her father go back to drinking? Does Luke's face have a scar? What about AJK? Is Sam's long lost friendship with Charlie Parker, the boy who stole her bra for money, rekindle? I guess you'll just have to read to find out...

Friend's book was a page turner in which I completed in 4 hours, but it causes a lot of questions in which a great classroom conversation could spark. I also want to read Bounce and Perfect by Friend. She makes her novels short but meaning full and they all deal with issues somehow. This one dealt with Sam Gywnn's father being a Lush, Perfect deals with anorexia and Bounce is dealing with divorced parents.