Awards

• Winner of Rhode Island Teen Book Award 2008

Overview

It's hard to be a 13-yr-old girl. But it's even harder when your father's a drunk. It adds an extra layer to everything -- your family's reactions to things, the people you're willing to bring home, the way you see yourself and the world. For Samantha, it's something that's been going on for so long that she's almost used to it. Only, you never get used to it. Especially when it starts to get worse... A bold, honest Scholastic Press debut from Natasha Friend.

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9780439853460

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Kirkus<br>After years of pretending she has a normal family, a worried teen finally confronts her father's<br>alcoholism. Thirteen-year-old Samantha knows her father has a drinking problem, but her parents<br>seem oblivious. Sam's father makes empty promises to stop drinking while her mother immerses<br>herself in yoga classes, defending her husband as a good man. Although Sam carefully camouflages the situation by inviting friends over only when her father's away, his binges are getting worse and she's afraid he will lose control. Desperate to confide in someone other than her friends, Sam leaves notes in the library asking for advice from an older girl she doesn't really know. When her drunken father injures her little brother and the family's future is jeopardized, Sam must deal with anger and uncertainty as she makes some surprising discoveries about her family, her friends and herself. Sam comes across as a savvy as well as naive teen who tells her own story with humor, honesty and hope. Realistic family drama. (Fiction. 12-15) <br>SLJ<br>To the outside world, 13-year-old Samantha's family seems perfectly happy. However, they are struggling to keep her architect father's alcoholism a secret, and the balancing act of enabling his addiction and protecting their image is becoming more and more difficult. Sam longs to be able to share her burden with a friend and reaches out by leaving an anonymous autobiographical letter in a library book. Her anger and frustration are palpable as she struggles with her love for her dad despite the fact that his promises to clean up never materialize. When Sam is chastised by her mother and grandmother for not believing in his ability to change, readers will sympathize with the injustice of her difficult situation. Yet, the author avoids a maudlin tone by infusing the plot with details of typical teen life, such as Sam's crush on an older boy and embarrassment at her developing body. Witty dialogue and smooth writing move t

Author Information

Award-winning author of Perfect, Natasha Friend was born in Norwich, New York. Upon receiving her B.A. in Psychology in 1994 from Bates College, Natasha went on to Clemson University to earn her M.A. in English in 1997. As a former camp director and English teacher, Natasha enjoys singing and song-lyric writing and plans to write more books in the future. Her first book, Perfect, poignantly probes the hushed struggles of body image, eating disorders, and grief. Perfect has won the Milkweed Prize for Children's Literature and Book Sense's Pick. When commenting on Perfect, Booklist wrote, Friend elevates what could have been just another problem novel to a truly worthwhile read of great interest to many girls. Natasha's newest title, Lush, boldly delves into the tumultuous life and mind of a thirteen-year-old girl whose father is an alcoholic. Samantha must cope with sadness, secrecy, and shame in addition to her own teenage trials. Just when Samantha's skin toughens and emotions numb, it gets worse for her. Natasha wrote this book in an effort to spotlight the proverbial elephant in the room, so that its presence is acknowledged and removed. Natasha currently resides in Connecticut with her husband, Erik, and sons, Jack and Ben.

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