It was sad in some parts but overall it was exciting. ( )

It had a lot of action and always left you on your toes. It was very good and interesting. This book could help anyone who has a parent that has drinking problems. There were some inappropriate parts that anyone younger wouldn't be good. AHS/TM

Reviewed by Karin Perry for TeensReadToo.com

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. ( )

A teen in middle random person. He or she is a total stranger that she writes to about school named Samantha puts all of her trust in one everything that has been happening. The stranger has been helping her out with everything happening in her life at the time. She waits and hopes that they write back giving her some helpful advice. She tells the advice giver about her father and his big drinking problem. When her drunken father does something unbelievable that puts the whole family on its edge, she knew something must be done. None of the family ever talks at all about the situation to anyone, she doesn’t even tell her three best friends. She doesn’t want to hurt or have her family fall apart. No one would. It is an amazing book. Natasha writes it as if that could be a girl at your school. She makes it feel so real. ( )

I really did enjoy reading this book, it really grabbed my attention. It was an amazing plot that told about a girl who was dealing with her father's drinking problem. Which is an incident that could happen to any teenage girl. I really like how the author tied together the main characters problem as a teenager and the main character's problems with her dad. ( )

i love this book because i think it capture the concept of being a teenager in that kind of perdicament. i strongly think that all teenage girls should read books like this one by natasha friend because they have a message that girls need to know to grow and become confident strong women.

Teen's dad is a lush.

Family in denial.

Girl confronts their lies. ( )

A freshman dealing with the fact that she has an alcoholic dad. Shes not very popular but she is kinda out there. She always goes to the library.. She writes these letters o another person in the library but she don't know who it is. And she talks to this Junior from the library. He invites her to a party and finds out shes to young. Then she meets the mystery writer...
K.G.

good plot. it kept me very intrested
( )

Sam is a thirteen year old, eigth grader who has problems that her friends don't have. Her dad is a "lush." Looking for help and advice, she leaves a note for a higher schooler in the library. The note doesn't end up in the hands of its intended recieptant. And yet, she a finds a mysterious friend, who writes back with helpful advice about her family, boys and other things. But, things at home somehow manage to get worse and now, she and her family can no longer ignore her father's drinking problem. Can her father ever stop drinking, and who is the stranger who is leaving her notes, who seems to be her only friend? Do things really have to get worse nefore they can get better? ( )

Review: Lush
This book takes us through a tough time in the life of 13-year-old Samantha. She has an alcoholic father, a mother who is in denial (and an enabler), and the usual host of school-mates who don’t always treat her well.
I think Lush would be a good book for a Middle School catalog. First of all, for students who are specifically experiencing alcoholism in their families, they will be able to relate. They will feel that they are not the only ones who are dealing with such things (sneaking around, being afraid of how their family member may act when drinking or using, the need to hide it all). Certain guilty feelings are explored in the book, with Samantha having an odd mix of emotions that are understandable because of what she’s dealing with (fear of losing a parent, but a hope that they might actually kill themself and end the struggle, with the guilt of even feeling that way).
All of this happens, while she also has the “normal” teenage problems (boys, puberty, friends, etc.). She is without the support of her parents in dealing with this, and she feel like she can’t tell anyone which adds to her isolation. She does find some relief from this loneliness by sending notes back and forth with an anonymous student. In these notes, she is able to discuss her feelings about her father’s drinking.
Throughout the book, Samantha’s hardships are lightened with an ironic sense of humor, which will keep students entertained, but doesn’t distract from the more serious themes in the book. The book takes a more serious tone when her father, on a drinking binge, smashes a bottle across the face of her 4-year-old brother. Finally her mother (with the help of a neighbor friend) takes her dad’s drinking problem more seriously and her dad goes to rehab.
This book isn’t just good for kids whose parents have addictions. Other students could benefit by gaining empathy and understanding for others who may be going through something like this. It may help them to think more before judging others. It may also help them to stay away from heavy alcohol or drug use, because they’ll have a better understanding of the destruction it can cause in families.
The book also confronts other issues (teen drinking, date rape, lyling, etc.) when Samantha gets pressured into drinking at a party, and is almost raped by 3 boys. Then the boys start gossiping about her, making her out to be a slut. Students can learn from this, about how gossip hurts people, and how they should not jump on the gossip “bandwagon”.
She herself learns a lesson about believing rumors, because the boy that was rumored to have stolen her bra turns out to be innocent. She also learns a lesson about drinking, and how stupid you can act when drunk.
The book also confronts homosexuality, since the person she has been writing to, who she thought was a girl, turns out to be a gay boy. He turns out to be a very good friend to her, and can empathise with her…his own dad wants to make him “not gay” by pushing him to be a better soccer player!
Finally, she has a good conversation with her dad, while visiting him in rehab, and this really helps her outlook. By the end of the book, she manages to make an unlikely friend, and have real conversations with her parents (even telling them about the 3 boys and what they did). She shows real strength in dealing with all of this, and she goes a step further and gets rid of the booze that’s around the house and replacing it with little notes like “think before you drink”!
The book ends on a happy note, with her dad coming home from rehab, with the hope that he will remain sober. The book takes a realistic look at life as the child of an alcoholic parent. It is about a young girl just trying to grow up, even with the cards she’s been dealt.
I think it would be a good book for teenagers to read. Although the content might be a little “adult” for the most innocent of middle school students, it is not entirely inappropriate…and since many middle school students do face issues like this, it would be a good read for most of them.

Friend tackles tough social issues teenages are faced with everyday. Having an alcoholic parent is a situation no teen should be put into... but when faced with the situation where is a teen to turn?

Main character Sam tries to reach out to one of the regulars in the library which she frequents nearly everyday through a note. It is only after sharing some of her most personal stories that she finds out that her note was found by someone else... and things at home with her father are getting ever more crazy. Will she confid in her new friend, get together with the popular high school boy, protect her little brother from here father, or start drinking herself to deal with the stress. ( )

Sam is having a hard time dealing with all the changes in her life, particularly her father's drinking. She writes a note seeking advice from a high school girl about how to deal with her life and leaves it in a book at the library. As the story goes along, Sam's life gets more difficult to navigate and she learns a lot of tough lessons along the way. This was a really quick read that sucked me in and I kept turning the pages until I was through with the book. ( )

Sam is a teenage girl living in an alcoholic household. She can't have friends over for sleep overs, has to hide her father's drinking from the neighbors, and finds herself getting angrier and angrier. To relieve some of the pressure, she picks a nice looking older teen to send a note to about her situation. But the note doesn't get read by the person she wants it to. Instead she finds herself not getting sympathy, but getting tough love. Sam keeps on writing, intrigued by the person writing her back. As her father's drinking becomes worse, Sam finds that she can no longer help him by hiding it.

Friend, author of Perfect, has done it again. She has created a well-written, accessible book about a real teen girl who has to make heart-rending decisions that not only affect her but her entire family. The book is a quick read that is sure to be popular with teen girls looking for problem novels. But they will discover that some problem novels, like this one, are the best of the bunch. ( )

Yes, Its about alcoholism.
The story is good and moves quickly. It is a good pick for reluctant readers.
Our girl Samantha is in 8th grade and dealing with friends and boys. See how she also deals with her dad’s problem and her mom’s reaction to it. Will Samantha follow in her dad’s footsteps at a high school party?
Read Lush to find out! ( )