Book Review- Lush

“Well, my father is at it again.” This is what main character Sam always says about her father’s drinking problem. She knows it is not normal for her father to go out drinking every night and come home completely drunk, but she does not know what to do or who to talk to about it. Her mother pretends it’s not even a problem and her little brother Luke isn’t old enough to understand. How can Sam escape this horrible problem that dictates her life? Natasha Friend’s Lush touched my with the sad story of a normal teenage girl with an alcoholic father.
Natasha Friend wrote this book in a way that is easy to understand. She used normal every-day-language. It was a quick read because I did not have to think much about what I was reading. I comprehended very quickly what she was trying to describe or explain.
Sam lives in a normal town and often walks to her neighborhood library. She has a group of close friends: Angie, Vanessa, and Tracey. Angie loves to read. She reads romance novels and always compares the girl’s everyday lives to them. “Remember that love scene from Hearts Interrupted? Instead of Ridge and Rebecca, picture Danny and Molly Katz.” She said of the heartbreaking realization that Danny liked Molly instead of herself. Tracey is a really “good kid” who will frequently say things like “You don’t have to curse” when someone says crap. Vanessa is the really supportive friend. She always is there for all the girls when they are upset about something.
While Sam, Angie, Vanessa, and Tracey are all best friends, Sam is afraid to confide in them the secret about her father. She worries they will pity her or treat her differently. These girls have sleepovers every Friday night and they never go to Sam’s house. Sam has to work hard to hide this big secret from her friends. Sam visits the library everyday and starts exchanging notes with a mysterious A.J.K. She doesn’t know who this stranger is but they help give her advice and encouragement about her problems. Will Sam ever meet this mysterious A.J.K.? Will her family ever realize that her father needs help? And will Sam ever learn that she needs to tell her friends about her secret so they can help her deal with it?
I would recommend this book to any girl, especially anyone with a troubled parent. It discusses what to do, who to trust, and how to react to these types of situations. It was an emotional book but also had some humor and gladness. Overall, it was a great story that taught a very important lesson.

178 Pages