In my quest for Young Adult books that I could purchase for my niece, I noticed on Amazon that "Lisa, Bright and Dark" by John Neufield still has an audience. This novel had been stocked in my school's library and I can still recall the television movie with Kay Lenz. It was much discussed the night after it was broadcast.
.
"Lisa Bright and Dark" was one of the first books to address self injury. The movie, in fact, did not shy away from that scene and people were shocked by the graphic nature of its portrayal. And yes...it happened in elementary school back in that time. I recall the girl that cut herself with the point of a compass in class.
.
This novel details how Lisa, seemingly pretty and well-do-do, hides a dark side. Her personality suddenly changes and can become violent and self destructive. As her parents don't want to address the issue, her core group of three friends take it upon themselves to help her.
.
There are several pop -cultural references that are dated, but the basic issues are still relevant. Our attitudes towards psychology have changed. It's doubtful a girl this troubled would be permitted to continue to attend class without intervention in today's world. If nothing else, there would be fear that she could engage in behaviour that might harm others.
.
I suspect that some of the above issues will prove distracting for a person who is thirteen, but I have added the book to the list all the same. Near the start of the book, the narrator writes the following: " Adults are in many ways simply chicken: by protecting us, they protect themselves, which means that no one ever gets to the truth. This is not a good system." Kids are really good at figuring out exactly how much their parents can handle. If they think they'll be overwhelmed and "lose it" if approached with stories of cutting, questions on birth control, etc,, they'll go to other sources. People unable to keep the avenues open need to at least provide decent resources. Books never let me down.
No comments:
Post a Comment