Reviewed by Amber Gibson for TeensReadToo.com
BLACK BOX by Julie Schumacher is a heartfelt and moving portrait of teen depression. The author captures the pain of trying to rescue someone you love when you do not know how to save them.
Elena's otherwise typical teenage life is suddenly a lot more difficult when her older sister, Dora, is hospitalized for depression. There is nothing Elena wants more in the world than to see her sister happy again, back to her old self, when they used to play silly games and enjoy the little things in life.
The bond between the sisters is so powerful that Elena knows she is the only one Dora trusts. It is rare for a younger sibling to be put in the position of watching over an older one, but Elena rises to the occasion with an intense love and determination to protect Dora from herself. Soon, Dora's depression becomes all Elena can think about, smothering all other interests and feelings.
Family dynamics make the situation even more stressful, especially when Elena's parents try to keep Dora's depression as secret as possible. When Elena is not included in her mother and father's discussions about her sister, Elena loses her trust for her parents. However, she vows to do her part in helping her sister recover, with or without her parents' help.
Turning to a new friend at school, Jimmy, Elena tries to understand what Dora is going through and what she can do to help. Jimmy and Elena form the closest kind of friendship - the kind where it is comforting just to sit on the phone without talking, knowing that the other person is there for you.
Short, direct chapters emphasize Elena's anxiety and sense of ever-increasing urgency for her sister's condition. Though the story is told solely from Elena's perspective, readers can sympathize with and understand both Elena's and Dora's struggles.
Schumacher portrays depression as a disease that torments loved ones of the depressed with almost the same ferocity as the depressed themselves. Dora is the one fighting depression - but Elena is also suffocating from the pressure.
BLACK BOX by Julie Schumacher is a heartfelt and moving portrait of teen depression. The author captures the pain of trying to rescue someone you love when you do not know how to save them.
Elena's otherwise typical teenage life is suddenly a lot more difficult when her older sister, Dora, is hospitalized for depression. There is nothing Elena wants more in the world than to see her sister happy again, back to her old self, when they used to play silly games and enjoy the little things in life.
The bond between the sisters is so powerful that Elena knows she is the only one Dora trusts. It is rare for a younger sibling to be put in the position of watching over an older one, but Elena rises to the occasion with an intense love and determination to protect Dora from herself. Soon, Dora's depression becomes all Elena can think about, smothering all other interests and feelings.
Family dynamics make the situation even more stressful, especially when Elena's parents try to keep Dora's depression as secret as possible. When Elena is not included in her mother and father's discussions about her sister, Elena loses her trust for her parents. However, she vows to do her part in helping her sister recover, with or without her parents' help.
Turning to a new friend at school, Jimmy, Elena tries to understand what Dora is going through and what she can do to help. Jimmy and Elena form the closest kind of friendship - the kind where it is comforting just to sit on the phone without talking, knowing that the other person is there for you.
Short, direct chapters emphasize Elena's anxiety and sense of ever-increasing urgency for her sister's condition. Though the story is told solely from Elena's perspective, readers can sympathize with and understand both Elena's and Dora's struggles.
Schumacher portrays depression as a disease that torments loved ones of the depressed with almost the same ferocity as the depressed themselves. Dora is the one fighting depression - but Elena is also suffocating from the pressure.
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