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![Black Box: a Novel, narrated by Lynde Houck, 4 CDs [Complete & Unabridged Audio Work] by Julie Schumacher](https://assets.thestorygraph.com/assets/placeholder-cover-a3ae92250eb3301e32dc3eabf8d50576c2f047dda89f6ee7cfa9a859cb1fd746.jpg)
36 reviews for:
Black Box: a Novel, narrated by Lynde Houck, 4 CDs [Complete & Unabridged Audio Work]
Julie Schumacher
3.6 AVERAGE
36 reviews for:
Black Box: a Novel, narrated by Lynde Houck, 4 CDs [Complete & Unabridged Audio Work]
Julie Schumacher
3.6 AVERAGE
Wonderfully sad. It's such a quick read, so I couldn't believe it actually brought tears to my eyes! If you decide to pick this up and don't feel anything by the end then I think you might be a robot, but you probably won't label it as "a waste of my time" because it really doesn't take long to finish.
This novel, about depression and the effect it has on its sufferers and their families, is well executed and deeply moving. Schumacher's Elena, whose sister is admitted to a hospital after a suicide attempt, is one of the most complex and real teenage characters I've seen in a while. I highly recommend this book.
I really liked this book, but I also felt as though something was missing. This story is about a sixteen-year-old girl suffering from depression and how that affects her family. Perhaps it’s that it was told by a fourteen-year-old narrator who’s somewhat naïve. She provides an interesting perspective; I felt some understanding of depression was absent, but that made sense given who’s telling the story.
This is a spare little book and personally I’d have liked a more in depth narrative. However, maybe for some readers this book might be a perfect telling. What felt somewhat superficial to me might be a brilliant reflection on how this family is dealing with a crisis. I did get emotionally involved while reading. This was painful to read but it also had many, sometimes unexpected, humorous parts too.
I actually really appreciated the author’s 3 page personal note at the end of the novel. I also think it’s good that there’s suicide prevention contact information at the end of the book because this book about a sixteen year old depressed girl and her family could definitely have an emotional impact on vulnerable teens.
I do have to say that I did not approve of how the story ended, so I'm sure that did make a difference about how I rated it.
This is a spare little book and personally I’d have liked a more in depth narrative. However, maybe for some readers this book might be a perfect telling. What felt somewhat superficial to me might be a brilliant reflection on how this family is dealing with a crisis. I did get emotionally involved while reading. This was painful to read but it also had many, sometimes unexpected, humorous parts too.
I actually really appreciated the author’s 3 page personal note at the end of the novel. I also think it’s good that there’s suicide prevention contact information at the end of the book because this book about a sixteen year old depressed girl and her family could definitely have an emotional impact on vulnerable teens.
I do have to say that I did not approve of how the story ended, so I'm sure that did make a difference about how I rated it.
This was such an amazing book! It was great to read alongside Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls. I read this in only about 2-3 hours, but it was very powerful. This is a perfect example of how powerful and thought-provoking a first-person narrative can be.
In the acknowledgments, the author described how some people didn't want her to publish this novel because of the subject matter. I could not disagree more. This isn't a situation I know of firsthand, but I really believe that nothing comes from pushing difficult topics under the rug. This story HAD to be told, and I think the author did a beautiful job with it. Also, I think it's awesome because the author is a professor of creative writing; not many creative writing professors publish YA novels. This is also an example of how beautiful and relevant YA literature can be and really is. I think more professors need to publish in this genre, and more universities need to hire professors who do publish successfully in this genre.
In the acknowledgments, the author described how some people didn't want her to publish this novel because of the subject matter. I could not disagree more. This isn't a situation I know of firsthand, but I really believe that nothing comes from pushing difficult topics under the rug. This story HAD to be told, and I think the author did a beautiful job with it. Also, I think it's awesome because the author is a professor of creative writing; not many creative writing professors publish YA novels. This is also an example of how beautiful and relevant YA literature can be and really is. I think more professors need to publish in this genre, and more universities need to hire professors who do publish successfully in this genre.
At first, I thought I wasn't going to like this book. The weird font / layout was sort of depressing, and I wondered if that was intentional, since this is a book about depression. It also felt a little too disembodied in the beginning; a lot of short scenes, but very little expository text to really "ground" those scenes. I thought it might turn out to be another book that romanticized sister-relationships and mental illness, the way "Skinny" by Ibi Kaslik does.
I was a little frustrated by the way the narrator took too much personal responsibility for "saving" her sister from depression, giving her a bit of a "poor me," tone. At the same time, it felt like an accurate portrayal of the helplessness one can feel when faced with depression. Although the sister relationship probably should have been the crux of this piece, what made the book worthwhile was the narrator's burgeoning relationship with the "strange" kid down the street; their conversations and his matter-of-fact expertise about depression (his mom is a psychiatrist) buoy this book so that it doesn't have to be depressing. And yes, the handling of this relationship pretty much single-handedly pulled the book up from a three-star to a four-star for me.
This book is not one for those who don't like ambiguity, as there are a lot of loose ends that don't really get tied. But the ending is strangely satisfying anyway.
I was a little frustrated by the way the narrator took too much personal responsibility for "saving" her sister from depression, giving her a bit of a "poor me," tone. At the same time, it felt like an accurate portrayal of the helplessness one can feel when faced with depression. Although the sister relationship probably should have been the crux of this piece, what made the book worthwhile was the narrator's burgeoning relationship with the "strange" kid down the street; their conversations and his matter-of-fact expertise about depression (his mom is a psychiatrist) buoy this book so that it doesn't have to be depressing. And yes, the handling of this relationship pretty much single-handedly pulled the book up from a three-star to a four-star for me.
This book is not one for those who don't like ambiguity, as there are a lot of loose ends that don't really get tied. But the ending is strangely satisfying anyway.
A reasonably well-done book about a girl whose sister is hospitalized for depression. It's along the lines of LISA, BRIGHT AND DARK. It's good, but I didn't find it particularly original or anything. This is 3.5 stars rounded up.
This was more intense than I tend to read when I reach for contemporary. HUGE TRIGGER WARNINGS for depression, suicide, mental illness.
What I liked about this story was the point of view from a sister of a mentally ill, suicidal person. I have never been suicidal myself, but I have had friends who were/are so this spoke to me. That feeling of wanting to help, but not knowing how and feeling unable to be there in the way your friend needs.
This was a quick, and very intense read. It focused almost entirely on the family and the situation with the sister who suffers from severe depression. I think it works because when you're going through that it pretty much takes over every facet of your life. I have not checked to see what other reviewers, especially those who have been suicidal, are saying, so please take that into consideration as well.
I'll probably do a more in depth review on my channel at some point: Julian's youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtrwu4TzHUKh3kbCZZvX_4A
What I liked about this story was the point of view from a sister of a mentally ill, suicidal person. I have never been suicidal myself, but I have had friends who were/are so this spoke to me. That feeling of wanting to help, but not knowing how and feeling unable to be there in the way your friend needs.
This was a quick, and very intense read. It focused almost entirely on the family and the situation with the sister who suffers from severe depression. I think it works because when you're going through that it pretty much takes over every facet of your life. I have not checked to see what other reviewers, especially those who have been suicidal, are saying, so please take that into consideration as well.
I'll probably do a more in depth review on my channel at some point: Julian's youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtrwu4TzHUKh3kbCZZvX_4A
Good coverage of the topic of depression for teens. Also a good discussion about when you "tell" or not when friends and family need more help than you can give. Quick read--I read it overnight.
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It wasn’t bad, it did show mental health pretty well, I just was so lost a lot of the time. The ending was lacking and it felt like forced writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Schumacher gives us a window into the life of a girl whose sister has descended into mental illness. An excellent portrayal of the guilt and responsibility the "good" child feels for holding family normalcy together.
I know lots of young teens who will find this fascinating.
I know lots of young teens who will find this fascinating.