Black Box

A quick read but resonates much longer. Years ago I worked on a psychiatric unit for adolescents and it brought back many memories. The descriptions of the people actually working on Dora's unit made me think about what it was like for them too. Also, I was reminded of how ninety percent of the families were blamed for their child's mental illness. It was very interesting how the mother and father were portrayed...mental illness often tears a family apart and a huge component can be the denial that goes along with the guilt.

I loved reading this book. It shows a side of life that most people never have to deal with. Also, it shows how much one can be effected by trying to protect the one she cares about.

Find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed; you'll want to read this book in one sitting. It's that good. Reminiscent of ORDINARY PEOPLE in its quiet strength and internal struggles, this is a powerful, honest portrayal and exploration of how one member's depression can impact the whole family. From Elena, the first-person heroine, to her mentally ill big sister, to the unexpectedly kind, compassionate and insightful boy-down-the-street (who has a stunning secret of his own), this novel is peopled with memorable, 3-dimensional characters, and beautiful writing.

I will start off this review with one word "WOW". The story of Dora and Elena two sisters who are as close as can be - when the older Dora starts changing - she is sleeping too much, no longer eating and is becoming less and less like herself every day. Eventually, she is diagnosed with a mental illness. This is the story of how mental illness (depression) affects absolutely everyone it touches. Elena finds herself having to deal with the fact that her beloved sister is no longer the person she use to be. Elena is heartbroken and scared. Her parents are arguing all the time and somehow most of their friends are now staying away - far away. It is almost impossible for Elena to deal with it all - as she finds herself going to extremes in order to make everyone "be okay again". This novel (its very, very short at a little under 180 pages) is extremely touching and sad, which is to say that the author takes a very honest and real view at an illness that for some reason still appears to be taboo. I love the title of this book - indeed mental depression certainly makes everyone feel as though they are living in a box - I highly recommend this book to anyone who believes it will never happen to them.

Black Box by Julie Schumaucher should be assigned reading for anyone that has a close relative who suffers from depression. Schumacher manages to capture, in a quiet and anguished way, Elena's feelings of guilt and helplessness as she watches her older sister, Dora, go through a mental illness. Elena and Dora are so close they have always shared everything. The year that Elena begins her Freshman year and Dora is a Junior, Dora starts sleeping too much, losing weight, and then one day tries to kill herself with pills. Their parents, desperate to help her, admit her into the psych ward at the hospital. Eventually, Dora is released but uses her bond with Elena to get her to keep secrets that may endanger her recovery. Elena, feeling desperate, begins to take it upon herself to be her sisters "black box", by trying to watch her every move. Unfortunately, it may take a tragedy for Elena to figure out what to do. Black Box is a short novella at only 176 pages, but the emotional impact from reading it will last a lot longer. Julie Schumacher truly captured the other side of depression and the way she did it through Elena's eyes is heartbreaking. There are some wonderful lessons here for young people to learn from reading Black Box and adults will be able to use Black Box for some great discussions with teens about depression.