Gifted but severely mentally disburbed, a sixteen-year-old Grace moves back and forth between school and hospital, where she receives unexpected support from an antisocial delinquent named Luke
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
After the sudden death of the father she has blindly idolized and the loss of the confident, economically privileged lifestyle he represented, 16-year-old Grace Braun attempts suicide. Extended hospitalization follows; she undergoes shock treatments and various psychotherapies as she struggles to control hallucinations and the fear that her mind will again become "scrambled." Readers are introduced to Grace when she begins a journal for therapeutic purposes; at this point she is tentatively emerging from illness and is being encouraged to test the world outside the hospital. Throughout, she is supported by her diffident mother who has been forced to become family breadwinner and her daughter's link with reality. Grace, her mother, the psychiatric hospital staff, the well-intentioned teachers and students, and those who torment anyone who seems different--all are strong characterizations. The grim day-to-day life of the hospital and the heartbreaking, halting steps, forward and backward, in the process of recovery are painful testimony and are believable. Grace's intense relationship with the hostile, foul-mouthed Luke Wolfe, who is facing a murder charge for the mercy killing of his only friend, is melodrama that derails the story. Also, Bennett's off-and-on discussion of Grace's purported schizophrenia is confusing. In its better moments, this harrowing account may recall Joanne Greenberg's classic, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (NAL, 1977). --Libby K. White, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
In the tradition of I Never Promised You a Rose Garden , this engrossing first novel invites readers to enter the imagination of an emotionally disturbed girl and trace the slow, difficult process of her healing. When Grace is released from the hospital after a suicide attempt, she feels disoriented and afraid. The people she encounters in her new town and high school seem to speak through static; much clearer is the internal voice that Grace associates with the father she has recently lost. Despite her confusion and bouts of depression, Grace begins to readjust to the outside world, but a violent incident involving a group of cruel teenagers causes enormous setbacks. With the help of a skilled psychiatrist, a loyal friend and a rebellious young man named Luke, Grace finally dares to step out of her shell to confront painful realities. With tenderness and remarkable insight, Bennett identifies the causes and effects of Grace's suffering and reveals her intricate system of defenses. Pat answers are not given to the narrator's complicated problems, yet the progress she makes in dealing with old conflicts and new challenges is clearly indicated at the story's touching conclusion. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
US$ 4.25
Within U.S.A.
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.25. Seller Inventory # G0590163094I3N11
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Ergodebooks, Houston, TX, U.S.A.
Softcover. Condition: Good. Gifted but severely mentally disburbed, a sixteen-year-old Grace moves back and forth between school and hospital, where she receives unexpected support from an antisocial delinquent named Luke. Seller Inventory # SONG0590163094
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GoldBooks, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: very good. Very Good Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think_very_0590163094
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GoldBooks, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0590163094
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GoldenDragon, Houston, TX, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: very good. Very Good Copy. Fast Shipment. Seller Inventory # SilverDragon0590163094
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Wizard Books, Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0590163094
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GoldenWavesOfBooks, Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0590163094
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Big Bill's Books, Wimberley, TX, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: new. Brand New Copy. Seller Inventory # BBB_new0590163094
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Front Cover Books, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover0590163094
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: The Book Spot, Sioux Falls, SD, U.S.A.
Paperback. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # Abebooks113083
Quantity: 1 available