runner+up+books...

= Lush = by Natasha Friend

Lush talks about a lot of sensitive topics. Sam's father is an alcoholic but everyone seems to ignore it. Her mother is too rapped up in her yoga and Sam can't take it anymore. She starts talking to someone she's never met in person for advice by leaving notes for eachother in the library. Soon an older guy starts liking her and she becomes a popular girl at her school. Things look like they're turning out for the better - until her father starts getting violent. One night when he gets really drunk, he hits Sam's younger brother with a beer bottle. So, Sam sends her father to a rehab facility.

Lush is a great book for anyone who has problems at home. Sam doesn't really have a parent to talk to at home. She tries some alcohol and decides never to try it again. She sees what it does to people and it was tearing her family apart. I think this book can really tell people more about alcoholism and dealing with it.

It also shows that 'out of sight, out of mind' doesn't really work. If you just ignore a problem, it won't magically go away. It just gets worse. Sam's father's drinking got worse, and her little brother got hurt. It shows that you shouldn't have to wait for someone to get hurt in order to change things.

This book also touches on the topic of sex. Sam's new "friend" brings her to a party and pressures her to have sex until he finds out she's only thirteen. But later she gets molested by a group of boys. I think the way that part is portrayed, it makes readers think twice about having sex at a young age or going to any crazy parties.

= Dreamland = by Sarah Dessen

In Dreamland, Caitlin's older sister runs away but the police won't do anything because she's technically an adult since she was 18. Soon Caitlin meets Rogerson and falls in love. She knows that he's a drug dealer, but he's nice to her and helps her get away from her strange life. But soon, he becomes abusive. Caitlin starts hiding herself from the world and ignoring her friends and family. She gets pulled into the cycle and can't pull herself out until her mother finds Rogerson beeting Caitlin up during a party. Caitlin spends a lot of time in therapy and the hospital while Rogerson is arrested.

Dreamland talks about an important subject of abusive relationships. It talks about not only the relationship, but getting over it. It shows how even if you think your in a perfect relationship, it can turn abusive. The cycle of abuse is a dangerous routine, but this book is a great way of showing that you don't have to stay in that relationship. Your family and friends are always there for you and there's more than one option when you're in a situation like this.

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