Lisa, Bright and Dark

I loved this book when I was younger and I loved it today. if I would have thought earlier I would have insisted that this was a summer reading book. I feel it is such an important book to be read. The conflict inside ones own mind is something many, can relate to. Lisa, and her friends are like so many of us. Unfortunately, to many parents are like Lisa's. I highly, highly, recommend the fine book to all. *Woodward smile* :)

Lisa, Bright and Dark is a short book consisting of 143 pages in medium font. Lisa is beautiful, smart and owns an air of modesty and wisdom aswell as prestige compared to most of her friends and most of the kids her age (16). Her boyfriend is the most wanted boy at school and her friends are the most caring and perfect friends you could ever wish for. What more is there that she could desire? Lisa desires her freedom. Sometimes Lisa sits alone and starts to hear voices. She hears them inside her head and they are certainly not her own. Cheerful, optimistic Lisa fails to be the usual Lisa from time to time by dressing in black costume-her beauty subsides to this by shriveling up into a face that's much too pale and thin. Lisa sits through class in a cold daze and has to use all her energy and strength to answer a single question in class. She is drained of every possible hope to live. Lisa is starting to go crazy. Being a smart girl she tells her parents but they 'ignore' her. Her teachers close their eyes and decide not to understand and Lisa falls continuously whilst also trying desperately to get the adults around her to notice her, getting her voice heard and running away from her illness. Luckily, Mary Nell Ficket (MN) who seems identified in the story as Lisa's closest friend decides to do something about the whole matter. Along with her friend Betsy Goodman who has never met Lisa before and yet seems to be the only one Lisa feels safe enough to talk to and Elizabeth Frazer who seems to hug deeply a secret that makes her so strong and controlling with Lisa's craziness-the three of them show Lisa, it's her friends who'll make her better. When you pick up the book in the beginning you have the impression that it is a book based on Lisa completely in a diary format. Well, that's what you get the impression of from other reviews anyway. But surprisingly enough, the more you read-the more you come to realise that Lisa isn't infact the main character much more than the rest of the characters are. Lisa creates a chain of situations and instead of Lisa, we become more attached to her friends who try and clean up the situations and help Lisa regain herself. This book is easy to read for any age over 12 but it may seem a little intimidating. If you are giving it to a child you ought to be careful. It certainly isn't an average "Ask Alice" style book, it's much more dense if you look into it. Otherwise, it's a good book to read whilst you have a few minutes. I suggest you read it in a noisy atmosphere or a bright environment or you'll become a little drowsy at the end of the book and get a tiny bit 'down' yourself.

Still just as poignant as when I read it as a young teen 30 plus years ago. This book is one of my top ten favorite books of all time!

I liked the book but found it hard to get through at times. I had to push myself to get through them.

I had read this a long time ago, and wanted to read it again. And the price was great! Easy to read, but it will also stay with you for a very long time.

Lisa bright and dark is an interesting and easy read about friendship. I thought it was excellent motivator for helping others and getting help for yourself.

I first read this novel in middle school as a young teen and found it riveting. Now as a parent with my own teens, I was interested in rereading some of my childhood favorites. The story still holds up, but some of the dialogue left me wondering if my parents’ generation really talked like that. I don’t recall it standing out to me as a teen, but that was also a long time ago. I’m not sure today’s teens will find the dialogue youthful, and many of the cultural references will be very dated. In fact, I had to Google Joanne Woodward’s famous smile, because I didn’t get that reference at all. However, the overall themes of mental illness, adults not being able to clearly see what it so obvious to peers, and the desire and willingness to do whatever it takes to help a friend will resonate strongly with today’s generation.Narrated by Betsy, the book is about Lisa, a mutual friend, who is crying out for help, fearing she’s losing her mind, and how no one is willing to help her. Times were likely a lot different back then, with teachers unwilling to step in and advocate on behalf of their students, but I think most of the rest of is still relevant today. Lisa goes out of her way to get someone, anyone to listen. Though Betsy is more of a peripheral friend, Lisa seems to trust her and Betsy and her other friends, Mary Nell and Elizabeth, do everything they can to get Lisa the help she needs.PlotThe plot centers around Lisa as seen through Betsy’s eyes. The girls struggle to get Lisa the care she needs despite dismissals and outright denials from the adults in the situation. There’s not much subplotting going on, but considering the subject matter, I’m not sure that’s necessary. The plot itself moves fairly well with short chapters and emotional punches.CharactersLisa, though not the narrator, comes off as the most well-developed character in the story, followed by Betsy, the narrator, then Mary Nell and Elizabeth. But Elizabeth, I suspect, was deliberately an enigma, at least until the end. While I mentioned above that as an adult now, I didn’t find their dialogue to be particularly youthful, their thought processes definitely were. This made their actions and motivations exceedingly believable. And while the teens were well-rounded, the adults came off looking like idiots, at least in the eyes of the narrator.What I Enjoyed About LISA, BRIGHT AND DARK1. Commitment. The way Lisa’s friends are devoted to getting her the help she needs was heartwarming.2. Lisa. She was a complex character who knew something was wrong with her and terrified.3. Betsy. She came off as annoying at times, but she always had her heart in the right place.4. M.N. Mary Nell was an interesting character that was both trying and dedicated, which made her fascinating.5. Honesty. The book was an honest tale of mental illness and how it can rob someone of everything.Bottom LineA gripping YA tale of friendship and mental illness.

I read this book in grade school, and decided to read it again,does not disappoint. Sometimes, as parents we loose sight of what is in front of us. Great book!