Black Box

Starred review from August 4, 2008
Lena Lindt and her older sister, Dora, have always been close, like “right and left hands laced tight together.” They and their parents accept that Dora is the moody but fun one, “a storm on the horizon, the needle that always pointed to steady
,” a formula that works until Dora is overcome by severe depression in her junior year of high school. Schumacher's (The Book of One Hundred Truths
) characterizations are humane yet shaded: to combat the effect of Dora's illness, Mr. and Mrs. Lindt send the outwardly coping Lena to a therapist but treat Dora's eventual hospitalization like a shameful secret. Lena, meanwhile, feels an us-against-the-parents bond with her sister, who uses their intimacy to pressure Lena to keep secrets that may be endangering her recovery. The title refers to the drugs prescribed for Dora; at least one comes with a “black box” warning, meaning that the person taking it is at increased risk for suicide and needs to be watched closely—traditionally, Lena's job in the family. An expert use of metaphor, combined with sympathetic insight into the impact of depression on families, turns a painful subject into a standout novel. Ages 12–up.

Starred review from August 1, 2008
Gr 7 Up-Stable and stoic Elena is a high school freshman when her beloved older sister, Dora, is hospitalized for depression. Elena takes it upon herself to look after her sibling when she comes home, while Dora and, ultimately, the entire family fall to pieces. In the end, Elena, with the help of her friend Jimmy Zenk, comes to realize that she alone can't make her better and that Dora has to help herself. With few words, characters are expertly fleshed out. For example, telling details reveal Elena's personality: "Matching socks was generally acknowledged to be my specialty." Schumacher eloquently describes the devastating effect that depression can have on a family. The writing is spare, direct, and honest. Written in the first person, this is a readable, ultimately uplifting book about a difficult subject."Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn, NY"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 1, 2008
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Elena and her older sister Dora are oppositesElena is quiet and stoic; Dora is funny and unpredictablebut they are still best friends. After Dora is hospitalized for depression, Elena cant understand why she didnt confide in her. While her parents spend their nights arguing, Elena does her best to deal, finally striking up a quirky relationship with the school bad boy, Jimmy, who says his older brother went through the same thing. Dora returns from the hospital a different person, one who skips class, hoards her pills, and lies to her parents. Elena cant reconcile this new sister with the one shes always known, especially when glimpses of the old Dora surface, but shes determined to save her, even if that means taking responsibility for Dora upon herself. Schumacher beautifully conveys Elenas loneliness and guilt as she tries to protect her sister without betraying her, as well as the emotional release she experiences upon finding someone to trust with her own feelings. The spare prose is loaded with small, revealing details of the relationships that surround Elena and how they change through Doras illness. This novel is a quick read, but it will leave a lasting and ultimately hopeful impression.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2009
Elena watches her beloved older sister Dora struggle with a deep depression from which Elena, for once, cannot save her. Can Elena best help Dora by keeping her secrets, or by exposing them? Focusing on the sisters' tight relationship and the family's fractured dynamic, this powerful novel presents a raw, intimate look at fraught topics including institutionalization and antidepressants for teens.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)