[.ca] Black-Eyed Suzie (ISBN 1590785339)

saddest book ever!:
this was the saddest book i've ever read. i'm volunteering at the houston public library and 1 of my jobs is to read the fist 3 chapters of a book and give it a short review. i read about 13 pages before i got another job assigned to me. when i came back i couldn't put it down. i was totally hooked! it makes you feel sooooooo appreciative! i cried the whole time i was reading it. there was a little tear spot on my pillow. deffinatly a gripping story!

VERY INTERESTING READ !!!:
This book was quite revealing as to the problems abusive homes can cause in young people. It kept my attention, and I would recommend it as a good book for adolescents.

Heart-wrenching and gripping:
Susan Shaw's Black-eyed Suzie is a novel about a young girl, Suzie, who is psychologically incarcerated in a little box which threatens to become smaller and smaller, threatening and crushing her. Readers discover in the beginning of the novel that all Suzie does is sit in her gold chair, hugging her knees to her chin. She is unable to talk, to eat, to smile, or to do anything that qualifies as being "human." Her mother treats her harshly and is convinced that Suzie is only behaving this way to receive attention. She treats Suzie like she is a burden and acts as if she doesn't care much about her. One day, her uncle Elliot arrives in a fury and brings her to a mental hospital, St. Dorothy's, where Suzie begins her gradual but promising recovery. At the hospital, she meets an array of characters: Joshua, a boy who still hasn't come to terms with his dad's death; Karen, a violent and mean little girl who always bullies her; and Stella, her psychologist who is ever-encouraging, caring, and "safe" to be around. Slowly, Suzie starts to move again. She is able to eat without choking. Frustration and sadness envelop Suzie as her mother and father rarely come visit and she develops a piercing homesickness. Eventually, the truth about how Suzie has become this way emerges: her alchoholic, violent mother who abused Suzie and, later, Deanna. As the novel progresses, Suzie develops the courage to speak out, and the readers cheer as Suzie reclaims her life and her agency. The novel doesn't end happily ever after, rendering it a realistic portrait of many cases of abusive children who can only hope that things will become better. But Suzie's journey is a remarkable one worth commending. Susan Shaw makes great use of the psychological "box," ever-threatening, and something that Suzie must overcome on her own. Her imaginary pink clouds, which take her away from the little box, adds to the realism of a young girl who has experienced violence and abuse, but is able to conjure up a fantastic world of refuge. Black-eyed Suzie is a captivating tale of a girl's remarkable journey from the depths of the little "box" to the heights of safety and hope. Kudos to Susan Shaw for such an engrossing novel of poignancy.

Black-Eyed Suzie Review:
This book was intruigingly excuisite. I think it was created to make people feel a mixture of deep, passionate emotions stirring around in your soul that create a type of emotion soup. Do you want to have an emotion soup? Then you should read this book filled with emotions.

100% Realistic:
Suzie is in a safe-box, in her most comfortable position, the fetal position. She won't talk, eat, walk or anything. Her mother is so mad yet won't get her any help. She refuses to acknowledge anything being the matter with her daughter. Suzie's older sister tries to help but she isn't much help at all. Uncle Elliot stops by and forces the family to take action. He forces them to take Suzie to the hospital. In that hospital, a history of abuse starts to take shape and everyone starts to learn of Suzie's past and what is going on in her life. Only then, can they start to heal. This book is a very easy read. I would recommend this to 7th grade and above. It will get the attention of everyone reading it from the first page to the last. It is very hard to put down; you always want to know what happens to Suzie that has put her in this state of mentality. Gripping!! You become attached to Suzie and can't help but live her past through her eyes as everything takes shape. You will definitely want some tissues for this book!