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299th out of 1,143 books
—
5,759 voters
Black Box
WHEN DORA, ELENA’S older sister, is diagnosed with depression and has to be admitted to the hospital, Elena can’t seem to make sense of their lives anymore. At school, the only people who acknowledge Elena are Dora’s friends and Jimmy Zenk—who failed at least one grade and wears blackevery day of the week. And at home, Elena’s parents keep arguing with each other. Elena wi...more
Hardcover, 176 pages
Published
August 26th 2008
by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
(first published February 29th 2000)
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Elena looks up to her vivacious older sister Dora and the two girls have always been close. When Dora struggles with depression and is hospitalized, Elena feels that she has to be the one to watch out for Dora. It's a heavy responsibility for a 14-year-old girl especially when Dora begins to ditch school and spit out her meds.
This compelling story is told from Elena's perspective which allows a close-up exploration of the impact of depression on an entire family. The family dynamics ring true as...more
This compelling story is told from Elena's perspective which allows a close-up exploration of the impact of depression on an entire family. The family dynamics ring true as...more
This is a quick, short read, but it is very powerful. The story and the main character (Lena - short for Elena) draw you in immediately. She has an older sister, who has always been erratic, bubbly, moody, fun - the opposite of how Lena is. But they are very close. Then her sister gets so depressed that her parents intern her into a mental health facility. Lena doesn't know if by staying loyal to her sister, she is facilitating her destructive behavior, but she also just wants things to go back...more
Reviewed by Amber Gibson for TeensReadToo.com
BLACK BOX by Julie Schumacher is a heartfelt and moving portrait of teen depression. The author captures the pain of trying to rescue someone you love when you do not know how to save them.
Elena's otherwise typical teenage life is suddenly a lot more difficult when her older sister, Dora, is hospitalized for depression. There is nothing Elena wants more in the world than to see her sister happy again, back to her old self, when they used to play sill...more
BLACK BOX by Julie Schumacher is a heartfelt and moving portrait of teen depression. The author captures the pain of trying to rescue someone you love when you do not know how to save them.
Elena's otherwise typical teenage life is suddenly a lot more difficult when her older sister, Dora, is hospitalized for depression. There is nothing Elena wants more in the world than to see her sister happy again, back to her old self, when they used to play sill...more
Feb 27, 2013
Maddie Huefner
added it
I read the book Black box by Julie Schumacher, it was a fiction book.
I thought it was a good book because it was a quick read but it kept me engaged the whole time and it was unlike anything I had read before. There were three main characters: Dora, Jimmy, and Elena. Elena and Dora are sisters, and they were really close until Dora was diagnosed with depression and had to go to a treatment center. Jimmy was their neighbor and had been to the same treatment center, so he was helpful with Dora's...more
I thought it was a good book because it was a quick read but it kept me engaged the whole time and it was unlike anything I had read before. There were three main characters: Dora, Jimmy, and Elena. Elena and Dora are sisters, and they were really close until Dora was diagnosed with depression and had to go to a treatment center. Jimmy was their neighbor and had been to the same treatment center, so he was helpful with Dora's...more
I actually did like this book. I didn't feel like there was much depth to it, but for the most part, it was a good story. It was about a girl named Elena, who's sister Dora was diagnosed with depression. Although my sister doesn't have depression, I could definitely understand why Elena tries so hard to help her sister get better. I'm very close to my sister, and the book really does show the relationship and love between two sisters. For the most part, I liked all of it. For some reason, the ch...more
I devoured this book in a matter of a few short hours, but despite being a fairly short novel, it's covers some very tough and heavy subjects.
Though the main focus is Elena's older sister's battle with depression, there is so much more happening. Since Elena is the quiet one, content to let her outgoing sister lead, it's a very confusing time and situation for Elena. Also, her parents are trying to hard that they seem to fail to hear Elena when she tries to speak up.
The exploration of family lo...more
Though the main focus is Elena's older sister's battle with depression, there is so much more happening. Since Elena is the quiet one, content to let her outgoing sister lead, it's a very confusing time and situation for Elena. Also, her parents are trying to hard that they seem to fail to hear Elena when she tries to speak up.
The exploration of family lo...more
Black box is about 15 year old Elena who is struggling to deal with her sister Dora's Depression. At first it's just Dora having her usual mood swings but slowly it started getting worse and worse and after Dora trying to over dose she is admitted to the hospital where she stays for a few weeks. Meanwhile Elena is trying to deal with it but she doesnt really have any friends to go to so when she meets a boy names Jimmy he lets her vent her problems to him and he seems to have a whole lot of inf...more
When 14-year-old Elena's older sister Dora is hospitalized for depression, everyone in the family struggles to cope in different ways. Told through Elena's eyes, Blackbox is a moving, engrossing read about a dysfunctional family and the stigma of a mental illness that is often not well understood. I finished this book over the course of two sittings in one morning - which is unusual for me. A few parts of the plot felt unrealistic to me, but overall the author does a good job of conveying the im...more
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4.0 stars. YA. Elena is a high-schooler who is quieter and steadier than her older sister, Dora. Although their personalities are miles apart they have always been close. So it comes as a surprise for Elena when Dora is hospitalized for depression. This story doesn't focus so much on Dora as it does on Elena: how Dora's depression and her family's tension affects her. Although her parents address the problem by sending everyone to therapy, they don't really grapple with the problem. No one at sc...more
Black Box by Schumacher is a moving portrayal of teenage depression and suicide. It’s an eye opener that will provide valuable insight on the signs of depression and the possible harmful side-effects of the medications doctors use to treat this condition.
The story is told from the perspective of Elena, whose sister Dora is suffering from clinical depression. My heart went out to Elena as she struggles to find a way to ‘save’ her sister. I was a tad bothered at her parents for not making a bette...more
The story is told from the perspective of Elena, whose sister Dora is suffering from clinical depression. My heart went out to Elena as she struggles to find a way to ‘save’ her sister. I was a tad bothered at her parents for not making a bette...more
I really liked this book, but I also felt as though something was missing. This story is about a sixteen-year-old girl suffering from depression and how that affects her family. Perhaps it’s that it was told by a fourteen-year-old narrator who’s somewhat naïve. She provides an interesting perspective; I felt some understanding of depression was absent, but that made sense given who’s telling the story.
This is a spare little book and personally I’d have liked a more in depth narrative. However,...more
This is a spare little book and personally I’d have liked a more in depth narrative. However,...more
3 likes · like · see review
I had forgotten how much I enjoy this author's voice. One reads this novel from the outside looking in....How does one handle illness when it is not your own...but perhaps even closer because it lives inside your sister, your friend, your other.....How does one live with an illness you can't see, you never understood was there, eating away at her, at you. Depression is never easy to know, never easy to see in another, it lives on and makes you feel helpless as you watch and try to help, try to f...more
Feb 10, 2013
Sally Kruger
added it
Elena is watching the self-destruction of her older sister Dora. Dora is caught in the clutches of depression. When Dora refuses to get out of bed and doesn't respond to the treatment her parents have tried to provide, it is decided she should enter an inpatient program at a local hospital.
The girls' parents want the best for Dora, but at the same time they want to shelter Elena. Not knowing what is going on frustrates Elena. She wants to communicate with Dora and offer her support, but she is k...more
The girls' parents want the best for Dora, but at the same time they want to shelter Elena. Not knowing what is going on frustrates Elena. She wants to communicate with Dora and offer her support, but she is k...more
Now that I am finished reading this book that explores what depression does to a family when older sister Dora is diagnosed with this disease. Elena, fourteen and totally different from Dora, wants her sister to get well. Her parents are arguing in the kitchen every night after Dora is admitted to the local hospital's psych wing. In school, even though Elena can't discuss what is happenening to Dora, everyone knows and weird Jimmy Zenk tells Elena about his brother's recovery from mental problem...more
Elena and her sister Dora have always been close. Lately however, it seems like Dora isn't as open to her sister as she once was. When Dora sinks into a depression, Elena has no one to turn to. All of the people she knows at school are Dora's friends and they aren't really close. Then one day Jimmy Zenk, who failed a grade, starts talking to Elena about her sisters depression. He really seems to want to be there for her, but Elena is not sure how she feels about his presence. Elena wants her sis...more
Summary: When her sixteen-year-old sister is hospitalized for depression and her parents want to keep it a secret, fourteen-year-old Elena tries to cope with her own anxiety and feelings of guilt that she is determined to conceal from outsiders.
My Review: Fabulous. Deeply honest and yet accessible to teen readers. The reality based family dynamics and peer relationships for this young teen ring true with every conversation, and every exchange. The descriptions place the reader right where the te...more
My Review: Fabulous. Deeply honest and yet accessible to teen readers. The reality based family dynamics and peer relationships for this young teen ring true with every conversation, and every exchange. The descriptions place the reader right where the te...more
This book is a fiction novel about a young girl named Elena whose sister is diagnosed with depression and has to be taken to hospital where she has to be kept for a while. Throughout this book you experience the life of Elena and how she and her parents cope while her sister is in hospital. I thought this book was good but i did not understand how she would say how much percentage of water she is, e.g. ninety-five percent water then they said ninety-nine percent water which really confused me.
M...more
M...more
A quick and engrossing read, and a devastating look at depression. However, I felt the book was trying to juggle a little too much at times. Not only is there Dora's depression, but there's how her illness affects the family relationships, and then for large parts of the book it seems to be trying to turn into a conspiracy book as Elena's friend, Jimmy, hints that the hospital Dora is at is horrible and potentially abusive. When even Dora and Elena's father noticed that Dora was extremely drugge...more
This was such an amazing book! It was great to read alongside Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls. I read this in only about 2-3 hours, but it was very powerful. This is a perfect example of how powerful and thought-provoking a first-person narrative can be.
In the acknowledgments, the author described how some people didn't want her to publish this novel because of the subject matter. I could not disagree more. This isn't a situation I know of firsthand, but I really believe that nothing comes...more
In the acknowledgments, the author described how some people didn't want her to publish this novel because of the subject matter. I could not disagree more. This isn't a situation I know of firsthand, but I really believe that nothing comes...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This was a good book. It is about a girl and her family who are going through a very tough time. The oldest girl,Dora,is diagnosed with depression. Elena,the younger of the two girls is quieter and steadier the her fun, unpredictable sister, but the two have always been close. When Dora is diagnosed with depression and admitted to the hospital the only people who pay any attention to Elena are Dora's friends and Jimmy Zenk who has failed at least one grade and wears black everyday. When Dora is...more
This was a moving book that details the emotions a family goes through when a family member is clinically depressed. While, the book was honest, realistic, and emotional, I have to say I was disappointed in the ending. While the author seemed to complete the story arc of the depressed sister, a secondary character, she left the main character hanging. Dora is left at the height of her emotional turmoil with no resolution. She is still struggling with her feelings about her sister's depression an...more
I now have three more books written by her sitting on my desk. I am IN LOVE with her style and also the idea behind the book. I'm sure many girls can relate to Elena, who is trying to understand her sister, Dora's, mental illness. Why are her parents keeping her locked up and drugged? But, the reason Elena can't understand is because she wants to be the eternal optimist. We often hear her saying "everything will be fine," but with a little budding romance and some hard soul-searching, Elena can...more
Black Box tells the story of a family that is affected by depression. Lena's older sister struggles with the disease and the reader learns how deeply Lena is affected as well because the story is told from Lena's point of view.
I think this book could be quite helpful for young adult readers who are in a situation similar to Lena's. It could provide insight to the behavior they may see in other family members as well as help them to realize that they are not responsible for the situation in any...more
I think this book could be quite helpful for young adult readers who are in a situation similar to Lena's. It could provide insight to the behavior they may see in other family members as well as help them to realize that they are not responsible for the situation in any...more
Dora is a teenager suffering from severe depression. Elena is her younger sister. The Black Box tells the story of the effects of Dora's illness on her family, especially her sister Elena. It really hits the nail on the head when it comes to dealing with the emotions a family may go through when dealing with mental illness.
Powerful and compelling. This is a short novel but is packed full of emotional content. Ms. Schumacher is an exellent writer and has handled the sensitive subject of teenage m...more
Powerful and compelling. This is a short novel but is packed full of emotional content. Ms. Schumacher is an exellent writer and has handled the sensitive subject of teenage m...more
I wish there was a better delineation between books for children and young adults. This book fits in the latter category.
This book is about the effects of depression on family members (not the one who is suffering). It was well written, and very realistic. I like it a lot, but I would be weary suggesting it to young adults. I remember being very impressionable as a teenager, and a book like this might have done more harm than good. As an adult, it was healing for me. I am glad I read it, but aga...more
This book is about the effects of depression on family members (not the one who is suffering). It was well written, and very realistic. I like it a lot, but I would be weary suggesting it to young adults. I remember being very impressionable as a teenager, and a book like this might have done more harm than good. As an adult, it was healing for me. I am glad I read it, but aga...more
This is the best book I have read in a while. I was afraid to pick it up because I thought it would be too depressing a topic, mental illness and depression, but it was very good. It is about how a family copes with a daughter's depression and the tight bonds of love and protection between sisters. I thought the author, Julie Schumacher, did an excellent job developing the characters and describing the feelings and difficulties families go through. I don't think people will feel sad for having r...more
I love the characters in this book.
Dora, the older sister of Elena, is sent to a hospital to deal with her depression that seemed to come out of nowhere.
Elena, the main character, doesn't know what to think or do. She watches as her sister sinks faster into a place Elena can't understand.
Jimmy, the strange neighbor, who helps Elena cope with her grief and confusion.
This book deals with the responsibility of helping those we love who are in danger, even if they don't want our help.
Dora, the older sister of Elena, is sent to a hospital to deal with her depression that seemed to come out of nowhere.
Elena, the main character, doesn't know what to think or do. She watches as her sister sinks faster into a place Elena can't understand.
Jimmy, the strange neighbor, who helps Elena cope with her grief and confusion.
This book deals with the responsibility of helping those we love who are in danger, even if they don't want our help.
Second reading - Julie Schumacher will be visiting our high school in a couple of weeks, so I wanted to reread the book in preparation for hearing her speak. Things that stood out this time around:
- denial
- hovering
- the need to care for oneself before being able to help others
- not seeing clues/warning signs until looking at things in retrospect
- the many ways in which family dynamics are impacted
- beautiful imagery (especially the black box and water imagery)
- guilt - feeling responsible
- sham...more
- denial
- hovering
- the need to care for oneself before being able to help others
- not seeing clues/warning signs until looking at things in retrospect
- the many ways in which family dynamics are impacted
- beautiful imagery (especially the black box and water imagery)
- guilt - feeling responsible
- sham...more
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“A drowning person doesn't rescue herself.”
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“Talking to a therapist, I thought, was like taking your clothes off and then taking your skin off, and then having the other person say, "Would you mind opening up your rib cage so that we can start?”
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