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28th out of 158 books
—
129 voters
America
by
E.R. Frank
Acclaimed author E.R. Frank writes provocative fiction. America, a foulmouthed, yet endearing 16-year-old, attempts suicide and is placed in the care of psychiatrists at Ridgeway mental hospital.
There he learns to cope with a past filled with neglect and mistreatment with the help of Dr. B. Alternating between Americas present- day stay at the hospital and his past, livin...more
There he learns to cope with a past filled with neglect and mistreatment with the help of Dr. B. Alternating between Americas present- day stay at the hospital and his past, livin...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
August 1st 2003
by Simon Pulse
(first published February 1st 2002)
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devastating and amazing
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I did not like this book at all. "America" was probably the least enjoyable book I have ever read. There were no exciting parts that a person would hope to see in a book like this, about a kid who has had a very troubled past. If I were E.R. Frank, I would seriously reconsider writing this book and make it much more entertaining or exciting. A book like this, which is targeting an audience of about my age, should have many ups and downs and things that a person would never guess would happen, th...more
A book my 13 year old read after finding it on the shelf at the library. On one hand, I'm sad she read this on her own. There is definitely mature content for a younger teen. But, on the other hand, she gave me the book and told me to read it so we could talk about it.
Well, I read it. It is a tough and violent tale of childhood gone very very wrong. I can't imagine how tough it would be for a 6 year old to be let down by almost every adult in their life.
The story is told in current time with fl...more
Well, I read it. It is a tough and violent tale of childhood gone very very wrong. I can't imagine how tough it would be for a 6 year old to be let down by almost every adult in their life.
The story is told in current time with fl...more
At first, when I started reading this book it was really confusing for me. I didn't understand the writing structure of the author. But once I started reading more and more of the story. I got why America a nine-year old boy was so messed up. Not only mental, where he was feeling insecure of himself. But the trama that made him feel special, yet he didn't know any better because he had never really had any love in his life. And with this he had finally thought that he was being loved for once in...more
I loved the story of America. Just wish someone besides Rosie O'donnell had produced the movie because I laughed all through it, whereas the book actually got me deep.
America is a young boy of mixed heritage (black mother? unknown father) who feels like he fits nowhere. He's lost and can't seem to be found by anyone because people do not see him. The system fails him so many times he resigns himself to go wherever the winds blows. The only stable figure in his life would've been his foster mothe...more
America is a young boy of mixed heritage (black mother? unknown father) who feels like he fits nowhere. He's lost and can't seem to be found by anyone because people do not see him. The system fails him so many times he resigns himself to go wherever the winds blows. The only stable figure in his life would've been his foster mothe...more
Frank, E.R. (2002). America. New York: Simon Pulse.
9780689857720
The story of sexually abused and institutionalized fifteen-year-old America is a challenge to get through. Written by a clinical social worker who has “known many Americas,” the book switches back and forth between ‘then’ and ‘now’ showing the experiences that brought America to the office of Dr. B, the psychiatrist who just may be able to help him decide against committing suicide.
America struggles with being ‘lost’ and feeling...more
9780689857720
The story of sexually abused and institutionalized fifteen-year-old America is a challenge to get through. Written by a clinical social worker who has “known many Americas,” the book switches back and forth between ‘then’ and ‘now’ showing the experiences that brought America to the office of Dr. B, the psychiatrist who just may be able to help him decide against committing suicide.
America struggles with being ‘lost’ and feeling...more
The story of a troubled teen of mixed races who has spent most of his life in the foster care system. After a failed suicide attempt he has been paced in a mental health care facility and it is through therapy that he is able to open up the wounds of his past and finally begin to heal.
The horrors that America faces throughout his story are difficult to read and include neglect, molestation, poverty, and abandonment. In order to survive, America builds a wall to protect himself from anything that...more
The horrors that America faces throughout his story are difficult to read and include neglect, molestation, poverty, and abandonment. In order to survive, America builds a wall to protect himself from anything that...more
This book was really confusing at first because when I started reading it I didn't knew what it was talking about and I got kind of lost. After a few days reading the book I founded interesting and easy to read, I just needed to get into it and comprehend every thing it was talking about. In my opinion I liked this book a lot because it really got my attention and I got to learn a lot from it. One of the things I learned from this book was not to give up in yourself. I know this might be hard fo...more
America was just a great novel. I think the best books are ones that change your thinking and help u develop into a better person. America is one of those books. America is a boy who sees himself as a nobody. His therapist, Dr. B asks him "where do u see yourself in five years?" America responds with "nowhere." His troubled past is so much full of despair and terrible abuse that you feel so bad for this poor kid. I recommend this to any kid who feels neglected and abused. They will understand wh...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The book America is about A BOY/MAN named America (weird name, I know).
The book talks about America's life from age 4 to age 20. It includes the journey to get out the place he dreads.
The main idea or theme for America is courage. I say courage because America has battled from being a lil punk and a loner as a child to everybody respecting him as a man. America's courageous acts made him look like a man.
How did America feel in the place he dreaded for 4 years? I spent time with this question...more
The book talks about America's life from age 4 to age 20. It includes the journey to get out the place he dreads.
The main idea or theme for America is courage. I say courage because America has battled from being a lil punk and a loner as a child to everybody respecting him as a man. America's courageous acts made him look like a man.
How did America feel in the place he dreaded for 4 years? I spent time with this question...more
America is the victim of the foster care system. A nurturing relationship with Mrs. Harper when he was very young helps him overcome the many traumas that happen to him over the next twelve years. That and a good therapist.
A book told from the perspective of a boy lost in the system of foster care, and written by a social worker, so the story has veracity. America is born to a drug-addicted mother, and while he finds happiness in a foster home for a while it doesn't last, and he deals with abandonment and abuse. The chapters alternate from the present, when he is 15 and in a mental hospital after a suicide attempt, and the past, so we slowly discover the cause of his emotional state. The growing relationship with...more
Apr 25, 2012
Brianna
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Older teens (MATURE teens 15+)
Recommended to Brianna by:
Found it on a shelf in the library :)
Wow, this was absolutely amazing. It was so deep, it got me thinking about things I had never really thought about before. I was reading this in class, and I kept having to try not to bawl my eyes out, and that only happens when I'm reading an INSANELY good book. I would not recommend it for most people my age, however, because of how heavy it is and how much sexual content there is. I mean, not that it's bad, but most kids my age would blush and not be able to read too much, especially females,...more
This story of teenager America starts in a treatment facility after his suicide attempt. The novel moves between therapy sessions with his Dr. and America’s past. The reader begins to understand how America got to where he is now. He has already endured a life that is hard to believe: abandonment, sexual abuse, rejection of a foster family and more. It is a story of being lost and being found. It is a story of forgiveness of self and of others. There are some intense scenes, but they are plausib...more
America is one of those characters that you just can't get out of your head. I read this book several years ago and I can still remember him and his story.
This novel is thought-provoking in ways that YA fiction is failing to do be today. It is the story of a troubled young man, America, and his struggle to cope with the hard life he is forced to live due to his absent mother and low societal status. The author illustrates a life for America with such substance that it forces you think twice abo...more
This novel is thought-provoking in ways that YA fiction is failing to do be today. It is the story of a troubled young man, America, and his struggle to cope with the hard life he is forced to live due to his absent mother and low societal status. The author illustrates a life for America with such substance that it forces you think twice abo...more
America is a child who has fallen through the cracks of society. His story is a highly disturbing one. Told in fragments, which intertwine and interrelate, America tries to explain his tortured existence of feeling like no one who is nowhere. He has been subject to sexual abuse, has attempted suicide, has lived in the foster system, is a runaway. While he is committed to a residential hospital, he meets Dr. B. Like all therapeutic relationships, the road is rocky and rough, until America can sta...more
The book America is about a young man who goes through some tough things in life. He was lost in the system when he was a kid. This book was very sad but interesting. I like the book because in the end he gets better. Even though he did not like alot people. He finally broke down and talked. My favorite part was when he killed Browning after all the terrible stuff he did to America. I chose this book because i saw the movie and my friend told me the book was more interesting.
Solid story about a wanted then unwanted, cared-for then neglected, boy in a state facility, who was lost in the system and failed by everyone he knew. After a breaking point, he finally is assigned to an effective therapist. Hope emerges from despair, and ultimately his life begins an upward trajectory. Much of the story is disturbing and sad, but the main character eventually begins to work through his shame and heartbreak, and to build meaningful relationships once again.
America is the story of a young boy who gets lost in the foster care system and is struggling to overcome the trauma of his life. It is a harsh book, full of f-bombs. It was hard for me to read on many levels, but the language is simply a result of the horrible things he's had to live through. The story itself, while heartbreaking, is also a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.
Gives a new insight into the world of depression. Frank made it easy to connect with the character and created a path for the reader to follow into the main character's thoughts. The book is very good at striking the emotions of the reader, making them laugh and cry along with the characters in the novel. Reading this book can completely change your opinion, or idea, of what depression is really like.
This book didn't hold me to my expectations, which I guess is my fault. I don't think the author should have went back and forth to past and present like she did. I know a lot of people hold this book dear so I won't be to harsh, it just wasn't what I expected or wanted. I had read another book by this author, "wrecked" which I liked. Thumbs down. :(
So far this book is very interesting to me. its about a young boy no older than me who started off in a home with his two brothers. his mother was a crack head and was never home. the 3 boys did what ever they wanted ; not going to school drawing all over the house. the oldest brother was about 12 and he smoked and stealed alot. soon they gotten taken away from there home and put into foster care .
Not awful, I suppose...but lacking. Considering this is meant to be a young adult novel, it reads rather like a pysch 101 textbook's chapter on troubled teens. There's just too much analyzing in this book - it's repetitive and gets boring quite quickly. The book is heavy-handed and the foreshadowing is even more so. Seriously, if you didn't know that Browning was going to turn out to be really creepy/pervy from just about the first major scene he was in, you probably shouldn't have even bothered...more
A really touching (what a cliche term) novel with stark dialogue and imagery that really makes you realize how the dark the world really can be, but also that with the right support, anything can be conquered. The movie absolutely slaughtered the novel but I suppose the movie had too high of expectations to live up to.
This is a story that fans of gritty, realistic teen fiction will respond to. As I read, I was reminded of Ellen Hopkins' Impulse, as both books allow the reader to get inside the head of damaged characters; the character of Dr. B. recalls Robin William's therapist in the movie "Good Will Hunting." America is at once familiar and unique, a boy so damaged he is dangerous to himself and others.
With clearly marked flashbacks and realistic language, the book is perfect for readers who struggle with m...more
With clearly marked flashbacks and realistic language, the book is perfect for readers who struggle with m...more
America is a young boy abandoned by his mother who goes through a series of placements and abuses. The book is told from his perspective as he comes to understand his experiences, however incompletely, and begins to understand his own responsibilities through the questioning of a therapist.
America is a lost boy, who experiences some terrible things in his growing up years. Dr. B helps him find his way psychologically & emotional. Mt Everest. Winner of the 2003 Thumbs Up Award recognizing teen literature in the state of Michigan.
Oct 05, 2009
Michelle Grifford
added it
Ummmm... Well honestly, it's a good book. Discusses many "hot" topics such as foster homes and "the system", abandonment, sexual abuse, alcohol and drug use. But I am HORRIFIED that it was on the shelves at the Jr High. Not any more it's not!
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| America | 2 | 8 | Mar 11, 2012 08:15am |
E. R. Frank is the author of two highly praised novels for Atheneum: America and Friction. Her first novel was Life Is Funny, winner of the Teen People Book Club NEXT Award for YA Fiction and was also a top-ten ALA 2001 Quick Pick.
In addition to being writer, E. R. Frank is also a clinical social worker and psychotherapist. She works with adults and adolescents and specializes in trauma.
More about E.R. Frank...
In addition to being writer, E. R. Frank is also a clinical social worker and psychotherapist. She works with adults and adolescents and specializes in trauma.
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May 13, 2011 06:32pm