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45th out of 402 books
—
910 voters
Lisa, Bright and Dark
by
John Neufeld
Lisa Shilling is 16, smart, attractive -- and she is losing her mind. Some days are "light, " and everything is normal; during her "dark" days, she hides deep within herself, and nothing can reach her. Her teachers ignore what is happening. Her parents deny it. Lisa's friends are the only ones who are listening -- and they walk with her where adults fear to tread. This cla...more
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
June 1st 1999
by Puffin
(first published 1968)
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Sixteen year old Lisa is calling for help but no adult is willing to help her so her friends come to her rescue. They become her therapists and the story takes off. This book was written in 1969, so as a reader you have to consider the circumstances and the characters do the best they can to be the therapists that Lisa needs. They rely upon books and encyclopedias but things start to get out of control and these therapists are over their heads. They know they can’t give up because they are her o...more
Jul 21, 2011
Jillian
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
summer-2011,
library
My new library has a coffee shop and a rack of free-read-and-return books outside the main doors, which is very convenient when you accidentally show up almost an hour too early without anything to do. I chose this one because it was (1) short enough to finish in one sitting (2) a vaguely familiar title and (3) not a romance novel.
There were some excellent bits of humor and some truly chilling moments. And it's a good story to tell -- a young girl begins suffering from some form of bipolar schi...more
There were some excellent bits of humor and some truly chilling moments. And it's a good story to tell -- a young girl begins suffering from some form of bipolar schi...more
Lisa Shilling is an attractive, smart, and friendly girl from a comfortably middle class family in a small town in New York. She's dating the most popular boy in her highschool, has lots of friends, and seems to have everything. But midway through her junior year of highschool, Lisa begins to notice that something is wrong.
She's hearing voices, feeling isolated, has unpredictable mood swings and lashes out at her friends. She develops a cruel sense of humor, disappears from places unexpectedly,...more
She's hearing voices, feeling isolated, has unpredictable mood swings and lashes out at her friends. She develops a cruel sense of humor, disappears from places unexpectedly,...more
from Amazon: By Mr.Francesco Raphael Galardo of the Catskills
Lisa Shilling is experiencing mental problems of which seem to put her as an outcast at school. Some of her closest friends, Mary Nell, Betsy and Elizabeth realize that there is a problem. They seek to find answers in their own "group therapy" everyday after school. Although the students see that Lisa has a problem, Lisa's parents deny the facts that are given to them. Through out the book Lisa makes situations worse just to try to pro...more
Lisa Shilling is experiencing mental problems of which seem to put her as an outcast at school. Some of her closest friends, Mary Nell, Betsy and Elizabeth realize that there is a problem. They seek to find answers in their own "group therapy" everyday after school. Although the students see that Lisa has a problem, Lisa's parents deny the facts that are given to them. Through out the book Lisa makes situations worse just to try to pro...more
I first picked up this book when I was a teenager for no other reason than...yes, she shares my name. When I read the back and discovered it's plot, about a girl that is psychologically troubled, to put it mildly, I was hooked. I've always been interested in stories where the character has a serious illness or problems. I've read countless books about girls with cancer, girls who have drug problems, girls who've been raped, and like 3 where the girl had cancer. Depressing, I know.
I would have ended this book in a totally off the wall different way but for what its worth this was a good book. It was written back in 1969 and the copy I own was actually printed back then. YUP YUP! It was full of ferret typos and and even a couple of words that repeated themselves (I secretly love that). When we moved into our current house the previous owner left a pile of stuff here and out of that we got this book, a ton more, and nearly the entire Harry Potter series (SCORE!!)
As for the...more
As for the...more
Lisa, Bright and Dark
The book I reviewed is Lisa, Bright and Dark by John Neufeld. The book is a fiction/drama story and The theme is friendship.
It’s about a sixteen-year-old girl losing her mind but nobody wants to believe her. She tried to tell her parents but they didn’t want to hear it. Lisa started to have two personalities. People in her school called it good and bad days or bright and dark days. On her bright days she would act normal. On Dark days she would wear dark clothing and not...more
The book I reviewed is Lisa, Bright and Dark by John Neufeld. The book is a fiction/drama story and The theme is friendship.
It’s about a sixteen-year-old girl losing her mind but nobody wants to believe her. She tried to tell her parents but they didn’t want to hear it. Lisa started to have two personalities. People in her school called it good and bad days or bright and dark days. On her bright days she would act normal. On Dark days she would wear dark clothing and not...more
This book is my favorite because it's a story about friends who help each other even in the most darkest of times. The main character Lisa who is known for being so lively and friendly begins to go mad and slowly starts to act bizarr. Peers in her school begin to torment her even though just months before they admired her and even strived to be her. Even though she reached out to her family like many times in a teenagers life they feel they aren't heard represented or given a voice even when the...more
Jul 10, 2012
Nicole
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Nicole by:
NPR PG13
Shelves:
2012
Awkward. That about sums up this whole book. I repeatedly had to remind myself that Lisa, Bright and Dark was written in the 70s - it really felt about 20 years older both in how the characters talked and interacted and the views of mental illness. Not that things have improved all that significantly. I just really couldn't buy into the characters - they didn't feel authentic to me. Dialogue was either too stilted or cheesy, situations seemed a little too convenient, reactions seemed to scripted...more
I really wanted to like this book. The premise, a young woman descending into madness and unable to find help among the adults meant to protect her, was very intriguing to me. However, the book ended up being very lacking in action and character.
Lisa is a bright and popular girl in high school when she begins to recognize that she is ill and needs help. Her parents refuse to believe the severity of her situation, even after an incident at school where she is discovered puncturing her skin with a...more
Lisa is a bright and popular girl in high school when she begins to recognize that she is ill and needs help. Her parents refuse to believe the severity of her situation, even after an incident at school where she is discovered puncturing her skin with a...more
I suppose I expected more from this book and was very disappointed. I picked it up because it was compared to Go Ask Alice, which I liked. However Go Ask Alice was a book that I read when I was much younger and probably wouldn't like today.
I feel that the story of Lisa was told through a character that wasn't necessarily appropriate considering the seriousness of the situation. Betsy (the narrator) is a bit too bubbly and too hooked on Paul Newman to take her seriously.
If you read this book, tak...more
I feel that the story of Lisa was told through a character that wasn't necessarily appropriate considering the seriousness of the situation. Betsy (the narrator) is a bit too bubbly and too hooked on Paul Newman to take her seriously.
If you read this book, tak...more
The stuff that after-school specials are made of...and I'm not kidding, Lisa, Bright and Dark was made into a Hallmark Hall of Fame TV drama, the cover says so.
But don't be so quick to judge, this is hardly Go Ask Alice or any other histrionic 'What Happened to the Chiiildreeen!!' fare. Neufield is quick to establish Lisa Schilling's dilemma and the concern of her classmates Mary Nell (M.N.), Elizabeth and Betsey and the lack of response from teachers, the guidance counselor and Lisa's own famil...more
But don't be so quick to judge, this is hardly Go Ask Alice or any other histrionic 'What Happened to the Chiiildreeen!!' fare. Neufield is quick to establish Lisa Schilling's dilemma and the concern of her classmates Mary Nell (M.N.), Elizabeth and Betsey and the lack of response from teachers, the guidance counselor and Lisa's own famil...more
There were a few specifics that didn't quite "ring true" for me, but that might be due to the style of the writing prevalent in the late sixties. Overall, the general issues were presented well and it was easy to identify with Lisa and her friends. Lisa herself reminded me of one of my patients many years ago--a young woman whose long black hair was parted in the middle and draped over her eyes like two heavy black draperies. On her good days, we were allowed to see her eyes and on her bad days...more
Sep 05, 2012
Booklover, Indianapolis
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
reread-in-2012,
ya-na-but-good-for-adults-too
(Sept) I read this book when I was in high school and came across it at the library recently - so I figured I'd reread it before giving it to my 14 year old daughter to read. It's quite dated, but the story - about a teenage girl who is slowly going crazy (schizophrenia? general psychosis?) but her parents refuse to listen to her (literal) cries for help, is still a sad and powerful one. My daughter didn't like it as much as I thought she would, but she did agree it's scary and sad and probably...more
When I first picked up this book in Jr. High, it instantly became one of my favorites. So when I saw it at a used book store, I had to get it because I remembered loving it.
I enjoyed it again, but after reading it this time around I realized how outdated the story really is. I guess just didn't notice this when I first read it, but now it was something that constantly bothered me.
The characters were not really like teens today, and I am so accustomed to reading YA books that portray teens like...more
I enjoyed it again, but after reading it this time around I realized how outdated the story really is. I guess just didn't notice this when I first read it, but now it was something that constantly bothered me.
The characters were not really like teens today, and I am so accustomed to reading YA books that portray teens like...more
The novel is written from the perspective of a teenage girl and has a very chatty, informal tone, which seems to work for this book. In a nutshell, a young lady, Lisa, is crying out for help when she realizes that she is suffering from some form of mental illness. As her cries falls on the deaf ears of the adults in her world, Lisa's friends decide to take matters into their own hands. If nothing else, the book serves a reminder of why it is so important for us "grown folks" to really stop and l...more
2 likes · like · see review
It has been years since I read this book, but it has so profoundly impacted my life that I can write this review as though it was a recent read. This book paints a vivid picture of mental illness as suffered by teen aged Lisa, and how no one is willing to accept the fact that she needs help until she does something drastic. A read all teenagers should read to better understand the difference between regular teen angst, hormones, mood swings, and the terrifying world of mental illness.
I read this book when I was a teenager & it made quite an impact at the time. I have read it since and know more about mental illness now than when I was younger. I was still moved by Lisa's feelings & the fact that many people don't know or choose not to see the signs when people around them are falling out. Had I not read this as a teenager I may not have given it 4 stars, but it stayed with me & because of that I felt it deserved the rating.
Really not bad for a book I bought when I was 13 or 14. I remember it being much worse, but it really captures the heart of a girl who's going crazy and can't get the adults around her to take her seriously, along with the makeshift group of friends who help her get through to said adults. That said, don't waste money buying it unless you have an angsty teenage girl who needs to be reminded that there is hope. It was certainly good for that.
An interesting story ... a bit fractured and unrealistic. To have no adult believe Lisa needs help? To listen to her when she asks for help? Three friends have to look up psychological terminology and symptoms to try and help her themselves? Really? Maybe it's just disheartening to think that any adults could be like that ...
In any case, this reminded me of a lesser sort of piece of "I Never Promised You A Rose Garden" but only sort of.
In any case, this reminded me of a lesser sort of piece of "I Never Promised You A Rose Garden" but only sort of.
One of many "issue books" I read in high school and wouldn't remember until I saw them again online. Not to say I didn't take anything away from it - the scene of Lisa's parents telling her she only wants to see a therapist because it's trendy has flashed through my mind many times, its source forgotten. Rang true for a kid with friends going through it, don't know how it would read if I were to pick it up now as an adult.
I read this in junior high parts of it still stick with me today. Lisa's friends are concerned about her erratic behavior and drastic mood swings and try to figure out ways to help her. Turns out she has bipolar disorder (then called manic-depression) and is pretty sick. The parents in the book all seemed pretty clueless which was the most disturbing thing-or maybe I'm just not remembering it all.
One of those pseudo-edgy "teen issues" books I read in junior high. Despite the low rating, I actually think this book was pretty good--the writing was skillful, the characters well fleshed-out and realistic, and the issue of mental illness handled with sensitivity and honesty. However, while I didn't dislike the book and feel that it was technically well-done, I didn't particularly like or enjoy it.
Something I read as a very troubled teenager, coming from an alcoholic, abusive, dysfunctional, and denial-ridden household. I don't know exactly what I'd think of it now, but it was good because it was just an honest and realistic view from a girls own diary writings and her life at the time as she discovered her bi-polar disorder.
This is an old pocket book I had laying around and I just happened to pick it up one day. Interesting story, quick read ... Lisa is asking for help because she feels she's losing her mind but her family doesn't take her seriously - she's just stressed over school etc. Thank goodness her friends step in to help.
Lisa, Bright and Dark and I Never Promised You a Rose Garden both deal with the same subject, mental health. However, this book does not delve into the subject as much.
(I read this novel in the 70s when I was taking an adolescent lit. class. The critique came from one I did for the class.)
(I read this novel in the 70s when I was taking an adolescent lit. class. The critique came from one I did for the class.)
It was weird that it wasn't told from Lisa's point of view (POV) but still believable, except for the counselor, who just seemed too weak to be a counselor. And Mrs. Shilling was a little too mean. And the specifics of Elizabeth's mystery were never explained. But Lisa's growing madness was clear as day.
This book was simply amazing. Perfectly written, engaging, and was a beautiful story. Of a girl in need of help, surrounded by a world of adults that don't want to see it. And the friends that fight for her.
Read it on a beautiful afternoon on my balcony. Its really a book you can't put down!
Read it on a beautiful afternoon on my balcony. Its really a book you can't put down!
Mar 27, 2010
Christina
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Christina by:
my mom
Shelves:
read-in-childhood
Pretty sure my mom gave me her old copy of this from high school. I don't know why, but I remember this book very clearly, especially the part about "English voices" in Lisa's head. I was really into this teen-girl-schizophrenia novels at the time. Does every girl go through that phase?
I read this book when I was a teenager and I remember loving it. I haven't thought about the book in years, but I heard Meg Wolitzer talking about it on NPR and it reminded me of all the great books I read when I was younger. I would recommend this book to a mature teen.
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Jul 21, 2011 07:44pm