BlackBox by Julie Schumacher Review/Ramble. Well, mostly a ramble

This is my first review in a very, very long time... As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure I'm going to post this. But I feel like I actually have an opinion of this book...

Blackbox and I have a history. This is one of the few books I actually own, and I didn't buy it. My boyfriend bought it for me on our one year anniversary, back when Joseph-Beth was going out of business. It was in their last few days, and we happened to be near their location by me, and we dropped in so I could browse the YA section. He's really sweet, he doesn't like books, but he doesn't dislike them either, he'll read one occasionally though. He's not NEARLY as in to books as I am. I had just recently seen this book on Shelfari, and had added it to my TBR list, and got really excited when I saw it. You can imagine how even more excited I was when I saw it was only $3.50! So he offered to buy it for me. So he gave me the money, and he went...somewhere. I don't remember where. And I gave the lady the money and bought my book. It would hit me later he complete irony of him buying me a book about depression.

My boyfriend has suffered from depression for years. We've been together almost a year and a half now, best friends much longer then that, and I've been really struggling this last month or so with how to cope with it and help him. I actually thought that I had helped him, and it was going away. He had medication for when it got bad, and between that, me, and God, I really thought it was pretty much gone... He was still off all the time, but I chalked that up to stress.

Then he told me it wasn't gone. That it had never been gone, and he actually felt like he could no longer talk to me about it, and it was just as bad, possibly worse, as it's always been.

So when I FINALLY picked up Blackbox (I started it yesterday and have owned it since June) because it finally hit me that, hey, this book was about depression! Maybe reading about Lena learning to cope will help me and some way! And it kind of has.... I've read a ton of books like this one, about depression, but I don't think I've ever read one that was from the POV of a person who has a loved one suffering from depression. Honestly, it's really great to know I'm not the only one struggling....

To an attempt at a review... (Cause let's face it, I suck at reviewing.)

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Book Facts:

Title: BlackBox
Author: Julie Schumacher
Publication Date: August 26, 2008
Stars: 4 stars
Pages: 163 (paperback)

Blackbox is about a girl, Eleana, who's sister Dora is suddenly diagnosed with depression. Elena believes everything is just fine, and that her sisters just fine, and then out of the blue Dora takes a bunch of antidepressants and is placed in a mental hospital. She doesn't stay there throughout the whole book, she's released after about 3 weeks and they let her go back home. Then starts the wild ride she and her family go through... In the midst of all this, Elena meets a boy named Jimmy and Jimmy tries to help Elena get through it.

Everything about it this book was pretty average, except for the message. That if you have a loved one going through depression, it's not your job to fix it... No matter how much you love them, how much you want to help them, it's really up to them and their medication as to whether they get better or not and how fast. I'm not saying they don't want to get better, I have firsthand experience that that is NOT true. They just need to help themselves get better. One thing that I noticed about Dora was that there were times when it seemed like she wanted help...but then there were times it seemed like she didn't.

I really liked this book. I liked the characters, especially Jimmy. I could really relate to Elena and what she going through with Dora. I really liked that. It's been a while since I've read a good book with a character I could actually relate too!

OK, I'll end your suffering, review over.

To wrap it all up, Black box was a really great book about relatable characters and an inspiring message. This book changed me. It made me realize it's not all up to me. Thank-you, Julie Schumacher :)

Update and Rant on Audiobooks

   Ohmygosh! I'm blogging! Haha.
   So I'm STILL not reading. I've read maybe 75 pages almost 3 weeks...I'm going insane. I never realized just how much I rely on my books to get me through the week. Life's just no fun when you can't see it through someone else's point of view. I still haven't been reading The Dark and Hollow Places, so what do I do? I pick up City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare. I'm a HUGE Cassie fan, I LOVE this series, it would be my favorite if it weren't for Harry Potter. So I picked up City of Ashes, I'm about 50 pages into it, and I decided I was going to get the audiobook from the library to listen to while I'm shelving books.
   Here comes the rant on audiobooks.
   I just can't listen to them. The voices never seem right. I'm listening to City of Ashes and the voice SUCKS. Like WOW. It's terrible! The only thing she's getting right is the faeries' voices! Those are pretty epic, but besides that it's absolutely TERRIBLE. I don't know what it is....she's not doing the voices right, she doesn't even TRY to deepen her voice for the guys! At least she's not speaking in monotone....Thank God for small miracles, right? I've just never been a huge fan of audiobooks, I have a tendency to zone out and will zone back in and be like, what's going on??? What happened with...??? Why are they...??? So I don't listen to them much. But I've decided that, because I've been dying to reread so many series, I was going to get the books that I wanted to reread on audiobook and listen to them, so when I zoned out I wouldn't be completely confused. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer' Stone was actually pretty good, but this chick doing COA SUCKS. Again, LIKE WOW. I managed to listen for a couple of hours before I just had to stop. She's too terrible. That's another thing I don't really like about audiobooks, you never know if you're going to get a good reader or not. Another reason I avoid them. I wonder if the same reader read City of Glass too...
   OK, long rant over. Hopefully I'll start reading again this weekend....This is driving me insane.

Waiting on Wednesday! (9)

Thiiiiiis week I'm dying to get my hands on.......(eventhoughijustgotCITYOFFALLENANGELSsoireallydontcareaboutotherbooksatthemoment)

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies! Coming September 27 from HarperTeen.

Summary:

Skye never questioned the story of her life. Her Aunt Jo adopted her after the death of her parents when she was just a child, and together they flip through memories the way some people flip through photo albums.

She never questioned if the stories were true.

Until the night of her 17th birthday, when the arrival of two strangers intrudes on her cozy life. Polar opposites, like fire and ice, Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair, cold, and aloof. Skye has no idea what they want—only that their presence coincides with the beginning of some shockingly strange events. Events that Skye, if she dares to think it, might be responsible for causing.

High up in the mountains of Boulder, Colorado, Skye finds herself caught in the middle of an ancient battle, one that began untold millennia ago. Torn between unpredictable Asher, whom she loves, and the infuriating Devin, who she can’t stay away from, her fate is murky as a starless night. And as the secrets of her true identity are revealed, Skye realizes that her destiny may reside in the Heavens—or somewhere darker.

Still not reading....

(I have a turtle obsession, isn't he awesome????? XD)

   So I'm still not reading. The turtle is disappointed. I am disappointed. The Dark and Hollow Places is disappointed. We're all disappointed. But I guess I kinda needed a break. But this weekend, regardless of whether I want to or not, that break is OVER! Why? Because in celebration of Harry Potter in the Deathly Hallows coming out, I'm spending ALL WEEKEND (when I'm not at my friend's house....or working....or at Youth Group....) re-reading the Harry Potter series. Now, it's going to take longer then the weekend, but I've been needing some one-on-one time with my favorite books. The stack of magical books have been calling my name for months now, I think it's time I answered. I may even see if I can purchase my own copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard while I'm at it. I already own Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastical Beasts and where to find them...I think I shall.

   I'm not obsessed. Not at all. Between you and me, I've never dreamt about Sirius ;)

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

   So I am in a bit of a reading slump, which sucks, but that doesn't stop me from WANTING to read books. This week I'm dying to get my hands on....

Divergent by Veronica Roth, release date May 3, 2011.

Summary:

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris, and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together, they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes-fascinating, sometimes-exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret: one she’s kept hidden from everyone, because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly-perfect society, she also learns that her secret might be what helps her save those she loves . . . or it might be what destroys her.  

Amazon.com

Reading slump...

   I haven't been reading lately. Why? I DON'T KNOW. It's driving me insane too, because I've got a million books out from the library and went out and bought The Dark and Hollow Places and have been reading it for a week. A WEEK. A WHOLE FRICKIN WEEK. I've been waiting to read this for a YEAR and it's taking me a WEEK. The worst part? I'm only 100 pages into it. What's wrong with me...? I want to read, but then I sit down to and think, "I can't do this..." I haven't written a review in almost 2 weeks too.... I suck.