LS 5603 Poetry - Stop Pretending

Bibliographic Data:
Sones, Sonya. 1999. Stop Pretending What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0060283874

Plot Summary:
Stop Pretending What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy is an autobiographical story of when Sonya Sones older sister had a nervous breakdown. Sones was only thirteen at the time and her sister, in a mental hospital throughout the book, was nineteen. The book is written in verse, telling the story of disappointment and, briefly, of understanding a girl faces when her older sister "goes crazy."

Critical Analysis:
Sones beautifully tells the story of heartache and disappointment of a thirteen year old girl (herself) as the sister she has always looked up to changes into someone unrecognizable. The use of poetry allows the reader to be taken on a roller coaster of emotions that change as quickly as they do in real life. Telling this story in verse also makes it a quick read and especially suitable for reluctant readers that may have family and social problems of their own.

The reader is allowed to witness family struggles such as her mother watching soap operas all day long and hiding from reality. Sones also details personal struggles like her friends acting supportive, but ultimately ignoring her once they find out her sister is crazy. At times it is difficult to read, almost as if the reader is eavesdropping on the emotions of a stranger, but ultimately this is a story that needed to be told.

This is a story that can help young adults, as well as adults, understand what it is like to witness a loved one go through a mental breakdown. It is a thought provoking book that is poised for great discussions. And the Author's Note at the end of the book provides insight into why and how Sones, with her sister's encouragement, decided to write about such a personal part of her life.

Review Excerpts:
Booklist - "...Such small moments become large in the context of their promise of healing and the demonstration of life's power to continue. Based on Sones' own family experience, this novel-in-verse shows the capacity of poetry to record the personal and translate it into the universal."

School Library Journal - "An unpretentious, accessible book that could provide entry points for a discussion about mental illness - its stigma, its realities, and its effect on family members."

Kirkus - "Individually, the poems appear simple and unremarkable, snapshot portraits of two sisters, a family, unfaithful friends, and a sweet first love. Collected they take on life and movement, the individual frames of a movie that in the unspooling become animated, telling a compelling tale and presenting a painful passage through young adolescence."

Connections:
Other books in verse that I liked:
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
Both of these are about teenage girls learning about guys, love and the lack of it. Approximately 14 & up

This book would be great to recommend to any teenager that feels alone going through a rough time. I also think it would be great for councilors to use since it is not preachy, but simply tells a story of what happened in one situation.