Stop Pretending

Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy

by Sonya Sones

HarperCollins, 1999

ISBN 9780064462181

145 pages

3.5 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

It happens just like that, in the blink of an eye. An older sister has a mental breakdown and has to be hospitalized. A younger sister is left behind to cope with a family torn apart by grief and friends who turn their backs on her. But worst of all is the loss of her big sister, her confidante, her best friend, who has gone someplace no one can reach.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/111044.Stop_Pretending

Critical Evaluation

I am often drawn to books about mental illness. I have very little experience in this area but find it intriguing. This book is also a novel in verse which is a great addition to a young adult library collection.

The story is told from the point of view of the sister. Her older sister seems to go 'crazy' almost over night. There is no diagnosis given in the book just how the family learns to cope with losing a sister and daughter. It is a heart-wrenching story.

Reader’s Annotation

Cookie's older sister has a nervous breakdown and much be hospitalized.

Information about the author

My first attempt was a rhymed picture book called Smitty the Hollywood Kitty. The illustrations were pretty good, but the words were not. In fact, the words were awful. Though it took me a while to grasp that fact. But when I finally realized I had a lot to learn, I enrolled in a poetry class at UCLA taught by the brilliant Myra Cohn Livingston. It was Myra who set me on the path to writing my first book,Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy.

When I'm not writing, speaking about writing, or teaching poetry writing workshops, I ride my bicycle, dance, read, take photos, and hunt for buried treasure in vintage clothing stores. I live with my family, and the occasional child, near the beach in Southern California.

http://www.sonyasones.com/about/about01.html

Genre

realistic fiction. novel in verse.

Curriculum Ties

mental health. family relationships.

Booktalking Ideas

*Poetry in a book. Have you written poetry? Have you read poetry in novel form?

Reading Level

age 12 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why Included?

I really wanted a novel in verse in this collection. This book is a great addition. A young adult reader may not pick up a poetry book but may enjoy poetry in novel form.