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A review by thisismenow
Black Box by Julie Schumacher
4.0
I devoured this book in a matter of a few short hours, but despite being a fairly short novel, it's covers some very tough and heavy subjects.
Though the main focus is Elena's older sister's battle with depression, there is so much more happening. Since Elena is the quiet one, content to let her outgoing sister lead, it's a very confusing time and situation for Elena. Also, her parents are trying to hard that they seem to fail to hear Elena when she tries to speak up.
The exploration of family loyalty and the relationship between the sisters is something very honest that I could really understand. I think most people who are or have been close to their siblings could understand Elena's struggle when it came to Dora.
I also really enjoyed Jimmy's character. He was quirky and a bit random, which was so different from Elena, but he seemed to help her in his own way, and his won story and experiences with depression added another layer to the story as well as served as a source of information that Elena probably wouldn't have found on her own or from her parents.
The ending somewhat felt like it came much too soon, or maybe I just wanted more, but despite that, I thought it ended on a hopeful note and I find myself wishing these characters the best in the future.
Though the main focus is Elena's older sister's battle with depression, there is so much more happening. Since Elena is the quiet one, content to let her outgoing sister lead, it's a very confusing time and situation for Elena. Also, her parents are trying to hard that they seem to fail to hear Elena when she tries to speak up.
The exploration of family loyalty and the relationship between the sisters is something very honest that I could really understand. I think most people who are or have been close to their siblings could understand Elena's struggle when it came to Dora.
I also really enjoyed Jimmy's character. He was quirky and a bit random, which was so different from Elena, but he seemed to help her in his own way, and his won story and experiences with depression added another layer to the story as well as served as a source of information that Elena probably wouldn't have found on her own or from her parents.
The ending somewhat felt like it came much too soon, or maybe I just wanted more, but despite that, I thought it ended on a hopeful note and I find myself wishing these characters the best in the future.