What would you doif you were 16 and knew you were losing your mind, but your parentsthought you were faking?

Lisa, Bright and Dark is theremarkable, fictional tale of Lisa Shilling and her three friends who"walk with her where adults fear to tread."

The novelshows that things don't always go the way you want or hope, but withtime and determination you can make people understand. The reader alsoportrays what it is like to care for a mentally ill loved one.

Lisa is a smart girl, involved with school, her friends andboyfriend. Slowly, her grades start slipping, she loses her boyfriendand she attempts suicide. Lisa manages to stay close to and confide inher three friends, who are the only ones who help her. Lisa's actionsand thoughts throughout the ordeal are perfectly portrayed.

Theproblem is that her friends can't convince Lisa's parents she's ill.This conflict is shown both internally, since Lisa's disease is mental,and externally, because Lisa tries killing herself twice.

Theauthor's style made me empathize with Lisa; I wanted her to get well.The description of the characters is excellent, though the setting couldhave used a little work.

Lisa's story affects her whole town. Ifeveryone had just listened to her in the beginning, things would havebeen better. Sometimes, kids are smarter and braver than their parents.