Blister

by Susan Richards Shreve

An ALA Notable Book and PW Best Children's Book of 2001 winner with a resilient 10-year-old heroine whom readers will love... now in an After Words edition!

Alyssa Reed's life is a mess. Her parents can't stop fighting. Her mother won't stop crying. Alyssa's father has decided to move the family to a new town, and to move himself to a separate apartment. Nobody gave Alyssa a choice.

So Alyssa decides to take control. She renames herself Blister and starts fighting back in her own way. Blister will take on her new school with a new identity, a new wardrobe (stolen from her father's girlfriend), and a raw, new attitude that nobody can ignore. Not even the cheerleaders.

Look out world -- here comes Blister!

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

About the author

Also know as Susan Shreve. Received the following awards: Jenny Moore Award, George Washington University, 1978; Notable Book citation, American Library Association (ALA), 1979, for Family Secrets: Five Very Important Stories; Best Book for Young Adults citation, ALA, 1980, for The Masquerade; Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, National Council for Social Studies and the Children's Book Council joint committee, 1980, for Family Secrets: Five Very Important Stories; Guggenheim award in fiction, 1980; National Endowment for the Arts fiction award, 1982; Edgar Allan Poe Award, Mystery Writers of America, 1988, for Lucy Forever and Miss Rosetree, Shrinks; Woodrow Wilson fellowships, West Virginia Wesleyan, 1994, and Bates College, 1997; Lila Wallace Readers Digest Foundation grant.

Reviews

[Dayna Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alyssa Reed's life is a mess. Her mother and father are separating and she is forced to go to a new school. Alyssa decides to fight back. She steals some clothes from her father's girlfriend, renames herself Blister, and trys to come to terms with her new life. A touching and funny story of a 5th grader's look at her family's break up.

[Adila]

Blister by Susan Shreve is a fantastic book! Its personal and enjoyable at the same time. The main character Alyssa Reed goes throw the horrible experience of having to deal with a family who has just had a stillborn child. Born dead. Her mother stays in her bed all day and cries. After that Alyssa decides its her life, and she is going to take control this time. Before no one really payed attention to her, her mother, her father, her grandmother. But now she's going to change herself, her attitude, get new friends, new clothes and a new name called Blister.

I think the name she chose symbolises a bad "blister in her life" for example her stillborn sister. And how she dos not really get any attention from her parents or anyone.

I recommend this book because not only because its a good book, but because its another perspective to view things. Blister is a good book about a girl who has to deal with things that we normally dont have to.

[Lily ★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was amazingly good and well written. I love this book, and its one of my favorite books because I felt like it was written for me, since the story base was almost the same, her parent got divorce and she lives with her mom. Her mom currently is sick because of depression and because her little sister died in her stomach. Then suddenly something bad happens. Now she lives with her aunt and grandma. She has friends that are there for her, but some are the kind of friends that is quite mean and rude... In this book the feeling of the characters reach out to you, as if you are in the story. I can feel what the man character is going through and I can understand her experience.

[Beverly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the book rather depressing, because Blister's mother was suffering from severe depression, following the birth of a stillborn daughter. Blister and her grandmother are more resilient, and do their best to cope with the mother's depression. Blister's father has taken off to be with some bimbo, because he can't cope with his wife's depression. At least, by the end of the story, things are beginning to look a bit brighter, as Mom agrees that she needs professional help.
I don't understand why ALA Notable committee members thought that this book was so great. I didn't think that the plot or characters were anything out of the ordinary, and the depressing atmosphere didn't do much for me either.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

dad deserves a medal for biggest pos ever

[Jonas Santiago · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, literal estaba leyendo este libro, cambié de página y ya se había terminado. Así, de repente, solo pasó. La verdad esta historia tiene un significado e impacto bastante grande. Siento que la representación de traumas, complejos y batallas que todo tenemos con nosotros mismos (que en su mayoría se van desarrollando o nacen desde temprana edad) está muy bien representado. Es increíble cómo la mente de los humanos (en este caso de una niña) asimila y reacciona a todo el desastre a su alrededor, cosas que no son su culpa, pero en las que igual se ve afectada.

Esto ya lo tomo un poco más personal, ya que vivo con un niño de una edad similar y a raíz de diversas situaciones complejas, he notado como ciertas actitudes salen a la luz, justo como en este caso a "Blister" le sucedió.


Corto, significativo y con más intensidad que cualquier libro para adultos (siendo un libro "middle grade").

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book more than I expected to, but I'm a bit skeptical that a girl of 10 is this self-possessed. But then again, maybe I'm underestimating 10 year olds of today. The author did a good job of handling a lot of difficult themes at once--separating parents; depressed mother; young girl trying to stand out at school while covering up her home problems. I really like the character of Blister's grandmother. She helped hold the whole story together, and I admire her attitude.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting read. I haven't read a book like this from the perspective of a child. Alyssa seems much much older than 10. Honestly nothing really got better, and a lot of issues did not get addressed which bothered me. But I guess that is real life for you.

[Sofya Karpicheva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the book because of how the author wrote it. It is Alyssa's point of view.

[Christy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good story that I feel like tween girls could relate to. It deals with divorce and family and a girl wanting to change her identity as she enters a new school.

[Yolly T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone wants a perfect family. Can you imagine if your parents divorce when you are a grade five student? How would you feel losing a strong family unit? Blister who is the protagonist in this story, it is the book title as well. Blister used to call, Alyssa, “Alyssa Reed”. In Reed’s family, there was a perfect family with a father, a mother who is pregnant, a grandma and Alyssa. Everyone was looking forward to the baby being born. One day, when Alyssa and her grandma Daisy were waiting to hear from the event, there was a call from the hospital from by her parents John and Mary. They told them they had bad news that Mary gave birth to a dead baby unfortunately. That is the direct reason which led to the family break up. After they came home from the hospital, Mary kept being sad because of the dead baby. Henceforth, John starts coming home later and lesser. He always has a reason why is home late. However, he would like Mary and Alyssa to leave the sad place, which is a little village. They moved to the city and lived in an apartment. John wanted to have a new life but Mary was still in a sad mood. She lay on the couch all day and did nothing. I think that’s the way she got attention from Alyssa and John. Nevertheless, John started getting bored of taking care of Mary. He decided to move to a new apartment by himself. From then on, the relationship of Alyssa and John became worse. For this reason, Alyssa changed her name to Blister and cancelled the last name Reed. Since she really wanted to stay with John, she spent every weekend at John’s apartment for a sleepover. She realized there was a suitcase under the bed. There were lots of clothes and purses which did not belong to her. She found a gold ring as well. Blister brought it home after the weekend because she thought that is for her mum. However, they figured out that it wasn’t hers. Blister realized that all the clothes and the rings belonged to a woman she didn’t know, but she kept this secret from Mary since she didn’t want to make Mary sad. Finally, she found a note in the pocket of John’s jacket and knew that the woman’s name was Tamara. In reality, Tamara was John’s new girlfriend. The story develops along with of Blister’s relationship with John and Mary. The story has a good ending. Mary became happy again and started facing her life positively. Alyssa concentrated on school work and cheerleading .It made their life better.

People who are in a single parent family might like to read this book. They can share more Alyssa’s feelings that clearly and truly. This is a teen’s story which can make us think a lot. We have to treasure the relationship with our families.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blister, formally known as Alyssa Reed, decides to take a new stronger identity after her baby sister is born stillborn and her father moves to a new apartment and gets a new girlfriend. At school she lies about her life in an attempt to fit in. At home she deals with her depressed mother and her emotions about her father's new life.

One of my regular patrons recommended this book to me. She's 9 and I really wondered as I was reading this how much of the deeper meaning of the book she got. The main character of the story is 10, and she doesn't fully understand what's going on around her, only that it is interrupting the life she wishes she had. For instance, she believes that by stealing the clothes of her father's new girlfriend she can break them up and get her family back together.

This was a really depressing read, but it all about bouncing back and tackling all those hard situations that life throws at you. In the end, Blister does not make the cheerleading squad at her new school because, as one of her classmates says, it's a popularity contest. The book ends with Blister stating that it doesn't matter that much because she is elastic and will bounce back from this sitation, as she has bounced back from situations before.

I would recommend this for 7th and 8th graders who can fully grasp the severity of what's going on.

[Leanna Ashe · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Blister" by Susan Richards Shreve is about this girl name Alyssa who goers through an identity crisis. Her parents are always in an argument so later she finds out that her father thinks it is best to move to a new town. Another drastic decision is that her father is going to be in a separate apartment and Blister is angry because no cared to find out what she thought. So by taking action she goes by the name Blister and has this new wardrobe from the closet of her dads new girlfriend also has this new unattainable personality. This book really is a realistic way to see the real life of a struggling teen trying to make a statement to feel heard but inside she id]s hurt.

[Zemika White · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good not great but good. I felt this was a time wasting book. A book that you read when you have nothing else to read honestly. But like all good books it had a message.
The book foreshadowed the change/affect of Alyssa's life with beginning with one event which created another one, a domino affect. For example in the text it states "She knew that voice and what it meant very well. Whenever she heard it, there was a problem on its way."(36) And she was right her dad left home, her mother got more depressed and plenty more. Which made her want to change into the new and improved 'Blister'.

[Suzanneli4653 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is one of those girly books. It wasn't really good or bad, but it definetly isn't one of those books that stays in your heart and you just love it and want to read it again and again. This book is about a preteen girl named Alyssa that changed her name to Blister and her life and she deals with her struggles and problems. I would only recommend this book to people that love girly books. It you aren't one of those people I suggest you stay away from this book because you will probably get bored after reading the first page.

[Dayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allyisa is funny, rebeluos,and dareing.Her mom was pregnant with a baby girl. When the baby was being born she died.That made her mom so depresed she would rareley move or talk. Allyisa's dad foregot her 10th birthday.Her mom and dad decided they wanted to move.Allyisa had to leave her school and friends. Allyisa's dad got so tiered of her moms sadness he moved to a new apartment. On one week end when Allyisa was visiting her dad she found a suitcase of womens clothes.She took some of the clothes and kept them.



Well thats all for now from:Dayna Mulkey

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book wasn't exactly fun to read. I'm guessing the author based it on reality. I prefer reading a book where everything ends well. In this case, nothing went as the main character had hoped. This is a short story about a girl who has family problems, but fights hard to stay strong. During the book, I was really hoping something good might happen, but it all ended with her dreams being turned down. Somehow, the story didn't really make a lot of sense. Still, it was very detailed and it had interesting characters. I'll give it a two out of five.

[Debrarian]

When her baby sister is stillborn, ten-year-old Alyssa’s family falls apart. She changes her name to "Blister,” changes schools, moves to an apartment with her depressed mother while her father gets his own place, and tries to believe her grandmother, who tells her she is "elastic" and can handle it all.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty decent coming of age book, about a girl essentially growing beyond her innocence of childhood, and discovering that life is not as perfect as she believed. Handled in a way that is organic, for the most part. I really like that the main character is unabashedly flawed, as all ten year old girls are, and that the issue of depression is tackled without hesitation.

[Trista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very well written. It is about a fifth grade girl who experiences family tragedies and decides to reinvent herself when she begins attending a new school. She learns some life lessons along the way.

[Morgan Colleen! · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't as good as I thought it would be. It was sort like, too young for me, because it was kind of like the whole time she was going on and on about how many problems she has, but not doing anything to change them. I don't know, it just wasn't my type.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a lovely coming-of-age tale that is easy and quick to read. I can't help but root for the remarkable and quirky character, Blister, and can't wait for her to bounce back and gain control over her life. Good, interesting read!

[Tania Medina · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Blister" is an only child in her family. Her parents were going to have a baby, but it was born dead. Her family got destroyed. Alyssa(Blister) was only taken care of her grandma, Daisy G. I recommend this book for people that like read short stories of a character's life.

[Eryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting book about a girl named Blister. Blister is very brave, and she always looked on the bright side. The reader follows Blister as she takes control of her own life and figures out where she belongs in the world!

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love the main character. she has a great personality. the author really knew how to make her a very good part of the story. i so suggest you read this. its another one of my fave books.

[Emily Higinbottem · Rating 5 out of 5]

very sad BUT happy (kind of) ending.

[Kylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iluved that book.

[Kristen]

awesome book that makes u realize what parents are going tho when they are having a mid life crises

[Mary Habich · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book for teens or tweens, the group I teach. It was definitely readable as a grown up as well. I enjoy Susan Shreve and it reminded me a bit of Judy Blume.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've learned that when parents divorce, don't give up. Live your life and enjoy it.