children of alcoholics

"Tenth grader Elgin Hobbs seems fine on the outside. But he's failing classes. His divorced parents fight. And his mom is an alcoholic. He tries to rise above it. But life keeps bringing him down"--Back cover.

In 1986, siblings Elena and Joaquin Finney struggle with their manipulative, alcoholic mother and look for any way to escape Mariposa Island. Elena starts babysitting for a visiting family and sneaking off with a new boyfriend while Joaquin dreams of finding his estranged father in California. Meanwhile, their mother reflects on life in the 1950s as the daughter of wealthy white Cubans who sent her to the United States during the Cuban revolution where she experienced the turmoil of being an outcast immigrant in Texas. After Joaquin makes a startling discovery, the lies and secrets that have defined their family come to light.

"Aideen has plenty of problems she can't solve. But when she stumbles upon overachiever Meabh Kowalska having a full-blown meltdown, she sees one that she can actually fix. Meabh is desperate to escape her crushing pile of extracurriculars. Aideen volunteers to help--by pushing her down the stairs. Problem? Solved. Meabh's sprained ankle is the perfect excuse to ditch her overwhelming schedule. But when one of their classmates learns about their little scheme, more 'clients' start asking for Aideen's 'help'--kicking off a semester of traded favors, ill-advised hijinks, and even an unexpected chance at love. Fixing other people's problems won't fix her own. But it might be the push Aideen needs to start"--From the publisher's web site.

"For Georgia, this summer is shaping up to be a big disappointment. Mama is busy studying for her biology degree. Daddy is working nights, and often the man who comes home isn't Daddy. He's a man who looks like Daddy, but walks a little wobbly. Who sounds like Daddy, but sings a little too loud. Georgia calls him the Shadow Man. So now, instead of riding horses with her friends at camp, Georgia is sent off to the country to stay with her mysterious great-aunt for the summer to avoid her parents' fighting. There, a lonely Georgia meets a mysterious friend named Angela and together, they discover a magical lake--one that can make wishes come true. At first, the lake offers Georgia a thrilling escape from her worries and hope that she can use its magic to heal her family. But as things grow worse at home, a troubled boy appears at the lake and the wishes threaten to spiral out of control..."--From the publisher's web site.

Seventeen-year-old Carson Smith is bored of Billings, Montana, and resentful that he has to help his mother take care of his father, a dying alcoholic whom he has not seen in fourteen years--but then he meets Aisha, a beautiful African American girl who has run away from her own difficult family, and together they embark on a journey of discovery that may help them both come to terms with their lives.

A window into the life of extreme privilege and a powerful story of self-acceptance, . . . recounts Kirkland Hamill's unforgettable journey through luxury hotels and charity stores, private enclaves and public shame as he confronts his family's many imperfections, accepts his unconventional childhood, and finally comes to terms with his own hidden secrets.

For most of his young life Avery has dealt with his alcoholic mother with the help of his grandfather Pal--he immerses himself in poetry and popular music, and now that high school is over for the summer, he makes out with his best friend Luca (who understands about alcoholic mothers), but the death of his grandfather creates a hole in his life that he can not seem to crawl out of.

The final entry in a trilogy of memoirs in which Dave Pelzer, brutally abused as a child, discusses the struggles he faced as an adult, and his determination to have a meaningful life.

Having suffered abuse and misfortune for much of her life, a young child searches for a better life and finally gets a break in the home of a loving woman with several foster children.