Like a Thorn

by Clara Vidal

Book Overview

MELIE'S MOTHER IS sometimes nice, sometimes mean--prone to erratic behavior that Melie does her best to cope with. As a young girl, she invents rituals to protect herself from her mother's moods; but... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385735642
• ISBN13: 9780385735643
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.3" x 0.6" x 5.2"

Customer Reviews

Better Than Expected

I have OCD, so when this book became available at the public library, I checked it out. I didn't want to buy it because I didn't think I'd like it very much. I was surprised. Actually, 'Like A Thorn' isn't so much about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder as it is about living with an emotionally abusive parent. It was written in a somewhat different style then I was used to, but Melie's struggle with both her mom and her mental illness was nicely portrayed. The other characters were kind of shallow, but the book was mostly about Melie so I didn't mind. Clara Vidal is a good writer and I'm glad Y. Maudet translated this book. One thing I didn't like about it, though, was that it was too short. Of course, I guess that's a compliment in of itself.

How can she survive as a thorn in her mother's side?

Clara Vidal's LIKE A THORN tells of Melie, whose mother is prone to erratic behaviors that Melie has devised rituals to cope with. The work as a young girl but now that she's becoming a teen she's increasingly unhappy: how can she survive as a thorn in her mother's side?

A fascinating look at mental illness 3 1/2 stars

Melie feels like she has two mothers. Rosy Mother is sweet, loving, vivacious, and likes to bake cookies. Dark Mother is taunting, angry, impatient, and likes to dig her talons into Melie's skin. Naturally Melie prefers Rosy Mother and would do anything to get her to stay, including trying to be as good as possible, performing strange rituals, and playing sick. The slim volume chronicles Melie's gradual descent from a normal 9 year old into a 14 year old suffering from deep depression and a serious obsessive compulsive disorder, both stemming from the emotional abuse she receives from her mother (who seems to have psychological problems of her own). The relationship between Melie and her mother is obviously toxic and both would benefit from therapy, but no one seems to notice or take Melie seriously. This is a fascinating, almost trance-like look into the mind of someone suffering from mental illness, but it's very one-sided and stacks the sympathy deck overwhelmingly in Melie's favor. I would have liked to have seen the mother's problems addressed as well to understand why she had such a split personality. Like a Thorn was published in France in 2002, and was released in English translation this year in June.