Casey tidies up the kitchen; he doesn't have his friend
over any more, doesn't hang out with Oscar too long after
school. Because he never knows what mood his dad will be
in. He's got a project on Boston and the Revolution to work
on, and he's amazed when a nice girl from his class rings
and asks to talk it over with him. Tomorrow, he says, in
the ice-cream place after school. Then he has to hurry and
empty the dishwasher, because his dad's coming. In some
ways it's better than before the break-up, when ice formed
around each of his parents if the other came into the room.
And Casey's learned to cook.
In THE PRINCE OF DENIAL, Casey's aunt comes and talks to
him while he's trying to chat with the girl, Tara. She says
it's time his father got help. Casey doesn't reply; he can
cope with the drink-inspired mood swings. Only, that
evening his father drinks before driving them out for a
meal and spills a tray a waitress is carrying over them;
next day the man tries plumbing and doesn't follow advice,
bursting a pipe. Maybe he's getting worse. Casey can't
talk to his friends about this issue; he just says his
father is sick. When his mother phones to tell him how well
his sister is doing, she reminds him that his father needs
him around. As if Casey didn't know. But his father
shouting abuse at Tara is the last straw. Casey calls his
aunt.
The bravery of a thirteen-year-old boy shines through as
Casey, his aunt Julie, and an intervention specialist, a
reformed drinker named Joe, sit down and finally talk. The
boy doesn't want to be disloyal and what's more, he thinks
maybe the problem is his fault. But he'll work with them
and try to help. Casey comes across as a lot more mature
than we'd expect for his age. I admired the way that he has
coped so far and
how he intends to face up to the situation with adult
help. This tale is simply written from a kid's point of
view, unsure about a lot of things and worried about what
will happen if his dad gets angry. But Casey is growing
up, and something has to change.
Doug Wilhelm has written a skilled recreation of life from
this young teen's point of view, and many young adults will
find THE PRINCE OF DENIAL an interesting, thoughtful
adventure.
At first, seventh-grader Casey refuses to play the key role
in an intervention that will confront his dad's drinking and
drug use, but then he begins to break through to the reality
that no one in his family has faced before. With engaging
and diverse characters, a strong vein of humor, and an
unexpected outcome, Casey's story demonstrates how to face
the risks and discover the power of living the truth, while
realistically conveying the impact on young teens of living
with an alcoholic or addicted parent—a situation that
affects one in four American young people today
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