Last night I sang to the monster

Saenz, B. (2009). Last night I sang to the monster. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. Zach, is an eighteen year old alcoholic. He comes from a dysfunctional family with a series of issues. His mother is depressed, his father is an alcoholic and his brother is abusive. Zach has found himself in a rehab and doesn’t understand how he got there. Zach is in rehab recovering from his alcohol addiction and learning to relinquish painful memories in order to live and survive in this world. With the help of his therapist, roommates, Rafael, a 53 year old alcoholic and Sharkey, a 27 year old drug addict, he is able to make sense of his feelings and learns that he can trust and love again. Through the recovery effort, he learns to free himself from the hurt and agony because the people who had hurt him are dead. Zach’s big moment was when he realized that he can be happy; there is hope, and a new beginning from all these dreadful secrets. The conflict of fighting and defeating the monster within was Zach’s major struggle. Once he was able to face the secret, he was able to realize that there is happiness after all the hurt he went through. Related books: Crazy by Han Nolan, The Paper Cowboy by Kristin Levine, 15 Days Without A Head By Dave Cousins, Teenage Alcoholism by L.K. Currie-McGhee.