I’ll be reviewing this book by Eric Lindstrom, but I’d like to make a quick note first.
With all the hype about 13 Reasons Why and a million people sounding off about the television show and the book, I thought it’d be a good idea for me to read a fictional book about mental health. It’s no secret that I have very strong opinions on 13 Reasons Why. I hated the book. While I could appreciate the acting and various aspects of show on Netflix, it still left me feeling upset. What makes me more upset is when I scroll through my Facebook feed and see so much more misunderstanding on the subject of suicide and mental health. Some have become more understanding, or may even related to the main character. It depends on one’s outlook, of course. But for me, although I could relate to Hannah’s emotions and reactivity to situations, I hated that she blamed others and caused so much damage.
(Also just to clarify, I do think Jay Asher if a talented writer. It’s not the writing or the book, it’s the way it’s being portrayed especially within Netflix’s take on the matter.)
So, anyway, I was at the library shortly after I finished watching the series. This book stood out to me because of its beautiful cover and title. I hardly ever judge a book by its cover, but between that and its title, I knew I had to read it. I was even happier to read the book jacket and discover it dealt with Bipolar. It was exactly what I was looking for!
There are several characters (within the main character’s family) that are diagnosed with Bipolar, which is quite common with mental health. It can definitely “run in the family”. Our main character is Mel. She is a teenager in high school that is managing her mental health. What I liked so much about this book is that the character actually acts and sounds like her age. All too often, I read YA novels where there’s a 16-year-old girl/boy who sounds like they’re 25. Reading in Mel’s point-of-view, it wasn’t overly mature or too intense. She had silly, fun thoughts. She talked like a teenager too. She didn’t declare profound intellectual ideas – and when she did, it was in the way a teenager might. Basically, it didn’t feel like the adult author was seeping into the character.
When we join Mel, she is adjusting to her life with new friends and still struggling with the loss of old ones. There’s a mess of a secret behind what happened to her, but Mel is so carefully guarded, she doesn’t think about it too much. Bullying, high school drama, first love, and death – you follow Mel as she tries to process all these things. You see her stable. You understand how hard therapy can be. You see her take her medications. You know how they help keep her stable. You see her fall apart. And when Mel falls apart, it’s so realistic. Being manic, her thoughts are racing and connecting and it’s a huge run on sentence, but it works. Because that’s how you think when your mind can’t slow down. Reading through her breakdowns, you see how everything connects in the mind of someone who is struggling with mental health. I loved that so much, because the author represented the struggle and balancing act of being “normal” so well. Also, that feeling of how painful it is knowing that you’re not “normal”. Often times, with a mental health diagnosis, we feel (and this can unfortunately be the case at times) that once people know our diagnosis they will treat us differently. It’s not to be rude, but they’ll be more careful. They’ll watch us differently than they had before. You can never go back to how things were before, because you’re not “safe” to them anymore.
If you’re wanting to get in the mind of someone who is depressed, anxious, or struggling with a disorder such as Bipolar, this is truly a great novel. Everyone experiences these things differently, but this a great start to at least try to grasp the thoughts one might struggle with.
Also, it’s a really ‘innocent’ book. It didn’t go into graphic detail on certain things, yet it was real. Of course, some may find it triggering simply because it deals with mental health, but that’s something one must figure out on their own. It wasn’t filled with sex or drugs. Even the romance in the novel wasn’t the main focus, which I think is great. I give this novel 5 out of 5 stars. It was a great representation of mental health and being a teenager. It also had a really beautiful plot!
Serendipity Minds 