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lattelibrarian's review
3.0
This was a gentle, slice of life novel about the intricacies of growing up with someone who has schizophrenia. The medicine, the mood swings, the fear of genetics tugging against unconditional love.
What I really appreciated about this book was that it wasn't incredibly dramatic, that it wasn't some high-speed novel falling over itself trying to be edgy. It was simple, and sweet, and in my opinion, that made it effective. I just loved all of the characters and how they all came together to help and better understand Nicole's mental illness, even when there were times that they truly couldn't comprehend just what was going on.
Overall, this novel is gentle and tender, and takes what could be a difficult subject and makes it into something that is workable, acceptable, and still ultimately lovable.
Review cross-listed here!
What I really appreciated about this book was that it wasn't incredibly dramatic, that it wasn't some high-speed novel falling over itself trying to be edgy. It was simple, and sweet, and in my opinion, that made it effective. I just loved all of the characters and how they all came together to help and better understand Nicole's mental illness, even when there were times that they truly couldn't comprehend just what was going on.
Overall, this novel is gentle and tender, and takes what could be a difficult subject and makes it into something that is workable, acceptable, and still ultimately lovable.
Review cross-listed here!
crowyhead's review
3.0
When Nicole was fourteen, she started hearing voices and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Now her sister, Sophy, is the same age, and Sophy is struggling wtih the fear that she might end up like her sister.
I really appreciated Johnson's willingness to tackle a difficult subject -- the topic of mental illness, and the pall that hangs over others in the family, is not one that's often handled in children's and YA literature. I had the same frustrations with this as I've had with Johnson's other novels that I've read, though; she leaves some things so ambiguous that there is little sense of resolution, and the reader is left feeling confused about some of the events in the novel. The end result was that I felt confused about how Sophy had come to terms with her sister's illness and her own fears. Time is also severely compressed in the book; for example, at one point Nicole goes missing for several months, and there is little evocation of the aching days of worry and uncertainty that Sophy must have gone through. So, overall, a brave attempt, but somewhat flawed.
I really appreciated Johnson's willingness to tackle a difficult subject -- the topic of mental illness, and the pall that hangs over others in the family, is not one that's often handled in children's and YA literature. I had the same frustrations with this as I've had with Johnson's other novels that I've read, though; she leaves some things so ambiguous that there is little sense of resolution, and the reader is left feeling confused about some of the events in the novel. The end result was that I felt confused about how Sophy had come to terms with her sister's illness and her own fears. Time is also severely compressed in the book; for example, at one point Nicole goes missing for several months, and there is little evocation of the aching days of worry and uncertainty that Sophy must have gone through. So, overall, a brave attempt, but somewhat flawed.
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