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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
I watched the film and it destroyed me so I decided to read the book to linger in my pain.
I read it pretty much in a day.
I read it pretty much in a day.
aaaaaaa this was so good!!!! the characters were well written. i absolutely loved the writing style. it was such a genuine, funny, emotional story and i enjoyed every second
This is a story about Adam who is just a regular boy who happens to have schizophrenia. It’s a glimpse into the struggle of mental illness and how we perceive it may make the difference in someone’s life. Thanks to Julia Walton for making me laugh even when my hear was breaking for Adam.
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m not really sure what to say other than that I just really liked this book (yes I am going to proceed to say a bunch of other things and that’s just how it goes)
I think it was written well, the characters are fun to read, and I think that it gives people a window into how some people may experience life that might not usually be thought about
I also really liked the writing of the main character, ofc I don’t agree with everything he think or says or does, but he felt like a real person to me, and there were lots of things I could relate to
I think it was written well, the characters are fun to read, and I think that it gives people a window into how some people may experience life that might not usually be thought about
I also really liked the writing of the main character, ofc I don’t agree with everything he think or says or does, but he felt like a real person to me, and there were lots of things I could relate to
It's hard to find a book that combines humor with such serious subject matter. I think the author managed to do that with Words on Bathroom Walls. I found myself laughing out loud throughout the entire book, which doesn't happen often. She also takes on teenage schizophrenia, an often misunderstood mental illness, and presents it through the eyes of a struggling teenage boy. I thought it was beautifully done and I applaud the author.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
This book has me of two minds. I picked it without reading the blurb because I had a really weird reading prompt (has a character called Adam - don't ask). It tells the story of a person who is undergoing a drug trial to help manage the side effects of their neurodivergence; in this case Schizophrenia.
Half the story is narrative of a kid who is just trying to get along as an atheist in a Catholic high school, and the story is interspersed with the reports he writes for his psychotherapist, with whom he refuses to have verbal conversations. The story is interesting because it paints a world where a person can't always trust their perceptions of things due to auditory and visual hallucinations. It's a fun read, and fairly quick to get through, with some real tension and emotional buy in. The female main comes across as Autistic, in a genuine non-stereotypical way.
The thing that bothers me is that it's not written from the author's experience. This entire book is an imagining of what Schizophrenia might be like, with some simplified discussion on the ways that people might treat a Schizophrenic teenager due to their own fears and biases, and how attitudes might change once someone finds out.
From the get go, that frustrates me. I understand that the author did a lot of research, but I can't help but feel like "Nothing about us Without Us" is a good guiding principle. Amplifying the voices of people whose brains work differently is good. Clearing up misconceptions and stereotypes is good; but I can't trust that this is an accurate depiction at all.
I've since noticed that this book has a movie adaptation, and the casting frustrates me. Adam is supposed to be Italian American and over 6 feet tall (he has people asking him if he plays basketball all the time). Part of his frustration with life is that he does not want to come across as threatening and is hyper-aware of how much space he takes up in a room. This comes across as very relatable as I have had this conversation many times with my immediate family members who are male, big and tall, and Neurodivergent. You don't want to scare people by just being. The character of Maya is supposed to be a petite Filipina with long straight dark hair, and she is played by a Canadian Jamaican woman who is about 10cm too tall for the role. I'm being finicky, but again, I feel like representation is important.
I can see why people like the book and it's a fun read, but watch the content warnings (especially for younger readers) and take it with a grain of salt.
Half the story is narrative of a kid who is just trying to get along as an atheist in a Catholic high school, and the story is interspersed with the reports he writes for his psychotherapist, with whom he refuses to have verbal conversations. The story is interesting because it paints a world where a person can't always trust their perceptions of things due to auditory and visual hallucinations. It's a fun read, and fairly quick to get through, with some real tension and emotional buy in. The female main comes across as Autistic, in a genuine non-stereotypical way.
The thing that bothers me is that it's not written from the author's experience. This entire book is an imagining of what Schizophrenia might be like, with some simplified discussion on the ways that people might treat a Schizophrenic teenager due to their own fears and biases, and how attitudes might change once someone finds out.
From the get go, that frustrates me. I understand that the author did a lot of research, but I can't help but feel like "Nothing about us Without Us" is a good guiding principle. Amplifying the voices of people whose brains work differently is good. Clearing up misconceptions and stereotypes is good; but I can't trust that this is an accurate depiction at all.
I've since noticed that this book has a movie adaptation, and the casting frustrates me. Adam is supposed to be Italian American and over 6 feet tall (he has people asking him if he plays basketball all the time). Part of his frustration with life is that he does not want to come across as threatening and is hyper-aware of how much space he takes up in a room. This comes across as very relatable as I have had this conversation many times with my immediate family members who are male, big and tall, and Neurodivergent. You don't want to scare people by just being. The character of Maya is supposed to be a petite Filipina with long straight dark hair, and she is played by a Canadian Jamaican woman who is about 10cm too tall for the role. I'm being finicky, but again, I feel like representation is important.
I can see why people like the book and it's a fun read, but watch the content warnings (especially for younger readers) and take it with a grain of salt.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Mass/school shootings, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia
A one-sitting read. Definitely interesting, and a compassionate portrayal of mental illness that is neither "love cured me somehow and I threw away my meds" nor "I'm broken forever and am a lost cause." Some of the romance was a bit of the cheesy typical YA style, but definitely a good book and a really refreshing perspective.