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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
I've been wanting to read this book for a very long time. I read the summary and saw myself in it, very strongly. I just finished my sophomore year of college, and I still remember those first few months of freshman year.
I've also had panic attacks sine 2011, when I was 14, though not badly enough to qualify for a diagnosis of panic disorder. I have even had a panic attack in the dining hall of my college, just like is described in the book. I have one anxiety disorder and OCD, which until recently was classified as an anxiety disorder and comes with it's share of anxiety. Anxiety and I are definitely not strangers.
All that being said, I did not like this book. I feel like this is an unpopular opinion, but I found that it dragged, and when I finished it, I left no different than I went in. I like books that leave me shell-shocked, books that I have to sit and digest when I'm finished, and this book didn't do that for me. I read it in two days, because of a time crunch (it was a library book and I had to finish it quickly), but most of the time I was reading it I wasn't doing so because I enjoyed it but because I had to finish it in time.
I think this book was just not for me, specifically because of my history with similar anxiety. I feel like it's written for people who have never had a panic attack, who don't experience overwhelming anxiety, who don't understand how simple anxiety could be debilitating. I already know what all that is like, and because of that, this book felt like looking into a mirror. But I felt that was all it did, give a window into what it's like to live with an anxiety disorder.
I gave the book three stars, because what is does well is the description of anxiety which is spot-on and incredibly accurate. I just found nothing beyond that, no particular reason for me to read it. I would recommend this book to people that don't understand anxiety. Honestly, I would like my mother to read it, I think she would gain a lot of understanding. It just wasn't for me.
I've also had panic attacks sine 2011, when I was 14, though not badly enough to qualify for a diagnosis of panic disorder. I have even had a panic attack in the dining hall of my college, just like is described in the book. I have one anxiety disorder and OCD, which until recently was classified as an anxiety disorder and comes with it's share of anxiety. Anxiety and I are definitely not strangers.
All that being said, I did not like this book. I feel like this is an unpopular opinion, but I found that it dragged, and when I finished it, I left no different than I went in. I like books that leave me shell-shocked, books that I have to sit and digest when I'm finished, and this book didn't do that for me. I read it in two days, because of a time crunch (it was a library book and I had to finish it quickly), but most of the time I was reading it I wasn't doing so because I enjoyed it but because I had to finish it in time.
I think this book was just not for me, specifically because of my history with similar anxiety. I feel like it's written for people who have never had a panic attack, who don't experience overwhelming anxiety, who don't understand how simple anxiety could be debilitating. I already know what all that is like, and because of that, this book felt like looking into a mirror. But I felt that was all it did, give a window into what it's like to live with an anxiety disorder.
I gave the book three stars, because what is does well is the description of anxiety which is spot-on and incredibly accurate. I just found nothing beyond that, no particular reason for me to read it. I would recommend this book to people that don't understand anxiety. Honestly, I would like my mother to read it, I think she would gain a lot of understanding. It just wasn't for me.
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | This is a rewrite of a review I had posted on my old book blog in 2007/2008.
So, I'll be upfront and spill a little truth here: even though everybody says to never judge a book by its cover, I may have judged this one. Just a tiny bit. Only a little bit, I promise! It's just so pretty. And I'm happy I did, because after reading the likes of various anonymous diaries and everything that was, at the time, published by Ellen Hopkins, this was the perfect edition to my then-taste.
What I loved about this novel is that it was true -- Samantha Schutz lived this and I'm glad she shared it all with us. Her memoir tells us the tale of leaving home and taking that first step towards independence we all crave as young adults. It's brutally honest and reminds us that with freedom, comes a cost.
And it isn't all sunshine and daisies to step into the role of an adult.
We follow her through her college years -- the stress of it all takes a toll on her and we touch base with her struggles with anxiety. Something I can relate to on a very high level. And the thing is, about her writing, is she captures it all so perfectly and those who suffer similarly can connect with her story very easily.
It is also the perfect novel to give to someone who doesn't quite understand what it's like to live a day in the life of someone who suffers greatly from anxiety. I'd like to think this is something that could help them understand -- even if only for a moment -- what it feels like. I Don't Want To Be Crazy captures the truth of it all and is a very, very important read.
So, I'll be upfront and spill a little truth here: even though everybody says to never judge a book by its cover, I may have judged this one. Just a tiny bit. Only a little bit, I promise! It's just so pretty. And I'm happy I did, because after reading the likes of various anonymous diaries and everything that was, at the time, published by Ellen Hopkins, this was the perfect edition to my then-taste.
What I loved about this novel is that it was true -- Samantha Schutz lived this and I'm glad she shared it all with us. Her memoir tells us the tale of leaving home and taking that first step towards independence we all crave as young adults. It's brutally honest and reminds us that with freedom, comes a cost.
And it isn't all sunshine and daisies to step into the role of an adult.
We follow her through her college years -- the stress of it all takes a toll on her and we touch base with her struggles with anxiety. Something I can relate to on a very high level. And the thing is, about her writing, is she captures it all so perfectly and those who suffer similarly can connect with her story very easily.
It is also the perfect novel to give to someone who doesn't quite understand what it's like to live a day in the life of someone who suffers greatly from anxiety. I'd like to think this is something that could help them understand -- even if only for a moment -- what it feels like. I Don't Want To Be Crazy captures the truth of it all and is a very, very important read.
It was an ok book. I don't think its on the same plane verse wise as Ellen Hopkins, but a good, engaging, insight into dealing with anxiety/panic disorder.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(Find the original review and more at Jellyfish Reads.)
I'm finding this book very difficult to review, for some reason.
It's not an easy read either. It's a verse memoir documenting one girl's life as she leaves home for college and how she begins to suffer from anxiety. I Don't Want to Be Crazy traces Samantha Schutz's through her college years, from just after she finishes high school, to when she's got one of her first jobs after college.
It shows us Samantha as she keeps trying, time and time again, with therapists and medication, to recover from anxiety; she thinks she gets better but the anxiety resurfaces, worse than before, and grips her again. It's a very intense read. There are detailed descriptions of what anxiety attacks are like for her. It's terrifying and sad and, as the blurb promises, "harrowing". Because recovery isn't a smooth process for her, or for most people suffering from mental illnesses. It's awful and scary to be confronted with the reality of that, of how you take medication and then stop taking it for months and think you're better now only to plunge into even worse anxiety attacks than before.
I felt very empty and depressed reading it. I've always known that this is the reality of things, but to read about it, about one girl's real struggles with anxiety, was really tough. I feel like it's a very important book though, to help and to inform, because a lot of people don't realise that this is how severe anxiety can really be. How it can really take over your life and make you unable to carry on as normal. If you're seeking to understand anxiety more, this is a good read. It's very well-written and the ending is a glimmer of hope. But yeah. It's a heavy read. Very real and devastating at times. Only read if you're prepared for the reality of the way things are.
It takes a lot of courage to write about your own anxiety disorder and the choices you make because of it. This book packs a lot of punch, and really makes you think about seeing the people who tend to slip by us, barely holding on.
This book chronicles the author's struggles with anxiety disorder during her collage years. It is written in a poem format with short choppy thoughts.
Samantha leaves her home for collage and is instantly plagued with anxiety attacks. She lives in constant terror of when the next attack will come. When they do come there is nothing she can do but hide in the bathroom and wait it out. They follow her all through her life. They come with her to Europe and new jobs.
I think that this book portrays anxiety really well. The fear of never knowing when the next one will be and how it will tear you apart is pictured well. But the book never really grabbed me. In fact I found it boring. I do understand that it is a memoir and everything is true but I was really craving the main character to do something. It just seemed that the same thing was always happening and Samantha never did anything. Sure she went to psychiatrists and got medication but thats all she did. I know there isn't much you can do in real life but it made a really boring story.
If you want to learn more about anxiety attacks, what causes them, and how they affect people, I would recommend this book. But if your looking for a new book like Ellen Hopkin's I wouldn't look here.
www.anibelle.blogspot.com
Samantha leaves her home for collage and is instantly plagued with anxiety attacks. She lives in constant terror of when the next attack will come. When they do come there is nothing she can do but hide in the bathroom and wait it out. They follow her all through her life. They come with her to Europe and new jobs.
I think that this book portrays anxiety really well. The fear of never knowing when the next one will be and how it will tear you apart is pictured well. But the book never really grabbed me. In fact I found it boring. I do understand that it is a memoir and everything is true but I was really craving the main character to do something. It just seemed that the same thing was always happening and Samantha never did anything. Sure she went to psychiatrists and got medication but thats all she did. I know there isn't much you can do in real life but it made a really boring story.
If you want to learn more about anxiety attacks, what causes them, and how they affect people, I would recommend this book. But if your looking for a new book like Ellen Hopkin's I wouldn't look here.
www.anibelle.blogspot.com
I read this book extremely quickly. It's horribly sad and it feels foggy in my head (wow, I'm great at describing things). It's honest and truthful. I'm too tired to write a full review.
I think the insight to how a panic attack feels is interesting and mostly terrifying. I'm glad this story has a happy ending.
Listened to flatsound's sleep because that album is so good for poetry.
I think the insight to how a panic attack feels is interesting and mostly terrifying. I'm glad this story has a happy ending.
Listened to flatsound's sleep because that album is so good for poetry.