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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Schutz shares her personal history of a promising young woman whose world implodes when she begins suffering a psychological disorder. Every mental health story is different and the world needs all of them we can get. This verse memoir is honest and doesn't water down the ugly bits of her past but still maintains hope for her future.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
This book was technically a school book but I liked it a lot so I had to add it. This girls story was very inspiring for me and I hope I find a solution. She gives me hope.
I picked this one up on a whim in the poetry section of my library.
I didn't like this book very much. It was kind of hard to follow. If it hadn't been written in prose (I think that's the right word) I think it would have been a little better. More dialogue, too.
It left a lot to be desired, but the fact that this was a true story kept me reading. I appreciate the authors vulnerability. I also love books in verse
This is a memoir written by a woman who has Anxiety Disorder and it follows her journey from her 17th year until her 22nd. It was beautifully written and so accurate in its descriptions. It's a shame this is out of print now!
This book wasn't as good as I expected it to be, but it wasn't that bad either.
I was ready to jump right into the story of her anxiety problems, but the whole beginning is talking about graduating high school and her boyfriend and starting college and stuff. Also, once it got started, it went a little too fast. One minute it talks about her moving into college, the next it talks about the year ending, then it's already talking about her graduating. I guess you could say it was weird because it started so slowly and then suddenly was going to fast.
It's written in poems, but wasn't very "poetic," meaning that if I had read it out loud you probably wouldn't be able to tell it was supposed to be written in poems.
You can see the main character's struggles, but it describes more what is happening to her physically than how she is feeling, so it can be a little hard getting into her head. Perhaps it's because I don't have anxiety issues. Maybe if I did I would understand the book a little bit better. Then again, books like this are good for explaining things to people that don't understand. Props to the author though-- this is her memoir. So I give her loads of respect for that.
I was ready to jump right into the story of her anxiety problems, but the whole beginning is talking about graduating high school and her boyfriend and starting college and stuff. Also, once it got started, it went a little too fast. One minute it talks about her moving into college, the next it talks about the year ending, then it's already talking about her graduating. I guess you could say it was weird because it started so slowly and then suddenly was going to fast.
It's written in poems, but wasn't very "poetic," meaning that if I had read it out loud you probably wouldn't be able to tell it was supposed to be written in poems.
You can see the main character's struggles, but it describes more what is happening to her physically than how she is feeling, so it can be a little hard getting into her head. Perhaps it's because I don't have anxiety issues. Maybe if I did I would understand the book a little bit better. Then again, books like this are good for explaining things to people that don't understand. Props to the author though-- this is her memoir. So I give her loads of respect for that.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. My anxiety and struggle with mental health issues might look differently, but I think one of the problems with mental health struggles is thinking you are the only one who struggles. And that isolation and shame just perpetuates the anxiety and keeps any healing from being possible. I think this sheds a good light on one persons experience and will help me feel more empathetic to people I encounter. Including myself....
As someone who has never suffered from anxiety, I appreciate the courage and openness with which Schultz tells her story. It gives a small glimpse into the struggle so many face when diagnosed with anxiety disorder.
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.