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greenlivingaudioworm 's review for:
Words on Bathroom Walls
by Julia Walton
"Church is for people who believe in things they can't see. Life for me is about seeing things I probably shouldn't believe in."
Adam is schizophrenic. He's on a trial for a new drug, ToZaPrex (not a real drug). Part of his agreement for being a part of the clinical trial is he has to meet weekly with his therapist to see how the drug affects him. Adam isn't opposed to this, but he also refuses to talk with his therapist so this book is told through the letters/journal entries Adam writes to his therapist. Adam had a major episode at his last school, so he's starting his junior year at a private Catholic school to give him a fresh start. Adam quickly befriends Dwight, the kid who is involved in everything and never shuts up, and Maya, a Filipino girl who Adam saves from drowning. Through Adam's journal entries, we learn what he life is like on this new drug and how his hallucinations change and evolve as the dosages in medication start to increase.
On the outside, this seems like it would be a book I would really enjoy. I love books that address mental health and contemporary romance. In fact, some of my favorite books are contemporary romance books that also deal with mental health ([b:Speak|39280444|Speak|Laurie Halse Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529044298l/39280444._SY75_.jpg|118521], [b:All the Bright Places|18460392|All the Bright Places|Jennifer Niven|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1404331702l/18460392._SY75_.jpg|26113532], and [b:Darius the Great Is Not Okay|37506437|Darius the Great Is Not Okay (Darius The Great, #1)|Adib Khorram|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520460519l/37506437._SX50_.jpg|58014975] to name a few). This book just didn't sit right with me and I think the biggest reason for that is the author is not an Own Voices author. Yes, she did extensive research for various aspects of this book, but she is also quite open in that she made up a lot of Adam's experiences. In her author's note, Julia Walton mentions "a great deal of creative license was taken to describe his [Adam's] auditory and visual hallucinations." I just can't throw my support around a book that uses creative license to describe mental health. Mental health is too important to gloss over or "take creative license" with. As someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression, I would never want an author to take creative license with my real, lived experiences and embellish them for the sake of selling a book.
I liked the story and I definitely think there need to be more books written about those who struggle with more obscure mental illnesses, but I just can't rave about a book that highly fictionalizes mental health.
TW: schizophrenia, references to Sandy Hook
Adam is schizophrenic. He's on a trial for a new drug, ToZaPrex (not a real drug). Part of his agreement for being a part of the clinical trial is he has to meet weekly with his therapist to see how the drug affects him. Adam isn't opposed to this, but he also refuses to talk with his therapist so this book is told through the letters/journal entries Adam writes to his therapist. Adam had a major episode at his last school, so he's starting his junior year at a private Catholic school to give him a fresh start. Adam quickly befriends Dwight, the kid who is involved in everything and never shuts up, and Maya, a Filipino girl who Adam saves from drowning. Through Adam's journal entries, we learn what he life is like on this new drug and how his hallucinations change and evolve as the dosages in medication start to increase.
On the outside, this seems like it would be a book I would really enjoy. I love books that address mental health and contemporary romance. In fact, some of my favorite books are contemporary romance books that also deal with mental health ([b:Speak|39280444|Speak|Laurie Halse Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529044298l/39280444._SY75_.jpg|118521], [b:All the Bright Places|18460392|All the Bright Places|Jennifer Niven|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1404331702l/18460392._SY75_.jpg|26113532], and [b:Darius the Great Is Not Okay|37506437|Darius the Great Is Not Okay (Darius The Great, #1)|Adib Khorram|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520460519l/37506437._SX50_.jpg|58014975] to name a few). This book just didn't sit right with me and I think the biggest reason for that is the author is not an Own Voices author. Yes, she did extensive research for various aspects of this book, but she is also quite open in that she made up a lot of Adam's experiences. In her author's note, Julia Walton mentions "a great deal of creative license was taken to describe his [Adam's] auditory and visual hallucinations." I just can't throw my support around a book that uses creative license to describe mental health. Mental health is too important to gloss over or "take creative license" with. As someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression, I would never want an author to take creative license with my real, lived experiences and embellish them for the sake of selling a book.
I liked the story and I definitely think there need to be more books written about those who struggle with more obscure mental illnesses, but I just can't rave about a book that highly fictionalizes mental health.
TW: schizophrenia, references to Sandy Hook