First of all, this was a much different book than the one I was expecting. With the description including "she [Vicky] decides to inveOh my goodness.
First of all, this was a much different book than the one I was expecting. With the description including "she [Vicky] decides to invent a social life by Photoshopping herself into other people’s pictures," I totally thought this was going to be a Catfished style story. I was completely wrong, but I absolutely loved what this story actually is.
While Vicky does Photoshop herself into other people's pictures, her followers know that it's not real. There is something, however, completely different about her account and the way that she approaches people that compels people to hit the follow button.
Vicky is a very anxious high school student. She is undiagnosed, and her mom is not very understanding of Vicky's limitations. (Note: I only mention the undiagnosed part because in the context of the book, it means that she struggles all the more.)
Honestly, I saw so much of myself in Vicky. While my anxiety is not the same level as hers, I do have days where I'm too anxious to function properly. I too learned to ignore my name in high school because I was never the "Anna" that was being called to in the hallway or classroom.
I absolutely loved this book. It also challenges the notion of how you perceive people, especially when you base it on their social media fronts or what they put on as a mask daily.
Told through two perspectives, The Radius of Us by Marie Marquardt is an absolute gem.
We first meet Gretchen. Several months ago, Gretchen went througTold through two perspectives, The Radius of Us by Marie Marquardt is an absolute gem.
We first meet Gretchen. Several months ago, Gretchen went through a very traumatic experience when she was attacked. This event completely altered the direction of her life. She had to start being home schooled and had difficulties going to other places. She tried medication, but it left her feeling more zombie-like than anything, and her parents disagreed on the effectiveness of psychologists which left her without any mental health professional to talk with about this situation.
We then meet Phoenix. Phoenix is an asylum seeker from El Salvador. Coming to the United States to escape a violent situation at home in El Salvador, he has been taken in by two married women in Atlanta, Georgia while he seeks asylum. He worries about his brother who has also come to the U.S., but they have been separated by the U.S. government.
On the day that their lives intersect, Gretchen sees him and experiences a flashback which leads to a panic attack.
Over the next several chapters, they actually meet and begin to become friends. Of course, their friendship is complicated because of a variety of factors–a boyfriend for Gretchen, Gretchen’s anxiety and past trauma, Phoenix’s asylum seeking situation, and the past that Phoenix is hiding.
Over the course of this book, I fell in love with both characters and was rooting for both of them the whole entire time.
I want to point out a few things. At first glance, it may seem that this book was going to treat Gretchen becoming friends with Phoenix as the cure for her mental health issues. This is NOT the case. People can certainly help other people, but a person is not capable of curing a mental illness. The reason why their friendship works so well is that Phoenix helps but never attempts to “fix� Gretchen. There is a huge difference there, and it is written very well.
I also loved that Marquardt wrote about the real situation within El Salvador. El Salvador has been in a gang war for many years. At one point, the daily murders decreased for a while because of a truce in 2012 between the two main gangs. However, this truce fell apart in 2014 for a variety of reasons. As such, El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in the world While Phoenix and Ari are fictional victims of this gang violence (and their story does show the real power that the gangs have in El Salvador) and the story is fictional, they do represent real victims of this gang situation and violence. From the acknowledgment section, it seems that the author worked with Salvadorans directly impacted as a result of the situation.
This book is a difficult read for many reasons. I became frustrated with the story at several points, but I concede it is something that realisticallyThis book is a difficult read for many reasons. I became frustrated with the story at several points, but I concede it is something that realistically can happen. However, the end resolution was so unsatisfying. While perhaps the ending is not the point of this book, I feel like it's something that could have been more heavily emphasized. I must admit that I was also disappointed that the publisher (or author?) did not include a single page on resources for young readers who may be experiencing similar things to Ellery. ...more
Debut author Karen Fortunati has released a beautiful book into the world with The Weight of Zero. Catherine, the main character of the book, is livinDebut author Karen Fortunati has released a beautiful book into the world with The Weight of Zero. Catherine, the main character of the book, is living with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. So far for Catherine, she has had two manic episodes as well as a depressive episode in which she attempted suicide.
For Catherine, she has this fear that the great Zero, that low and dark depression will return. She attends therapy, takes medication, and begins an intensive outpatient program. Despite doing all of the so-called right things, she has the persistent fear that Zero will return, and she prepares herself for it. She creates a plan of one thing to do before that day comes, and she initially sets out to achieve it.
For Catherine, she deals with the loss of friends from her diagnosis, but for the first time since that happened, she is beginning to find friends. The problem, however, is that she is so fearful of the past repeating itself, she does not tell them of her diagnosis.
The book continues with exploring these friendships, her relationship with her mom, the grief of missing her grandmother, and the impending return of the Zero.
This book is beautiful. There are so many things this book does well. The adult characters in this book are wonderful. So often in YA mental health lit books, the adult characters are presented as wildly unhelpful. Instead, here they are presented as flawed, well-intended, & caring characters, ones who also own up to their mistakes. One of my favorite characters was Nonny who was brilliantly written. The use of the different treatment methods was also done very well. Additionally, the use of the male relationship figure was treated perfectly as well. In way too many books, it feels like a relationship is used as a way to “fix� a character. This, however, is not the case here.
Fortunati has created an absolutely beautiful piece of art, and it is an absolute must-read....more
Ultimately, this book is about grief, and the ways that traumatic grief especially can continue to impact our lives beyond the iStunning debut novel.
Ultimately, this book is about grief, and the ways that traumatic grief especially can continue to impact our lives beyond the initial event.
Rather than write the story in the midst of the tragic lost of Otis's brother Mason, Garner instead chose to write it from the perspective of 3.5 years later. While the story is initially a little confusing because you know something happened, although you are not sure what, the lack of the backstory initially works well. As a reader, you are able to see that even without knowing exactly what happened, the characters are still deeply impacted by what happened after all that time.
Because of the distance from the event, I think this is a book that young adults need to be able to read. It is rare to find a YA novel that puts so much distance between the traumatic event and the current story, and for many people in general, they need to be able to hear that grief continues. It doesn't just go away in time. While overall living may become easier, there will still be times where the pain comes back in full, like a phantom limb. ...more
This book is absolutely brutal at times. While I've read a lot of young adult books that deal with mental health issues, I've never read one quite likThis book is absolutely brutal at times. While I've read a lot of young adult books that deal with mental health issues, I've never read one quite like this. Instead of seeing Charlotte's life come back together after a stay in a mental health center, we read of her trying to keep her life together when she doesn't know how and the steady decline that occurs instead. It's realistic. It isn't pretty, but it's realistic for many people.
The writing is compelling. For those that do not struggle with their own mental health difficulties, this book can give you an accurate fictional insight into what it's like, especially with cutting.
For readers that struggle with cutting, it may be a bit too much. From the author's note at the end, she writes from first hand experience the emotions of cutting. While the author's note also seems to imply that she wants this to be a message that those who cut aren't alone, I was a bit leery to read it myself even though I last cut 4.5 years ago.
Overall, highly compelling, well-written, brutally realistic of a tough mental health situation and tough situation overall. ...more
About 50 pages from the end of this book, I nearly burst into tears. This book truly depicts what it's like to have body dysmorphia and disordered eatAbout 50 pages from the end of this book, I nearly burst into tears. This book truly depicts what it's like to have body dysmorphia and disordered eating even when it doesn't lend itself into a full blown eating disorder under the DSM criteria. At the same time, however, the book is hopeful. ...more
I first picked up this book several months ago, and I quickly abandoned it. Upon returning to it, however, I got it.
This book is not your typical booI first picked up this book several months ago, and I quickly abandoned it. Upon returning to it, however, I got it.
This book is not your typical book. This book is also not your typical young adult mental health related book. It is told entirely in the perspective of living with the protagonist's mental disorder. At times, you won't be sure what's happening nor be sure what is real and what is not.
That is the point.
If you read the author's note, you'll learn that much of this was inspired by his son and his own son's journey.
This is worth a read. At times, reading it may feel like a struggle. Struggle through it anyway. There's a purpose to that....more
This book may best be compared to Challenger Deep as the books gets into the mind of a character with a rather confusing mental illness. This may greaThis book may best be compared to Challenger Deep as the books gets into the mind of a character with a rather confusing mental illness. This may greatly frustrate some readers. I, however, thought that it was overall really well written. The lack of resolution may also frustrate some readers; I, however, think it makes it more realistic. ...more
While this book is written from the author's own experiences with depression, he makes some very broad sweeping generalizations about depression as a While this book is written from the author's own experiences with depression, he makes some very broad sweeping generalizations about depression as a whole, solely based on his experience. I found those broad sweeping generalizations that were made to actually be extremely dangerous. There were, however, some excellent points and descriptions made throughout. ...more
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