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pb06's review against another edition
4.0
Cute as a story. But the fluffy take on schizophrenia was a bit too much for me.
aelong1399's review against another edition
5.0
Holy crap, what a spectacular book. Zappia is a stunningly talented author, and I can't wait to see what she does next. WOW. Everyone needs to read this book. I seriously could not put it down.
Zappia's handling of Alex's schizophrenia is (in my opinion) excellent. Alex is not the bad guy of the story, and in her story, she lives out a (fairly) normal life-she fights with her parents, she struggles to navigate the complicated social world of high school, she even falls in love. Schizophrenia is a disease that leaves those it effects almost always stereotyped as dangerous and unreachable. Zappia flips that stereotype on its head.
Also, the fact that the author is so young and yet managed to write a better book than many adult novelists I've read inspires me to push myself a little more with my own writing.
Zappia's handling of Alex's schizophrenia is (in my opinion) excellent. Alex is not the bad guy of the story, and in her story, she lives out a (fairly) normal life-she fights with her parents, she struggles to navigate the complicated social world of high school, she even falls in love. Schizophrenia is a disease that leaves those it effects almost always stereotyped as dangerous and unreachable. Zappia flips that stereotype on its head.
Also, the fact that the author is so young and yet managed to write a better book than many adult novelists I've read inspires me to push myself a little more with my own writing.
renegadepearl's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
flowersofquiethappiness's review against another edition
4.0
I haven't ever read a story with a main character who has schizophrenia before. But Ms. Zappia does a fabulous job of getting her readers to sympathize with and like Alex. She is an amazing character! And her story completely blew me away. I was sucked in and turning pages as fast as I could! Living with a daily question of whether anything or anyone she sees is real or imaginary would be tough. But Alex is one determined young lady and desires to live life on her own terms. Her journey is real and heart-wrenching, but filled with little bits of happy that help get her through. This is a very thought-provoking read with a twist I did not see coming at all! You should read it. I highly recommend!
poledancingdinos's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this novel. It was a refreshing topic that mixed fantasy into the story in a more realistic way. Although I was often able to predict what would happen I took great pleasure in reading it.
mfbr233's review against another edition
5.0
A unique, young adult contemporary novel that has an unreliable narrator who tells a suspenseful, shocking story full of plot twists and quirky characters- you'll never know if they're hallucinations or not, though.
imys's review against another edition
4.0
i can honestly say i've never read anything like this...and i loved it! the unreliable mc herself made the whole book so enjoyable and so honest. even though i was nervous the whole book at what might come, i feel like that made the book that much more real and good.
erincataldi's review against another edition
4.0
There aren't many teen novels that deal with mental illness in a positive, educational way which makes this book even more important. The book centers around Alex, a high school senior suffering from schizophrenia. Having been kicked out of her last school for defacing the gym she is sent to a new high school and as part of her punishment she has to join an after school athletic club. Alex finds herself making friends but more often than not she's not always sure what is real and what is a figment of her imagination. Are these friendships real or are they fake? Miles, the head of the club soon becomes one of her fixations. Does he really have a German accent? Why do people call him a Nazi? Can she trust him? A hopeful, honest read about mental illness and the power of friendship.
alissiachs3's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
herzzerreissend's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0