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celjla212's review against another edition
4.0
When you are reading a book where the main character is the first person narrator, and this person tells you from the beginning that they are schizophrenic, it follows that you are going to have quite a time trying to discern if what this narrator is telling you is real or not. But that's exactly what you get upon starting Made You Up; Alex herself tells you she's crazy, and even her medications aren't helping. Still, she is determined to finish out her senior year at a new high school.
Alex starts out the year with a single friend, and even he doesn't know her secret. Though it's something she struggles with everyday, Alex doesn't need the entire student body knowing about her mental illness. And from what she's seen of her conniving classmates, once they find something to latch onto about you, they never let go.
No one knows the truth of this more than Miles Richter. When Alex comes face to face with him at school, she realizes he may or may not be the boy she remembers from a very important moment in her young life. But his standoffish demeanor and nasty attitude make Alex want to stay as far away from him as possible. Until she is forced to spend time with him, and learns some hard truths.
As I said, the most interesting part of this book is knowing that the things you read may not in fact be happening. As you get to know Alex throughout the story you come to feel for her, and it's not exactly pity. You know that some things she talks about cannot be real (men in suits standing on the roof of her school), but others she talks about so passionately, it absolutely guts you when you find out they are not. There is one particularly crushing moment like this towards the end.
Alex and Miles both have their deep seated issues, and as a result their romance is slow to start. But to me, once they got fully involved with one another, it was very sweet and worth the wait. Knowing that they both had to get past so much within their own minds just to let the other get close makes the romance very fulfilling for the reader.
Although this may seem like just another teen romance novel, it's far more than that. Made You Up deals with mental illness in a very raw way, and recognizes that a person may need more help than they ever thought to move forward in their life. There are some things in the book I still can't be sure were real, and that's OK. The author does a great job of challenging the reader's perception of reality, and that is the major reason this book is a success.
Alex starts out the year with a single friend, and even he doesn't know her secret. Though it's something she struggles with everyday, Alex doesn't need the entire student body knowing about her mental illness. And from what she's seen of her conniving classmates, once they find something to latch onto about you, they never let go.
No one knows the truth of this more than Miles Richter. When Alex comes face to face with him at school, she realizes he may or may not be the boy she remembers from a very important moment in her young life. But his standoffish demeanor and nasty attitude make Alex want to stay as far away from him as possible. Until she is forced to spend time with him, and learns some hard truths.
As I said, the most interesting part of this book is knowing that the things you read may not in fact be happening. As you get to know Alex throughout the story you come to feel for her, and it's not exactly pity. You know that some things she talks about cannot be real (men in suits standing on the roof of her school), but others she talks about so passionately, it absolutely guts you when you find out they are not. There is one particularly crushing moment like this towards the end.
Alex and Miles both have their deep seated issues, and as a result their romance is slow to start. But to me, once they got fully involved with one another, it was very sweet and worth the wait. Knowing that they both had to get past so much within their own minds just to let the other get close makes the romance very fulfilling for the reader.
Although this may seem like just another teen romance novel, it's far more than that. Made You Up deals with mental illness in a very raw way, and recognizes that a person may need more help than they ever thought to move forward in their life. There are some things in the book I still can't be sure were real, and that's OK. The author does a great job of challenging the reader's perception of reality, and that is the major reason this book is a success.
labunnywtf's review against another edition
5.0
I don't like it when your head breaks.
God, this book screwed with me. This book messed with my head so much, I had to take a couple of days to process what I'd read, and all of me wants to start it back from the beginning and try again, try to see what is real and what isn't real in Alex's world.
I really, truly, and genuinely want to know if this is an accurate view inside of a schizophrenic mind. I realize that all schizophrenics don't think and feel the same way, but unless Francesca Zappia is, in fact, a schizophrenic, I really want to know if this is accurate.
Whether it is or not, though, it is still a mind bender. And my heart aches and breaks over and over throughout as I read her struggle to decipher what in her world is true and not true.
Especially considering how kind of insane her world is, even without the actual mental disorder. You feel throughout that everything has an unreal quality to it, and clearly that can't be real life. And to find out that what you were sure is not real actually is real, and things that seem obviously real are, in fact, hallucinations. It's just...
This is a really and truly brilliant look into the world of mental illness. And I don't think I can possibly put my fingers to these keys enough times to accurately express that. It's a wonderful read from start to finish.
God, this book screwed with me. This book messed with my head so much, I had to take a couple of days to process what I'd read, and all of me wants to start it back from the beginning and try again, try to see what is real and what isn't real in Alex's world.
I really, truly, and genuinely want to know if this is an accurate view inside of a schizophrenic mind. I realize that all schizophrenics don't think and feel the same way, but unless Francesca Zappia is, in fact, a schizophrenic, I really want to know if this is accurate.
Whether it is or not, though, it is still a mind bender. And my heart aches and breaks over and over throughout as I read her struggle to decipher what in her world is true and not true.
Especially considering how kind of insane her world is, even without the actual mental disorder. You feel throughout that everything has an unreal quality to it, and clearly that can't be real life. And to find out that what you were sure is not real actually is real, and things that seem obviously real are, in fact, hallucinations. It's just...
This is a really and truly brilliant look into the world of mental illness. And I don't think I can possibly put my fingers to these keys enough times to accurately express that. It's a wonderful read from start to finish.
sarahlove6's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
carow's review against another edition
reflective
medium-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
2.0
bexxa12345's review against another edition
5.0
I love Made You Up, and Francesca's other book, Eliza and her monsters. She is a great author overall and I hope she writes more books.
Read again, I love it so much and I always have the urge to read over and over again, like I just did.
Read again, I love it so much and I always have the urge to read over and over again, like I just did.
sly99's review against another edition
4.0
good book. reminded me so much of Beautiful Mind (movie) towards the end.
roofus's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
s1ck4n's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, and Suicide
gray_turner02's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
bobbiecabrera's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe this isn't the right time for me to go back to YA novels, or maybe this isn't the best novel to do it with. The story was good, but not great. I was wary reading the synopsis, but I decided to give it a try anyway, because there is a lot Zappia can do with her selling point: the main protaginist, especially since she's touching a timely and rarely-discussed and tackled (in popular fiction) mental illness.
Unfortunately, the book is peppered with high school clichés. The part about Charlie was so predictable. The book didn't just...make an impression. So much could have been done, especially with an interesting premise. But hey, I'm no expert.
Unfortunately, the book is peppered with high school clichés. The part about Charlie was so predictable. The book didn't just...make an impression. So much could have been done, especially with an interesting premise. But hey, I'm no expert.