Take a photo of a barcode or cover
412 reviews for:
What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen
Kate Fagan
4.2 AVERAGE
412 reviews for:
What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen
Kate Fagan
4.2 AVERAGE
I tend to stay away from books, shows, movies, etc. that deal with suicide, because my father committed suicide, and it's generally a little too much for me. I decided to read this book, however, because I have daughters who put a lot of pressure on themselves--as most teen girls in our society tend to do. It's a relatively quick read, with an important story. Someone's life can seem to be going well, especially online, and the warning signs, even if there are any, can be completely missed by those closest to her. The author did a good job reconstructing Maddy's life, while at the same time highlighting issues she's had in her own life, which made the issues Maddy faced seem more universal.
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
challenging
informative
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
I really believe this is a must read for parents, teachers, coaches, etc. There is so much to unpack in this book. Sure, Maddy’s story is first and foremost but also her family and friends and just an overall sense of how different this day and age is for kids growing up with the pressure and the constant social media influence.
A really emotional and comprehensive look at one girl's struggle with mental illness and depression. Fagan writes from a balanced place of understanding and intrigue. The reader not only experiences the ins and outs of Madison's story specifically, but also receives lessons on mental health in general. I'll be thinking about this story for a long time.
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Hate rating books that are based on important, serious topics. That being said, this book was a great read. Not only do you learn about one girl and her struggle, but there is research and other anecdotes to back it up. This book definitely got me thinking about things and it's a book I think I will re-visit.
I think this struggle is real and I think we should try to understand it, however, I don't think this book is the one to do it. I understand that the author had incredible access to all of Maddy's phones, computers, texts, and writings, but she insterted herself into the narritive too much and presumed to know what Maddy was thinking just having read her things. You could go through my computer all day long and not know what I was thinking.
Maddy was a college track athlete and high school soccer and track star, who upon entering college, found herself very unhappy and ultimately committed suicide.
Will we ever know exactly why she did it? No. Was depression and anxiety a part of it? Yes. Was the pressure of college athletics part of it? Yes. But there are no cut and dry answers here.
Everyone around Maddy (the author too) seemed to put their hopes and desires onto her. If she had been allowed to quit track would this still have happened? We will never know. When I read this book, I read, "I hate track, I hate track, it doesn't make me happy, I'm miserable when I am training, I want to quit, I want to quit," however no one seemed to be listening. They'd tell her she didn't mean it, that college is hard to adjust to, that she'd regret it.
The way the story was told, seemed disjointed, oftentimes it would be more about the author, and sometimes I would get confused thinking that we were in Maddy's story but the author was actually taking us back to when she was in college.
I think what I got out of this book, more than anything, is that we have to listen to what our children are trying to tell us, not what we "think" they are trying to tell us. She was telling everyone how unhappy she was, she was telling everyone that she was miserable, and though we can't put the blame on everyone, more people should have listened.
Maddy was a college track athlete and high school soccer and track star, who upon entering college, found herself very unhappy and ultimately committed suicide.
Will we ever know exactly why she did it? No. Was depression and anxiety a part of it? Yes. Was the pressure of college athletics part of it? Yes. But there are no cut and dry answers here.
Everyone around Maddy (the author too) seemed to put their hopes and desires onto her. If she had been allowed to quit track would this still have happened? We will never know. When I read this book, I read, "I hate track, I hate track, it doesn't make me happy, I'm miserable when I am training, I want to quit, I want to quit," however no one seemed to be listening. They'd tell her she didn't mean it, that college is hard to adjust to, that she'd regret it.
The way the story was told, seemed disjointed, oftentimes it would be more about the author, and sometimes I would get confused thinking that we were in Maddy's story but the author was actually taking us back to when she was in college.
I think what I got out of this book, more than anything, is that we have to listen to what our children are trying to tell us, not what we "think" they are trying to tell us. She was telling everyone how unhappy she was, she was telling everyone that she was miserable, and though we can't put the blame on everyone, more people should have listened.