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lisa_mc's review against another edition
4.0
Set in small-town Kansas, this wonderful, gritty, scary, beautiful story follows a young girl through adolescence as she deals with her mother’s schizophrenia. Fiona -- known as “Fig” -- is just six when the story begins and her mother begins to descend into the clutches of mental illness.
Her befuddled father copes the best he can, her classmates make fun of her, and her seemingly coldhearted grandmother passive-aggressively “helps,” but Fig finds unexpected support from her Uncle Billy. Most of the story, though, takes place within Fig's thoughts, as she moves from childhood to young adulthood and her understanding of and attitudes toward her mother mature as well.
The story realistically -- and unsparingly -- portrays the struggles of mental illness, not just for the person who is ill but for the whole family. It's heavy going at times, but shows how the bonds of family can remain strong even as a situation changes.
Her befuddled father copes the best he can, her classmates make fun of her, and her seemingly coldhearted grandmother passive-aggressively “helps,” but Fig finds unexpected support from her Uncle Billy. Most of the story, though, takes place within Fig's thoughts, as she moves from childhood to young adulthood and her understanding of and attitudes toward her mother mature as well.
The story realistically -- and unsparingly -- portrays the struggles of mental illness, not just for the person who is ill but for the whole family. It's heavy going at times, but shows how the bonds of family can remain strong even as a situation changes.
lindacbugg's review against another edition
3.0
So...this was really well written but I don't think I would necessarily recommend it to anyone because I just didn't enjoy the time I spent in this world. There was no light at the end of the tunnel, no bittersweet resolution, no message-political or otherwise, just sadness. I found myself wanting to bail on several occasions but felt I had invested too much already.
It's a story of a mother's schizophrenia as seen through her daughter's eyes and all the ways she (Fig) bargains with the universe for her mother to be well again. Everyday there's a new ordeal from the Calendar of Ordeals, dictating what Fig must refrain from each day. Some days are easy but some have to be repeated over and over until someone figures out that Fig is OCD.
Honestly, by this point I feel like I had OCD--should I finish, should I bail. I carried a back-up book just in case my head exploded.
The novel takes place during the Reagan era which is when there was a major closure of mental institutions across the country but this gets mentioned over the course of one chapter and nothing more. I'm not sure why this bothered me but it did.
I hate the "it's not you, it's me" review but that's the best I can do. If only someone had gotten even a little HEA*
But keep in mind that your results may vary.
*Happily ever after
It's a story of a mother's schizophrenia as seen through her daughter's eyes and all the ways she (Fig) bargains with the universe for her mother to be well again. Everyday there's a new ordeal from the Calendar of Ordeals, dictating what Fig must refrain from each day. Some days are easy but some have to be repeated over and over until someone figures out that Fig is OCD.
Honestly, by this point I feel like I had OCD--should I finish, should I bail. I carried a back-up book just in case my head exploded.
The novel takes place during the Reagan era which is when there was a major closure of mental institutions across the country but this gets mentioned over the course of one chapter and nothing more. I'm not sure why this bothered me but it did.
I hate the "it's not you, it's me" review but that's the best I can do. If only someone had gotten even a little HEA*
But keep in mind that your results may vary.
*Happily ever after
unfortunatecircus's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Self harm
Moderate: Death of parent and Bullying
Minor: Animal death
katlikespie's review against another edition
3.0
Fig's mother - her beautiful, wonderful mother - has schizophrenia, and has trouble telling truth from reality. As a result, Fig herself isn't always sure what's going on. When she was six, her mother panicked and insisted that their picnic had been interrupted by dingoes, who were trying to steal Fig away (much like the current news story of baby Azaria Chamberlain) - but there aren't any dingoes in the U.S. Maybe it was dogs? Coyotes? Was there anything there at all? Fig doesn't know. All she knows is that she needs her mother to get better, and maybe Fig herself can do something about it. She starts writing daily ordeals on her calendar: this day, she can't touch anything metal; that day, she can't drink any water. Her mom *is* getting better when she follows through! She can see it! Add to this some self-punishment (mostly picking at scabs, but also some cutting), and you've got teenage Fig's life in a nutshell.
I really wanted to like this one, and I stuck it out until the end, but ultimately, I didn't really care what happened to the characters, and I feel like the big grand conclusion just wasn't very satisfying. The synopsis made it seem like Fig would be slowly descending into mental illness herself, which sounded much more interesting.
I really wanted to like this one, and I stuck it out until the end, but ultimately, I didn't really care what happened to the characters, and I feel like the big grand conclusion just wasn't very satisfying. The synopsis made it seem like Fig would be slowly descending into mental illness herself, which sounded much more interesting.
jshettel's review against another edition
5.0
This is a gorgeously written debut novel by Schantz about a young girl (Fig) who is dealing with her mother's mental illness and her own anxiety/OCD issues. Very sophisticated writing that draws the reader in to Fig's story.
thrifty_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
A great portrait of a child with OCD.
I didn't like how in her narration, Fig used words that were way more advanced than the ones she was looking up in the dictionary. In first person, present-tense narration, it's nice if the voice is appropriate to what the narrator is going through. And I found the 187 IQ unlikely for someone who reasons as she does.
Otherwise, I found the story believable, and Fig's relationship with her family rang true. The story got a bit stagnant after awhile (and the characters evolved very little), but in all a good read.
I didn't like how in her narration, Fig used words that were way more advanced than the ones she was looking up in the dictionary. In first person, present-tense narration, it's nice if the voice is appropriate to what the narrator is going through. And I found the 187 IQ unlikely for someone who reasons as she does.
Otherwise, I found the story believable, and Fig's relationship with her family rang true. The story got a bit stagnant after awhile (and the characters evolved very little), but in all a good read.
paulaercksn's review against another edition
4.0
Great look at what life is like living with a person with a mental illness. It would have been 5 stars, but it was so depressing at times.
jasmineshollow's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
iv_sava's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Grief, and Suicide