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A review by booksamongstfriends
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
4.0
Using stars, I genuinely could not give this book any less than 4. You can tell there’s a lot of care and energy that went into the research and not only the collection of it, but the tender approach in which Kolker handled these families, scientists, researchers, and many more. While there were times I felt like, "Did I really need to know about this person in as much detail?" I also felt Kolker did an amazing job fully explaining the layers of trauma, pain, hope, and science behind those affected with schizophrenia and those who live with people with this condition.
After seeing the docu-series on HBO Max, I wouldn’t necessarily say one is better than the other. The documentaries provide a visual that you can only imagine while reading the book. Plus, in the book, there is a lot of focus on the sisters' relationships, whereas in the show, especially in their older age, you see more of the avoidance from the other unaffected boys.
I would definitely recommend reading the book and watching the show to get a full picture rather than comparing them. Overall, I really enjoyed my read of Hidden Valley Road and the in-depth take it provided on a condition that we still have so much to learn about.
After seeing the docu-series on HBO Max, I wouldn’t necessarily say one is better than the other. The documentaries provide a visual that you can only imagine while reading the book. Plus, in the book, there is a lot of focus on the sisters' relationships, whereas in the show, especially in their older age, you see more of the avoidance from the other unaffected boys.
I would definitely recommend reading the book and watching the show to get a full picture rather than comparing them. Overall, I really enjoyed my read of Hidden Valley Road and the in-depth take it provided on a condition that we still have so much to learn about.