Scan barcode
A review by barefootmegz
The Lost Language of Crazy by Pamela L. Laskin
1.0
I am not going to sugar-coat it: The Lost Language of Crazy has some major problems, the greatest of which is that the writing style varies wildly, and is not always appropriate - or even accessible - to the presumed age group (early-YA). The majority of the book, when in Penny/Pilar’s voice, is extremely juvenile and very exclamation-y. That may be okay for her age group, although possibly TOO juvenile.
On the other hand, the psychiatric excerpts are way, WAY beyond the comprehension of the average twelve-year-old, and do not at all further the story. In fact, it is repetitive and jarring.
Parts of Pilar’s experiences are extremely traumatic, and when addressed in a YA book, it needs to be done with sensitivity. I don’t see much of that at all. I also don’t see much faith in therapy and medication - the implication seems to be that Pilar eventually “magically” becomes better.
Disturbingly, the use of the word “crazy”, while noted, is not truly addressed. One might think that a book about mental illness would address the stigma and insensitivity of the word, and encourage alternative words instead. It is, after all, a book about a young writer. Instead, the author simply describes the various meanings of “crazy”.
One thing in the book’s favour is inclusivity. Characters in this book are queer, POC, immigrants, and mentally ill. However, I don’t think it was really necessary to make EACH of those characters a focal point. Minority characters are allowed to be part of a story without ALL having their lives described in detail. Otherwise, it comes off as checking boxes instead of being realistic and inclusive.
The concept of consent briefly appears (perhaps as an added stressor in Pilar's life?), but for such an important topic, it is really rushed.
Finally, my biggest gripe is the way in which mental illness, and specifically schizophrenia, is described. Schizophrenia IS NOT Multiple Personality Disorder. Please read that again. This is a commonly made mistake, but something I expect an author and editor to pick up on before they write/publish about it. The way in which these illnesses are described add to the confusion and stigma, rather than informing young people in order for them to be more empathic. And the way in which the question of whether Pilar might inherit her mother's illness is handled, is frankly irresponsible. schizophrenia has a major genetic component, and no amount of "strength" can change that. Whether Pilar might inherit her mother's illness is a much more nuanced issue. It is one thing to describe Pilar's distress and fears about that, and another thing entirely to presume to answer that in the novel.
I am a huge fan of books that address mental illness, especially for younger age groups, but they have a huge responsibility to do be safe, sensitive, and accurate. The Lost Language of Crazy does not achieve that.
On the other hand, the psychiatric excerpts are way, WAY beyond the comprehension of the average twelve-year-old, and do not at all further the story. In fact, it is repetitive and jarring.
Parts of Pilar’s experiences are extremely traumatic, and when addressed in a YA book, it needs to be done with sensitivity. I don’t see much of that at all. I also don’t see much faith in therapy and medication - the implication seems to be that Pilar eventually “magically” becomes better.
Disturbingly, the use of the word “crazy”, while noted, is not truly addressed. One might think that a book about mental illness would address the stigma and insensitivity of the word, and encourage alternative words instead. It is, after all, a book about a young writer. Instead, the author simply describes the various meanings of “crazy”.
One thing in the book’s favour is inclusivity. Characters in this book are queer, POC, immigrants, and mentally ill. However, I don’t think it was really necessary to make EACH of those characters a focal point. Minority characters are allowed to be part of a story without ALL having their lives described in detail. Otherwise, it comes off as checking boxes instead of being realistic and inclusive.
The concept of consent briefly appears (perhaps as an added stressor in Pilar's life?), but for such an important topic, it is really rushed.
Finally, my biggest gripe is the way in which mental illness, and specifically schizophrenia, is described. Schizophrenia IS NOT Multiple Personality Disorder. Please read that again. This is a commonly made mistake, but something I expect an author and editor to pick up on before they write/publish about it. The way in which these illnesses are described add to the confusion and stigma, rather than informing young people in order for them to be more empathic. And the way in which the question of whether Pilar might inherit her mother's illness is handled, is frankly irresponsible. schizophrenia has a major genetic component, and no amount of "strength" can change that. Whether Pilar might inherit her mother's illness is a much more nuanced issue. It is one thing to describe Pilar's distress and fears about that, and another thing entirely to presume to answer that in the novel.
I am a huge fan of books that address mental illness, especially for younger age groups, but they have a huge responsibility to do be safe, sensitive, and accurate. The Lost Language of Crazy does not achieve that.