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A review by rebekahlee
The Lost Language of Crazy by Pamela L. Laskin
5.0
“Sometimes in life you just have to eat the eggplant Parmesan, even when you don’t want to, because you love the person who made it.”
This might be one of the best depictions of trauma I’ve ever read?? I finished this book in under 4 hours.
This book follows a 13 year old Penny/Pilar, stuck in a world of judgement, identity crisis and change. She is learning who she is, who her friends are, secrets about her parents, and struggling with becoming a writer. Her play is going to be performed not the way she envisioned it. Her small voice isn’t being heard, until she no longer has a voice.
So let me break down how many hurdles this book covers. You get to see how religion in young people trickles down from their parents, and how they struggle with their own religious beliefs. How teens accept a fellow transgender youth. A very difficult situation of being guilted for not “liking” a transgender individual not because they are trans, but just because you don’t have feelings for them. How immigrants are treated in the American work system, even when they have years of background and experience in their home country.
Dealing with mental illness through therapy. Acknowledging it doesn’t always work but you have to put in the effort. How your parents mental illness can or can’t effect you. Will you have the same struggles? Learning how to be strong for other people who are hurting, and knowing when you must step back and help yourself. When someone is not themself anymore, lost to mental illness, when they don’t know you most days. Disordered eating as a result of anxiety, as a way to punish your body. Comparing traumas because you are using anger as a coping mechanism. Dealing with all of this at just the age of 13. The list is endless.
So obviously this is a lot, I took so many notes because some of these topics hit so close to home. There is a situation I mentioned previously that I was in personally, I won’t share, but having an author write about this was just so validating and rewarding.
Even though the main character is only 13, it does not feel like a YA novel. I think teens could easily read this and learn a lot. It’s absolutely an emotional roller coaster, but you come out learning more then when you began.
I cannot recommend this book enough when it is published. I was shaken to my core and knew that only after a few chapters, it was a 5 star for me.
This might be one of the best depictions of trauma I’ve ever read?? I finished this book in under 4 hours.
This book follows a 13 year old Penny/Pilar, stuck in a world of judgement, identity crisis and change. She is learning who she is, who her friends are, secrets about her parents, and struggling with becoming a writer. Her play is going to be performed not the way she envisioned it. Her small voice isn’t being heard, until she no longer has a voice.
So let me break down how many hurdles this book covers. You get to see how religion in young people trickles down from their parents, and how they struggle with their own religious beliefs. How teens accept a fellow transgender youth. A very difficult situation of being guilted for not “liking” a transgender individual not because they are trans, but just because you don’t have feelings for them. How immigrants are treated in the American work system, even when they have years of background and experience in their home country.
Dealing with mental illness through therapy. Acknowledging it doesn’t always work but you have to put in the effort. How your parents mental illness can or can’t effect you. Will you have the same struggles? Learning how to be strong for other people who are hurting, and knowing when you must step back and help yourself. When someone is not themself anymore, lost to mental illness, when they don’t know you most days. Disordered eating as a result of anxiety, as a way to punish your body. Comparing traumas because you are using anger as a coping mechanism. Dealing with all of this at just the age of 13. The list is endless.
So obviously this is a lot, I took so many notes because some of these topics hit so close to home. There is a situation I mentioned previously that I was in personally, I won’t share, but having an author write about this was just so validating and rewarding.
Even though the main character is only 13, it does not feel like a YA novel. I think teens could easily read this and learn a lot. It’s absolutely an emotional roller coaster, but you come out learning more then when you began.
I cannot recommend this book enough when it is published. I was shaken to my core and knew that only after a few chapters, it was a 5 star for me.