Life as a student is good for Flynn. As one of the top pianists at the Royal College of Music, he is put forward for a big concert, the opportunity of a lifetime. But beneath the surface, things are changing. On a good day he feels full of energy and life, but on a bad day being alive is worse than being dead. Sometimes he wants to compose and practise all night, at other times he can't even get out of bed. His flatmate Harry tries to understand but is increasingly confused by Flynn's erratic mo More...

Dear Tabitha, thank you for sending me such a fabulous book!

A Note of Madness is a compelling story, very moving, heart-breaking, emotional and a gripping read!

For someone who works with young people in education I found this story very helpful and informative on the subject of mental illness.

Tabitha loves to chalenge herself with taboo themes. Her style of writing totally draws you in to Flynn's world and makes you really understand how he is feeling. Honestly and beautifully written.

Overall: 4 More...

A few months ago, I read Ms. Suzuma's book, Forbidden - which was the first book I've ever read that made me cry (not just a bit of moisture, full on tears!). Immediately I went to see what other work she had published, and picked up A Note of Madness, her debut novel.

I knew from the beginning this book would be another tough read, but it was so worthwhile. Ms. Suzuma writes with an intensity that is impossible to walk away from - I was incredibly emotionally invested in this book right from the More...

My expectations was sky high to this book and it didn't disappoint me at all. You get a really intense insight in what you can go from being well to mentally ill and it means.

I instantly felt connected with Flynn, besides from the talent his just an ordinary guy which means that this sickness could happen to everybody.

There's so many powerful scenes which is unforgettable and even thought I found it difficult with connection to the book when I first picked it up, I'd a hard time putting it dow More...

I read Tabitha Suzuma’s ‘Forbidden’ last year. I liked it so much that I wanted to explore other works of hers. Whenever I discover a new writer and like one of her/his works, I try to read the first book of that writer. So I thought I will get Tabitha Suzuma’s first book, ‘A Note of Madness’. I finished reading it yesterday. Here is what I think.

‘A Note of Madness’ is about a classical music student, Flynn. Flynn discovers one day that his emotional state moves to sudden extremes. One day he fe More...

This book is by the author of Forbidden and the main reason that I fell in love with that book, and Tabitha Suzuma, was the ability to really see in Lochan's head and feel the mental illness from a first hand perspective. I remember saying something in my review of Forbidden about the first half of that book really focusing on Lochan and I could have read an entire book of just that. Well A Note of Madness is that book I was hoping for! So why did I give it 4 stars when I gave Forbidden 5 stars? More...

Don't get me wrong- I loved this book. It was a great read, really gripping and at times I was really moved. Flynn's journey through colour and illness with all it's up's and down's was enthralling, but at times I found myself quite frustrated with the book- I felt it wasn't very realistic and moved too quickly. Although understandably most of the emphasis is on Flynn, I wanted much more development in some of the other characters- I felt they were just props rather than actual features and it b More...

I really loved this book - it had me laughing, crying, and wanting to both hug and slap Flynn. Suzuma is an excellent author and I am now reading A Voice in the Distance

Wow!!! Awesome, awesome, awesome!!!! Wasn't sure i'd like it, honestly, but my friend raved about it, and i'm glad i read it! Gotta add it to my collection!

Tabitha Suzuma never ceases to amaze me. How do you make something that seems dull to a regular person into something beautiful? I LOVE her writing skills. I absolutely adore how she captures the beauty of what surrounds us into words.

A Note of Madness is a beautiful story, not what Flynn (main character) goes through but rather how Tabitha Suzuma wrote it in such a rich way. I could identify with Flynn (I'm not bipolar) but the phases he went through: the highs and lows, the hyper, creative mom More...

Have you ever wondered how madness begin? Is it really just a chemical imbalance that a mere prescribed pill can stave off? Since he was four years old, Flynn had always known music is in his future. Some could consider him as a virtuoso - but that's not how he sees himself. His days are a cycle of crippling depression and brilliant music composition. When he was chosen to play at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, pressure builds to an explosive point as he struggles to keep his insanity away.

R More...

As with the first book of hers that I've read, Tabitha Suzuma has made me all jealous of her writing ability. That way she has to enable her readers to *feel* everything her main character feels is downright amazing. I envy that skill. I want it.

A Note of Madness is Ms. Suzuma's debut novel, and I was lucky enough to receive a personalized signed one from the fanfiction contest! I'd been wanting to read this book for some time but just hadn't gotten around to ordering it. Truth be told, I was ki More...

I love Tabitha Suzuma. She's a writer of rare talent who clearly pours herself into her work. It's rare to find a writer with such a distinct sense of self and voice in her fiction. In this sense, she reminds me very much of Cormac McCarthy in that she has such a distinct prose style. This is her debut novel. We follow Flynn, a musical prodigy, as he struggles with the pressures of an extremely competitive music academy. We also get a front row seat as he descends into madness. Suzuma manages to More...

The cat had Tabitha Suzuma’s Forbidden in her Amazon basket for a while before she finally ordered it (much of this was due to Joanna Kenrick who suggested reading some of Suzuma’s writings). Anyways, the cat’s a bit autistic, so instead of reading the current cult hit Forbidden first, she decided to start with Suzuma’s debut A Note of Madness.
Flynn is talented pianist at the Royal College of Music in London, he’s got a small circle of good friends, a loving family, but when he starts to prepar More...

A Note of Madness by Tabitha Suzuma is a really hard-hitting read. It wasn't easy reading about Flynn's experiences with bipolar disorder, and at times I felt almost overwhelmed with emotion whilst reading this book. So much of what Flynn experiences and feels are portrayed in such a way that it was very difficult for me to separate myself from Flynn. Despite having no previous experience with manic depression, I really felt like I had a much better understanding after reading A Note of Madness More...

A Note of Madness didn't turn out to be what I had originally expected.

The book tells us the story of Flynn, a music student and pianist at the Royal College of Music in London whose life spirals out of control as he develops a mental illness.

When I first read the summary I expected a story about someone with a deep depression and what I got was slightly and yet so much different.

I had quite a few problems with A Note of Madness. Because of those I continually checked how many pages I still had More...

As well as forbidden, this book is based on circumstances that do not usually enter the public eye. It portrays a member of society who is very likely to be discriminated against.
All of the greatest books involve a forbidden, taboo relationship and this one is extremely unique. It has an original story line and because the outcome is one that is likely to occur in reality, it causes the reader to contemplate the lifestyles of the mentally ill even when months have past by.

I had expected so much more. Plus, the fact that they "cured" madness, depression with pharmaceuticals was a real turn off. It is a very light, easy read, kind of jumpy. I found it as if the story was kind of jumping on the surface of the main topic, but never going under it and hitting the core. Additionally I found the writing style very unsatisfying. But the subject of how young people today, have to deal with inexplicable amounts of stress, and how common depression is in today's society, is More...

The question now is whether or not I go on to read A Voice in the Distance. I like where this one ended. Why ruin my illusion that Flynn managed to beat his beast of a disease with Jennah by his side? Why subject myself to another Forbidden-esque breakdown? Whyyyyy?

Because I'm an incorrigible masochist, that's why. And as long as Flynn and Jennah don't end up like Lochan and Maya, I'm inclined to give the sequel a go...eventually.

Possibly one of my favourite books I read this year. I adore the character of Flynn, with his many talents and equally many flaws, and the supporting characters of Harry and Jennah who try so hard to help Flynn, try to just be there for him and end up watching him fall apart. The role the music plays is, I think, beautiful and rather undescribable in a review. We - the readers - are given little snippits of music terminology, not enough to overwhelm but just enough so we can understand what Flyn More...

This is one of my all time favourite books, lost count of how many times I've read it now. I've never related to a book so much as this one before. So well written and intimate, Tabitha clearly has an excellent understanding of people with this condition like Flynn and the loved ones around him. The sequel 'A Voice In The Distance' is also a must read.

This book was an interesting and thought provoking look at a teenager suffering with mental illness. It definitely provides insight into bipolar disorder and shows how anyone can be hit by an illness like that.

But the writing really prevents the reader from becoming engaged with the book and the characters. It's not as clear as it could be and it's hard to feel a connection with Flynn. I didn't care about him as much as I would like to and it definitely lacked the emotional impact of Suzuma's mo More...

First off, I had A Note of Madness by Tabitha Suzuma. She wrote a book I previously reviewed, Forbidden, and I was intrigued to check out her other stuff. I also liked the fact that she’s a British writer (they seem increasingly hard to find) and she was writing about a musician battling with depression. It seemed like an fascinating idea.

Our main character, Flynn, is a student at the Royal College of Music, preparing for an important concert. He begins to experience mad flashes of inspiration, More...

Although it is a little hard to get into, this book is one that is amazing. After the first few chapters I was hooked, living the life of Flynn as he tries to sort out his life and deals with the stress of school and concerts. It is an amazing book that is written quite well.

Oh.. sólo puedo decir oh.. es mmmm heavy, es diferente, aunque del estilo propio a la autora (hasta donde he leído), y sin embargo, es ohhh.. intenso, Flynn me hace querer dale un abrazo a veces y unos cuantos golpes para que reaccione en otras, pero la capacidad de expresar en "pocas palabras" su historia es algo digno de leer! ;)

Beautiful, haunting, with characters I fell in love with almost immediately. This is the second book of Suzama's that I've read, and I adore her style. It's beautiful and really sticks with you and she has such a great way of addressing "tricky" issues without casting judgement. I just adored Flynn and his struggles were real and heartbreaking, but I was always on his side.

I'm excited to read the next one and more from this author.