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Sisters in Sanity

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 736 ratings · 105 reviews

"Where are they taking me?"

"It's for your own good, Brit," Dad said.

I was shoved into a small, stuffy room, and the door was locked behind me. I waited for my dad to realize he'd made a terrible mistake and come get me.

But he didn't.

For sixteen-year-old Brit Hemphill, it's hard to know who she can trust. Convinced she's out of control, her father has sentenced her to Red R...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published April 21st 2009 by HarperTeen (first published August 16th 2007)

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Apr 11, 2011 Flannery rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kcls, young-adult-teen, read-in-2011, reviewed-2011, readalong

I knew of Gayle Forman from her book If I Stay, which I wrote a gushing review of a few months back. A few of us decided to read this lesser-known work of hers together this week. I was excited to read the book because of the author and because I was reading it with friends…but not so excited about the subject matter. I assumed that this was rather well-worn territory, what with Girl Interrupted and all. Also, I wasn’t in the mood for a depressing book. Sisters in Sanity surprised me in a good w...more I knew of Gayle Forman from her book If I Stay, which I wrote a gushing review of a few months back. A few of us decided to read this lesser-known work of hers together this week. I was excited to read the book because of the author and because I was reading it with friends…but not so excited about the subject matter. I assumed that this was rather well-worn territory, what with Girl Interrupted and all. Also, I wasn’t in the mood for a depressing book. Sisters in Sanity surprised me in a good way, and I definitely recommend it to those who are interested in YA books related to mental health issues/treatment.

Brit Hemphill lives with her father and her stepmonster. Her mother isn’t in the picture and I don’t want to spoil where she is so I’ll leave it at that. Her parents owned a coffeehouse in Portland during her formative years so she rubbed elbows with all sorts of famous musicians and took up the guitar, teaching herself how to play for the most part. Because of her mother’s absence and her father’s relationship (and subsequent child), Brit spends as much time out of the house as possible, mostly playing and touring with her band. When her father and stepmother make her go on a family vacation to the Grand Canyon, Brit is angry she’ll miss a gig but obliges. Only she isn’t going to the Grand Canyon—her dad is dropping her off at a juvenile rehabilitation center because she is “out of control.”

Anger. That’s the emotion I felt for most of the book, not sadness. I was livid with Brit’s father. Absolutely wanted (and still want) to punch that man in the face. How could he do that to his child? (view spoiler)

I was expecting the novel to follow the Girl, Interrupted storyline and, for the most part, it did. I was pleasantly surprised, however, at the supporting cast of characters (who were far more balanced than those with Susanna Kaysen) and the relationship between Brit and Jed, her bandmate. His letters and the description of the time they spent together were both lovely and I loved the story behind the firefly references.

The writing flowed really well and all three of us that read it finished it in a day. (as far as I know) I did feel that the ending wrapped things up just a bit too perfectly, then again I am a fan of leaving things hanging—well, if it is realistic.

3.5 stars.(less)

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Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Emily May by: Tatiana

Shelves: ya-na, 2011, contemporary

Here's a book to read if you want to be seriously pissed off. But no, I shouldn't say that, because Sisters in Sanity is actually an excellent read and I'm wanting to sell it to you. So, instead I should say: this is a book to read if you like stories that leave a lasting impression. Or if you want to be introduced to an array of memorable characters. Or if you're sick of books with whiny heroines that base every thought and action around their (probably supernatural) boyfriends. And if you would like to read a book about girls coming together, forming a sisterhood, and ultimately triumphing over the bad guys. Girls who are fat, thin, straight, gay, bi, virgins, or sexually promiscuous; because Gayle Forman has created a literary platform where these differences are not a hindrance to the girls' friendship, but actually what brought them together in the first place.

This book has so many levels to it. On the surface it is about the mistreatment of young women who have shown any hint of individuality and have been thrown into a rehabilitation centre because of it. They are psychologically tortured each day by unqualified shrinks and, in extreme cases, physically harmed through malnourishment and dehydration. Brit is sent here because she stays out late playing in her rock band, and because she has coloured streaks in her hair. She is not a bad kid, she's a talented musician, but her father and stepmother wrongly interpret this as rebellion and even the first signs of mental illness(!). This whole part of the novel made me furious, made me want to strangle nearly every adult in the book.

But this stuff would just be infuriating and shocking if it wasn't for all the other messages in this book. I loved this idea that the girls made each other strong by banding together and supporting one another and I loved how each of them was as interesting and unique as the next. But even more so, I really enjoyed the questions about authority and whether it is always right to follow those in charge. Pulling examples from when heads of state have made the wrong decisions, Gayle Forman demonstrates how adults don't always get it right. She reiterated in her afterword at the end what the novel was all about, mentioning how teenagers with eating disorders or who are gay do not need to be punished but helped, nurtured and understood. This is a wonderful, thought-provoking and occasionally heart-warming story.

There are a few reasons why this book didn't get five stars. For one, the ending was not satisfying enough, certain people were forgiven all too quickly and I thought very little was learnt from the experience in that respect. Also, I had too many questions spinning around in my head and it's entirely possible that I missed something but: why didn't previous graduates of Red Rock report what was going on? Why didn't Brit even attempt to tell her father what was happening when he visited? It might not have worked but she didn't even try. And why didn't Brit attempt to leave with the band when she had the opportunity? She could have reported what was happening to someone but it just didn't seem to occur to her.

These last few things played on my mind too much to award the full five stars, but this really is a book that should be read by everyone - especially those who love a good dose of girl power in what they read.
(less)

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Mar 25, 2013 Sam Marchello rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 4.5

So while I was a bit disappointed with how the ending wrapped everything up so neatly, this book is a f*cking rush. I had all the f*cking feels, and I f*cking love Gayle Forman.

More thoughts soon. FEELS. SO MANY. I HAVE THEM. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Edited: 03/25/13

All right, I've had a day to breathe on this. Sisters in Sanity may be my favourite of Gayle Forman's novels that I've read so far. This novel is built on raw, rich, characterization, something that I feel like a lot of...more 4.5

So while I was a bit disappointed with how the ending wrapped everything up so neatly, this book is a f*cking rush. I had all the f*cking feels, and I f*cking love Gayle Forman.

More thoughts soon. FEELS. SO MANY. I HAVE THEM. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Edited: 03/25/13

All right, I've had a day to breathe on this. Sisters in Sanity may be my favourite of Gayle Forman's novels that I've read so far. This novel is built on raw, rich, characterization, something that I feel like a lot of authors struggle with to get just right. Brit is far from perfect, but her flaws really do sell the story, and her comrades in arms, "The Sisters" showcase what it means to deal in teen boot camps.

I knew teen boot camps were real, but they aren't something that are particularly well known in a lot of circles. In fact, may be this is me being naive, but I don't know of one being around where I live, but the interpretation that Forman draws, is that of a place that no one should ever have to visit. Brit is in there, entirely for the wrong reasons, and the reader knows this. It's interesting when we slowly learn what Brit's "issues" truly are, and her dad's reasoning. Though this leads me to the one flaw in the novel...

...the ending. Brit's dad reacts in such a way where it's like he never learned his lesson. He says "I sent you to the wrong place but for the right reasons" yet he never tries to understand Brit's issues and values. She was never troubled in the first place. Honestly, what parent is that deluded to the situation? I'm sure some are, but it seemed like such a weird response compared to how Martha's family gets completely up in arms against Red Rock (with good reason, I mean, Martha nearly DIED). Still, this irked me, but not enough to knock it down a star rating.

The reality for me is that the women, their story and the atmosphere felt so real. I felt like I knew these girls, I felt like Forman was trying to share with us a dark side that most people never get the chance to see. It was also interesting to read her notes on where the idea came from, as this is something that seems so underground.

The other thing I completely adored about this novel is that it truly is about sisterhood. While there is a romance aspect in the story between Jed and Brit (which is cleverly done, might I add), this novel really is about five girls trying to keep their sanity in a place where insanity is deemed the norm, and being berated is completely acceptable. At some point, you have to break, and seeing these women on the verge of breaking, but trying to stick together to ensure that the institution didn't win -- that made this novel all the greater.

It's a shame in a lot of ways that this novel isn't in an eBook format or at least easier to find. It's truly a fascinating story woven with Forman's intricate writing style. I know for me, Gayle Forman is likely going to stay as a staple for me, as she continues to impress me with each book of hers I read.(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Solomon Illasarri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dear Friends,

i am reading a book entitled Sisters in Sanity by Gayle Forman. This book is very interesting, and in my perspective it is something that makes me think about life and the relationship between parents and their children, but also the way they connect. The reason i say that is because now a days parents aren't in much control of their kids and even their behavior or the way they act. I honestly think that some parents have given up on there kids because of the fact that they are gro...more

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Apr 02, 2011 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Brit isn't a bad girl. She's in a band and she has tattoos, but she doesn't drink, smoke or do drugs. So why is she in a boot camp for rebellious teenagers? She thinks it's because of her stepmom (or "Stepmonster"), who has never been close to her but who has gotten worse since her son (Brit's half-brother) was born. Or it could be because her dad is afraid that she'll inherit her mom's mental illness. But it almost doesn't matter why. What matters is how she can get out without really losing he...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Noémie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gayle Forman a voulu écrire sur le sujet des camps de redressement après avoir publié un article pour la magzine Seventeen (célèbre magazine américain) où elle avait rencontré de nombreux jeunes.
L'histoire débute avec Brit adolescente qui n'accepte pas l'autorité de son père et notamment de sa belle-même, le monstre comme elle l'appelle. Cependant au fil de l'histoire on comprend plus le comportement de Brit, sa mère artiste est devenue au fil des années schizophrène et les a quitté. Le père de...more

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Nov 01, 2010 Jordan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

On retrouve une de mes auteures préférées dans un nouveau roman, le premier qu'elle ait écrit mais paru en second, après "Si Je Reste" ( qui avait déjà fait parti de mes Coups De Cœurs ), chez nous. Ce livre est une nouvelle claque, une seconde prise de conscience qui nous ouvre encore un peu plus les yeux.
Si les deux romans de Gayle Forman jouent surtout sur l'émotion, cet ouvrage est, pour moi, beaucoup plus puissant et intense, car il parle de l'amitié, l'amitié vraie, sincère. Celle qui vous...more On retrouve une de mes auteures préférées dans un nouveau roman, le premier qu'elle ait écrit mais paru en second, après "Si Je Reste" ( qui avait déjà fait parti de mes Coups De Cœurs ), chez nous. Ce livre est une nouvelle claque, une seconde prise de conscience qui nous ouvre encore un peu plus les yeux.
Si les deux romans de Gayle Forman jouent surtout sur l'émotion, cet ouvrage est, pour moi, beaucoup plus puissant et intense, car il parle de l'amitié, l'amitié vraie, sincère. Celle qui vous fait vous apprendre à vous connaitre, celle qui vous change.
Je me suis un peu retrouvé dans ce livre, car comme tout adolescent, je possède mes propres problèmes, et là, tous nos ressentis y sont retranscrits à merveille. Brit, l'héroïne du roman, se sent exclue de sa famille, comme si elle appartenait à un autre monde, comme si... Comme si ceux avec qui elle vivait n'était pas comme elle. Elle déteste sa belle-mère, et son père ne fait rien pour l'aider, lui disant même d'appeler cette dernière "Maman". Pour effacer un peu de la douleur qui hante son âme, elle consacre la plupart de son temps à son groupe de musique, dans lequel Jed, le garçon si gentil et prêt à tout pour elle, sera là pour l'aider, et la sauver. Elle finira par se rendre-compte qu'en fait, elle attirée par celui-ci.
C'est dans ce monde d'ignorance entre chacun, de soucis et de choix, que tout va basculer. Son père, ou plutot sa belle-mère, a pris la décision d'envoyer Brit à Red Rock, un établissement fermé pour adolescentes à problèmes et elle ne mettra pas longtemps à se rendre-compte que tout ce qui se pratique là-bas, est tout bonnement inhumain, injuste, impossible. Heureusement, elle rencontre V, Babe et Cassie qui vont devenir plus que des amies, et ensemble elle vont lutter, et grâce à cela, elles deviendront plus que ça, elle deviendront sœurs.
Je pourrai en parler longuement tant tout est beau et sublime à lire. Mais un simple "Ouaw" devrait suffire. Gayle Forman nous entraîne à nouveau dans sa tornade de sentiments violents, où chaque situation nous émeut jusqu'aux larmes.
C'est là un ouvrage magnifiquement tragique, brillamment écrit qui nous redonne confiance en nous, nous expliquant que nous ne sommes pas seuls. Les amis sont toujours là, prêts à nous aider.
C'est un roman enchanteur, indiquant que tous les rêves peuvent se réaliser si nous y croyons. (less)

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Jul 21, 2009 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Brit lost a lot when her mother disappeared. Her mother had schizophrenia but was never admitted into a hospital, so one day just went away, gone, from Brit's life. Brit's life fell apart, as did her dad. A couple years after, her dad remarried and had a baby boy. Brit was pushed aside. Brit joined a band, got some piercings, tattoos, and was deemed too wild and crazy to handle. So was sent to Red Rock center.

Brit's an good character. Not superb or all that memorable, but nice. For all her dyed...more Brit lost a lot when her mother disappeared. Her mother had schizophrenia but was never admitted into a hospital, so one day just went away, gone, from Brit's life. Brit's life fell apart, as did her dad. A couple years after, her dad remarried and had a baby boy. Brit was pushed aside. Brit joined a band, got some piercings, tattoos, and was deemed too wild and crazy to handle. So was sent to Red Rock center.

Brit's an good character. Not superb or all that memorable, but nice. For all her dyed hair and piercings, she's not bad or wild. She's actually quite the good girl, and the book being told in her perspective, made me forget most of the time that she's supposed to be harder, not such a goody goody.

Brit didn't stand out a lot for me, but I did like the secondary characters a lot. There's V, who's confusing to Brit at first, but is all together very interesting. She's been at Red Rock for ages but hasn't been able to get out for some reason. Bebe was sent to Red Rock after her mother, a famous celebrity, found Bebe with the Mexican (I think) poolboy. A term that could very loosely describe her is slut, but she's more than that. Martha, a former beauty pageant who ballooned, and was sent to Red Rock to somehow lose wait. Cassie who likes girls but doesn't consider herself a lesbian, who comes from a little town where being gay is unheard of. Or just unspoken of. All the secondary girls are far from stereotypes, and they all really grew on me, especially V, who's personality is the type I love.

So the novel had some beautiful friendships, and that was probably my favourite part of the story. The book has many different types of relationships, and Brit deals with a lot. She's got her new friendships, and she's trying to deal with her father and stepmother, along with somehow getting over the loss of her mother, while dealing with some new information about her.

The one thing I thought the book lacked was romance. And there was romance in there. Brit has had a huge crush on her bandmate forever, and eventually some stuff happens between the two of them. It's tough obviously, since Brit's still in Red Rock. But... even though there is some romance in the novel, most of the time, when I thought back, I completely forgot the romance was even there. I'd have to think really hard to remember those meager bits. So I thought that could have been done better.

Sisters In Sanity reminded me a lot of The School For Dangerous Girls that I read a couple months back. It's got the same setting, a girl entering a center that tries to reform girls. But while School For Dangerous Girls just creeped me out and was disgusting in the way the girls were treated, Sisters in Sanity was better. The treatments weren't quite as harsh and there was always this hopeful air in the atmosphere and writing. So I enjoyed reading Sisters in Sanity more.

Bottom line: Interesting and heartfelt book, but not as entrancing as If I Stay. This book is Gayle Forman's first though.(less)

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Apr 20, 2009 Adele rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having read two Gayle Forman titles now I can attest to them being a very quick read. Whether this is attributed to being awesome or being shorter than some YA novels or being extremely well paced or a combination of the three, I don't know. Having loved If I Stay so much I was a little scared to read Sisters in Sanity, how could it compare?

I shouldn't have worried.

Forman has again demonstrated her wonderful skills in characterisation, crafting a group of girls that are as different as night a...more Having read two Gayle Forman titles now I can attest to them being a very quick read. Whether this is attributed to being awesome or being shorter than some YA novels or being extremely well paced or a combination of the three, I don't know. Having loved If I Stay so much I was a little scared to read Sisters in Sanity, how could it compare?

I shouldn't have worried.

Forman has again demonstrated her wonderful skills in characterisation, crafting a group of girls that are as different as night and day. Each girl is clearly depicted without ever being cliched or contrived. They are strong, flawed and generous with one another which results in the relationship that unites them in the toughest of circumstances. I loved seeing a group of teen girls accept one another without judgement, supporting one another. They aren't cookie cutter perfect, they wouldn't be in Red Rock if they were. Yet the events of the book depend on the reader's conviction that these five are united. There's no doubting that with the fantastically honest, revealing and sometimes humorous interplay between them. It's easy to find yourself involved deeply in their plight.

Brit, V, Bebe, Cassie, and Martha have found themselves in this hell hole as a result of being deemed challenging, promiscuous, bi-curious and overweight. All have been diagnosed as ODD (Oppositionist Defiance Disorder) by an unqualified hack, a diagnosis that could encompass all teenagers with ease. Even more shocking is that the events of these books have been inspired by real life circumstances, teens being kidnapped and placed in the confines of radical boot camps or behaviour modification centres.

Our protagonist, Brit, is struggling with her mother's desertion, her father's remarriage to the Stepmonster and a burgeoning interest in being a guitarist. She doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't fornicate but with her pink streaked hair, tattoos and piercings, she is deemed to be anti-social. From the first chapter I felt this character's pain and I was with her every step of the way in her attempts to withhold from the staff, remember Jed, cope with her father's cowardice and fight to retain the essence of herself.

This is a moving tale of sisterhood, trust, hope and self-belief. Forman has a talent in balancing a story, never allowing it to become overwhelming dire while embracing the humour in the most unlikely of situations. There is also the through line of music, like If I Stay, Brit is a musician with a love interest that plays in a band. Songwriting and her new friends become Brit's salvation in a situation that sees no end.

It's no secret that I have a huge literary crush on Gayle Forman. Sisters in Sanity is written in the same style that grabbed many of us in her sophomoric effort, If I Stay. With Sisters in Sanity coming out today in paperback I would highly recommend that you buy yourself a copy.(less)

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Dec 14, 2011 Niratisaya Niratisaya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bila seorang anak mulai berubah anak manis menjadi gadis badung, apakah kesalahan selalu ada padanya? Bila seorang anak melakukan pemberontakan karena dia sedang mencari jati dirinya, berarti dia sudah tidak normal lagi? Dan perlu dimasukkan dalam institusi?

Ini adalah yang terjadi pada Brit gadis remaja, yang oleh orangtuanya dimasukkan ke dalam Red Rock Academy untuk memperbaiki kepribadiannya. Ini semua karena perubahan dalam diri Brit, yang terjadi sejak ibu kandungnya meninggal. Mengira ini...more

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May 27, 2011 The Lonely book club rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teens

Shelves: 2011

Complete review can be found at The Lonely book-club

Sisters in Sanity is about a girl whose father sends to an American boot camp. At the boot camp their main priority in therapy is to break down the teenager before starting working on their “issues”. Which rather makes the teenager into a robot than cures them.

The main character is sixteen year old Brit Hemphill. She’s sent to Red Rock Academy (which in reality is a boot camp not an academy) by her father because she stays out late with her ban...more

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Apr 10, 2011 Arlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011, street-corner-pick, ya-contemporary, reviews-with-music, rock-stars-need-luv-2, young-adult

Sisters in Sanity is one of those occasional books that just causes a clusterf*ck of emotions in me that I can’t justify giving it anything less than 5 stars. I just can’t. There’s nothing that destroys my defenses more than a kid that’s unjustly treated for the capital offense of simply being a teenager. Gayle Forman once again pulled at my heartstrings with this raw, powerful story filled with characters that felt nothing less than real to me. Perfectly done!

In this book, sixteen year old Brit...more Sisters in Sanity is one of those occasional books that just causes a clusterf*ck of emotions in me that I can’t justify giving it anything less than 5 stars. I just can’t. There’s nothing that destroys my defenses more than a kid that’s unjustly treated for the capital offense of simply being a teenager. Gayle Forman once again pulled at my heartstrings with this raw, powerful story filled with characters that felt nothing less than real to me. Perfectly done!

In this book, sixteen year old Brit is carted off to a behavior modification boot camp by her father and stepmonster. Her offenses are as follows: She is capable of losing her temper, argues with adults, deliberately annoys people with her sarcasm, blames others for her mistakes and is somewhat resentful. The technical term for that is ODD – oppositional defiance disorder... Hmmm, let me think… Holy Bedrock! That was me when I was a teen. Thank gawd my parents chose the route of being parents rather than carting me off to some boot camp for mild misbehavior and minor transgressions. Luckily for Brit, she bands together with a group of girls that not only become friends, but also each other’s support system where the under-qualified clinical staff fails. Brit and her friends work together to bring down the failed system of Red Rock and expose it for what the institution really is.

This book really pissed me off and it seems to be that kind of story that includes parents that have no right being parents because they abandon their role and surround themselves with ignorance thus failing in their primary responsibility of protecting their kid. Now don’t get me wrong, the father thought he was “helping” his daughter, I get that. But who in their right mind shoves their kid in an institution without checking some credentials, doing a background check on the people in charge and simply researching the net for possible red flags? We live in a time and place where information is at our finger tips. I was so mad to read that this is actually possible, this situation really does happen. How?!? Seriously, these are just kids and to know that they are mistreated, abused and misguided in the very institution whose charter is to help trouble teens seriously grates my nerves.

((Deep sigh)) Back to the story, I found myself not wanting Brit to go back to her father, I wanted some fairy tale ending where she runs off with Jed and denies her father the right to see her grow up to be a great person that I felt she was from the beginning of the story. She’s honest with her emotions to those who truly care, but she guards them from those that are trying to destroy her, she’s snarky, loyal and flawed... everything that blends that perfect character IMO, so to read her struggles really tossed and turned my emotions.

I loved Jed in this story and I wish we could have had a bit more of him. The cryptic letters he wrote to Britt while she was institutionalized were so beautiful in their “hidden message” sort of way, and from now on a firefly will always means so much more to me. :)

Overall, if you’re a fan of Forman’s ability to move you and tug at your heart, if you like her ability to express herself in song, if you adore the characters she so flawlessly creates, you’ll definitely enjoy Sisters in Sanity. I’m grateful to my Street Corner Bookers for calling this one to my attention because I almost missed out on a gem of a book. I loved it!

Song Choice: Pink – F*ckin' Perfect (less)

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Sep 23, 2011 Anncleire rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-can-t-stop-to-think-about, dealing-with-shit

“That’s all we can do, Brit. Take steps. Take enough of them and suddenly, you’re somewhere.”

Ho veramente adorato questo libro che è davvero incredibile. La Forman è una scrittrice eccezionale.
Sisters in sanity racconta la storia di cinque ragazze che si trovano rinchiuse a Red Rock una specie di riformatorio per motivi diversi, ma tutte per essere in qualche modo recuperate. Brit la protagonista è una cantante chitarrista quasi diciassettenne che si ribella alla matrigna o come la chiama lei st...more “That’s all we can do, Brit. Take steps. Take enough of them and suddenly, you’re somewhere.”

Ho veramente adorato questo libro che è davvero incredibile. La Forman è una scrittrice eccezionale.
Sisters in sanity racconta la storia di cinque ragazze che si trovano rinchiuse a Red Rock una specie di riformatorio per motivi diversi, ma tutte per essere in qualche modo recuperate. Brit la protagonista è una cantante chitarrista quasi diciassettenne che si ribella alla matrigna o come la chiama lei stepmonster (al posto di stepmother!) una sorta di Cenerentola. V che in qualche modo è il capo di questa banda la più adulta, quella che inventa tutti i modi possibili per sopravvivere al campo ossesionata dalla morte. Bebe che in qualche modo si aggrappa al sesso per sopperire ad una madre che vive solo del suo lavoro come attrice in soap opera. Cassie che ha un rapporto complicato con la sessualità e si sente attratta dalle ragazze. E infine Martha che la madre rinchiude lì dentro perchè è diventata grassa.
Cinque ragazze, cinque modi di fare differenti che diventano amiche, fanno fronte comune per riuscire a sopravvivere e a liberarsi dell'oppressione del campo perso nel deserto.

La storia è narrata in prima persona attraverso le percezioni di Brit ed è la sua la storia che emerge di più naturalmente visto che la seguiamo dal suo punto di vista. Jed, il frontman della ban dove suona Clod è il mio nuovo personaggio preferito e se in qualche modo può assomigliare a Adam in realtà non ha nulla a che fare con lui perchè caratterialmente è totalmente diverso. Ed è davvero un conforto per Brit perchè la da sempre la giusta prospettiva riguardo le varie situazioni, è molto dolce e soprattutto è davvero un figo. Anche perchè crede in lei e poi la aiuta davvero in modo formidabile.

La storia è avvincente e ti porta a riflettere perchè si sono una rarità ma posti del genere esistono davvero, e ci sono ragazze e ragazzi che vengono trattati come pezze da piedi e che invece di essere aiutati a superare i loro problemi, vengono abbandonati e le loro difficoltà aumentano.
E' una storia di scoperta, di ammissione, di lotta e naturalmente di rivincita perchè alla fine nonostante tutto le ragazze riescono a superare le loro difficoltà.

Lo stile della Forman è un marchio di fabbrica e una garanzia perciò leggete e amate questo libro. Non ve ne pentirete.(less)

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Oct 10, 2011 OceMei Belikova♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, ipod-touch, read-in-2011, young-adult

Brit was sent to a boarding school named Red Rocks by her own father.
She was with the band, with Jed, but since her parents divorced and her father re-married, she felt that she didn't belong there anymore. All of her thought are about : stepmom are never be a good mom for any children who just lost their biological mothers. so, when her father sent her to Red Rock, she was terrified and thought her stepmom who was behind all of this.

Well, she wasn't.

Red Rock wasn't a normal boarding school or...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Karin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic, teen

Had to complete the Gayle Forman oevre, so went back and read her first novel.
Teen rocker Brit is tricked by father and stepmonster and committed to a bogus treatment center in the hopes of curing her rebellious teenage attitude (she's actually a pretty responsible, level-headed girl - just happens to play in a band and dyes her hair pink). Makes friends and suffers typical "treatment" before plotting to take down the entire center in a satisfying but maybe not-entirely-realistic ending. Still w...more

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Feb 16, 2010 Elizabeth Wallace rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: No one. It's pretty much brain candy and bad candy at that

Shelves: read-and-reviewed

The fact I didn't like this book was a surprise. I had expected it to deserve four or five stars, maybe three at the least. I got it from the library because so many different people loved it. But nope, I didn't. Sorry, everyone.

I really have a hard time with books that portray all the adults as one-dimensional bad guys. You know, the ones where the teenagers barely have teen angst and they're just rising heroes? This was one of those books.

The protagonist was just too indignant, the grown-ups...more The fact I didn't like this book was a surprise. I had expected it to deserve four or five stars, maybe three at the least. I got it from the library because so many different people loved it. But nope, I didn't. Sorry, everyone.

I really have a hard time with books that portray all the adults as one-dimensional bad guys. You know, the ones where the teenagers barely have teen angst and they're just rising heroes? This was one of those books.

The protagonist was just too indignant, the grown-ups so weak. Her stepmom and dad basically think she's just a bad girl because she's in a band. She's obviously a "good girl" though because she doesn't do drugs, drink, smoke, whatever. The stepmom, who Brit calls Stepmonster, is always thinking about her own little kid. Her schizophrenic mother (who Brit never really makes peace with) is absent, wandering around somewhere in Washington. Her dad never really gets to know her but is obviously secretly afraid that she will go schizo as well. The only person who's really a character in the beginning is Brit, a guy in her band who she secretly loves.

But then her life takes a twist when her dad has her committed to Red Rock, a phony treatment center for troubled girls. As she goes along she realizes that Red Rock is fake on SO many levels. Girls get insults flung at them in "therapy", personal correspondence is searched and even withheld, part of the treatment is hauling bricks from one side of a yard to the other.

But luckily for Brit, she finds a group of girls who haven't given in to the Stockholm Syndrome, who just want to get out like she does. As Sisters in Sanity continues, Brit finds true friends in these girls, friends whose parents are just as messed-up as hers. Unfortunately Gayle Forman never really let me get to know V, Cassie, Bebe, Martha. I didn't think they were much more than the poster girls of their diagnoses.

Also, I'm sure that places like Red Rock exist and the power they have is scary, it just didn't seem realistic. The people in charge seemed like faceless antagonists. They're just bad people because...they just are.

So this is a rare one-star review. With truly underdeveloped characters, several stereotypes, an unrealistic, hastily wrapped-up ending, and smearing the adults in the story, this was just not a good book. I did enjoy it someowhat at times but it wasn't worth the time I spent just for the little sections that were somewhat funny or romantic or cute.(less)

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Oct 16, 2011 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Sisters in Sanity by Gayle Forman is a story that can be read on several different levels and it brought a lot of things to mind for me while I was reading.

Brit is 16, plays in a band and is trying to cope with the fact that her family changed forever when her mom started manifesting signs of Schizophrenia. Her dad couldn't bring himself to commit her to a mental institution, and she eventually walked out and started living on the streets. Several years later, her father remarried and Brit now...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Brittney Musick rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, read-2011, 1-young-adult

It took me a while to finish this book, and I'm not entirely sure why that was because I was drawn in from the beginning and thought it was a very interesting story about a topic that seems to be ripped straight from the news.

Brit is sent to a center for rebellious teens that turns out to little more than hell for the girls there and a means to scam people out of money. At Red Rock, she meets a group of girls, and they become each other's pillar of strength as they try to survive the abusive en...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Andi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First I must start by saying that I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Gayle Forman. Anything that woman writes I am right there reading it. She has a way with words that just puts you right in the moment with the characters. She knows her subjects and she knows her readers I to me she is a master at connecting the two of them together and that is hard to find in a good author. With that being said I must admit I wasn't 100% crazy about Sister's in Sanity. Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed it. I loved...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Celine___ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: drama, read-in-french, young-adult, teen, roman, signed-copies

Les Coeurs Fêlés, est le premier roman de Gayle Forman, et a été édité en français suite au succès de Si je reste.

Pour ma part, j'ai préféré Si je reste, qui selon moi est une histoire plus touchante, en tout cas qui m'a plus saisie que Les Coeurs Fêlés. Explications!

Brit est une ado rockeuse avec tout le toutim qui accompagne: cheveux teints, tatouages, et piercings. À première vue, une jeune fille difficile à assimiler, mais qui reste mentalement équilibrée, ce qui fait qu'on a pas de mal à...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My Thoughts: After reading (and adoring) "If I Stay" (twice), I wanted to get my hands on anything and everything written by Gayle Forman. "Sisters in Sanity" was not nearly as good as "If I Stay," but that would have been just about impossible. Still, it was a good book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Characters: With all of the injustice that Brit has to face, it's easy to root for her from the very first page. Of course, it's easy to root for all of the sisters too, especially as they change and gr...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-my-shelf, coming-of-age, young-adult, 2011-reading-challenge, review, fiction, contemporary, stand-alone

See more of my reviews on my blog Thoughts At One In The Morning.

Many readers are probably more familiar with Gayle’s “If I Stay” (especially with the sequel recently released). It was due to knowing of them that I stumbled across this when filling up a cart on Amazon. The premise is about a girl being sent away to a center for rebellious teens by her father.

That girl is Brit Hemphill, 16 years old with magenta and black hair and tattoos. She’s in a band (Clod) with friends Denise, Erik, and Jed...more See more of my reviews on my blog Thoughts At One In The Morning.

Many readers are probably more familiar with Gayle’s “If I Stay” (especially with the sequel recently released). It was due to knowing of them that I stumbled across this when filling up a cart on Amazon. The premise is about a girl being sent away to a center for rebellious teens by her father.

That girl is Brit Hemphill, 16 years old with magenta and black hair and tattoos. She’s in a band (Clod) with friends Denise, Erik, and Jed, the guy she’s in love with. The book opens with her trip to Red Rock Academy, disguised as a family trip to the Grand Canyon by her dad. In the first few weeks she has an attitude, but Virginia (or V, as she prefers to be called) helps her get started off right. She makes three other friends, Bebe, Martha, and Cassie, and the five of them together keep each other sane.

The rules at Red Rock are very strict. You’re given “levels” numbered 1-6, one being the lowest and six being highest. There’s hardly any contact with people outside, and when you can it’s limited to family only. They will withhold things from you unless you do what you’re told to do. You get level upgrades for telling them what they want to hear. Basically, the place isn’t a legitimate institution, it’s just taking money from overly concerned parents. Of course, the parents don’t realize this, the truth is always hidden when there are visitors, not to mention they’re warned to not listen to the complaints of their child (since they’re child is out of control and not to be trusted).

While it seems to be difficult to abide by the rules, there are ways around them, like to write and receive letters from non-family. There’s also a way to sneak out briefly at night. As the months go by, the girls grow closer. Brit is even able to keep in contact with Jed and her band.

Then somebody gets caught breaking a rule and dynamics change. The girls attempt to stay right but it gets harder. When one of them ends up in the hospital thanks to the negligence of Red Rock, Brit reaches a breaking point. At that moment she makes it her resolve to shut Red Rock down.

I will not say any more as to what happens in the end. You will not be disappointed as you take on Brit’s journey.

My Rating:

Very Good: Stay up late(less)

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Aug 15, 2011 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Tatiana by: Flannery

Shelves: 2011, ya

This book literally enraged me.

I understand that being a parent can be difficult. I understand children can get out of control or need special help and sometimes tough love. But surely there is a better way to deal with a gay girl or a girl who has put on extra 30 pounds than to warehouse her at a boot camp whose "treatments" include days-long isolation and humiliation "therapy" performed by individuals with no education or training?

Brit gets admitted to the same boot camp by her father for dye...more

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Feb 02, 2010 L.J. Boldyrev rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-09

This book is about sisterhood. It's about believing in yourself and taking a stand for what you know is the right thing to do. Brit, V, Bebe, Cassie and Martha form a sisterhood in the secret confines of an empty office when the "goons" at Red Rock--a school for misguided teen girls--turn their backs. Together, the girls learn the ins and outs of Red Rock. They learn to survive it and they learn to rely on each other.

Sisters in Sanity is not a typical coming-of-age tale but the reader follows B...more

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May 31, 2011 Diana Welsch rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

I know what it's like to feel like your parents don't want you around, so the premise of this fed one of my younger self's greatest insecurities. 16-year old Brit's parents used to be cool. They owned a hip coffee shop in Portland and Brit was always surrounded by cool artist and musician types who helped her with her homework and talked and listened to her. But her mother gradually became stricken with a severe mental illness and disappeared from her life. Her father remarried an uptight woman...more I know what it's like to feel like your parents don't want you around, so the premise of this fed one of my younger self's greatest insecurities. 16-year old Brit's parents used to be cool. They owned a hip coffee shop in Portland and Brit was always surrounded by cool artist and musician types who helped her with her homework and talked and listened to her. But her mother gradually became stricken with a severe mental illness and disappeared from her life. Her father remarried an uptight woman and has a baby with her. His new wife clearly wishes Brit would disappear so they could be a family of three.

Her father takes her on a "trip to the Grand Canyon" that is actually him dumping her off at Red Rock, a crooked bad-girl boot camp in the middle of the Utah desert. Brit hasn't done anything wrong: she dyes her hair pink, got a few tattoos, and plays in a band, but she doesn't drink or use drugs and isn't poorly behaved.

Regardless of this, she is "diagnosed" with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and subjected to some pretty questionable "treatment." She meets a bunch of other girls whose parents were tired of them too: snobby Bebe (who was caught fooling around with the Mexican pool boy), cornfed farmgirl Cassie (who kissed a girl), lifer V (who wrote a short story about suicide), and former pageant princess Martha (who got fat). Most of the girls there aren't really bad kids, their parents just didn't want to deal with them. And Red Rock is more interested in receiving money than it is in helping anyone.

I read a lot of Teen literature so it's easy for me to recognize predictable plot arcs, poorly-developed characters, bad dialogue, and all manner of cliches. It's a real treat to read a book that avoids those things. Sisters in Sanity was so compelling I finished it in one night, and it didn't set off any of my cliche alarm bells. There were many directions I could have expected this story to take, but I did not predict the way these girls banded tried to cope with their surroundings. There was a fairly chaste romance, but Brit didn't waste everyone's time by spending page after page pining away. It never strained credulity too much. It all came together in the end, but not TOO neatly.

Sisters in Sanity was a very good book. Gayle Forman consistently delivers top-quality YA literature. Her later book If I Stay is one of my all-time favorites, and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with in the future.(less)

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Aug 25, 2009 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Sisters in Sanity is a very quick read. It only took me a little more than two hours to finish Sisters in Sanity. It deals with friendship, the sisterhood, schizophrenia, family, trust, hope and love.

Forman's writing skills are formidable. She managed to capture her character's personality and developed them in to 3D characters. Each of the characters, Brit, V, Bebe, Martha and Cassie are all completely different - coming from vastly different backrounds but they all end up in Red Rock where the...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Most of us never have to worry about going on a family vacation, only to find out that we're being unceremoniously dropped off at a boot camp, instead. We have never questioned the imminent arrival of "escorts" who come in the middle of the night and drag us away, kicking and screaming, from our home. We've never wondered what it would be like to be shuffled off by our parents to a "rehabilitation school" because we're overweight --or because we might possibly...more Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Most of us never have to worry about going on a family vacation, only to find out that we're being unceremoniously dropped off at a boot camp, instead. We have never questioned the imminent arrival of "escorts" who come in the middle of the night and drag us away, kicking and screaming, from our home. We've never wondered what it would be like to be shuffled off by our parents to a "rehabilitation school" because we're overweight --or because we might possibly be gay. For Brit, V, Bebe, Cassie, and Martha, however, the above mentioned scenarios aren't just nightmares. They're real events.

Welcome to Red Rock, a "school" in the middle of Utah run by the Sheriff, staffed by pseudo-psychiatrists like Dr. Clayton, and guarded by former bouncers with more muscles than brains. This is the place where parents can send their children when they rebel, misbehave, or show antisocial behavior. Red Rock offers such pleasantries as "confrontational therapy," where girls are called names and hounded until they break down and cry, a punishment system where being sent back to Level One status means complete isolation and no shoes, and where the food comes in freeze dried blocks.

The problem is that, although there may be a few "students" at Red Rock who really belong in such a school, most of them, like main character Brit, don't. These are teens who may have lost their way, sure, but their behavior isn't anything beyond normal adolescent angst. But what the parents don't know -- and what it's up to the Sisters in Sanity to prove -- is that Red Rock is a place full of fakes who are doing more harm than good.

When Brit and fellow "inmates" V, Bebe, Cassie, and Martha set out to get the school shut down, it's all the girls can do to avoid trouble, keep their chins up, and survive. But in the process, these five girls find a friendship that eventually helps them all in ways they'd never expected.

Ms. Forman has written a fast-paced page turner that you'll find hard to put down. SISTERS IN SANITY, although not based in hard truth, does show the frightening aspect of so-called "boot camps" for teens, and you'll find yourself appalled at the reality of the situation. Ultimately, however, you'll be overjoyed to watch Brit and her friends not only buck the system, but find their own places in the world. (less)

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Jul 02, 2011 Elise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 90-in-2011

At first glance, this could be called Girl, Interrupted light, but as you take the time to really read you find a story that goes beyond a boot camp therapy "home." This is a gripping story of girls figuring out that they are more than their issues and finding a sisterhood in misery. There is such a great chemistry between all of the characters that I felt like part of the Sisters in Sanity and all of their sorrows, struggles, and joys.

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Mar 05, 2010 Kricket rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, friendship, mental-illness, parent-woes, teen-fiction

an earlier work by the author of "if i stay." brit's dad tells her they're driving to the grand canyon, but instead he commits her to a boot camp "school" for troubled girls. brit's actually pretty well adjusted for someone whose mother is wandering the streets, schizophrenic and unable to remember her family most of the time. it's just that she's not a fan of her stepmother, she's in a band, and she dyes streaks in her hair.

the facility is corrupt, though, and not really helping anyone, so brit...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Melainebooks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Enfin une histoire un peu originale. Une fille est mise dans une "école-priso" par son père. L'héroïne a perdu sa mère (on découvrira comment dans le livre) et doit vivre avec son demi-frère et sa belle-mère. Son père décide de l'envoyer là bas et on y découvre un endroit où les brimades sont de mises pour remettre les filles dans le droit chemin.
A découvrir d'urgence !!

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About Gayle Forman

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a journalist who specialized in reporting on young people and social-justice issues. Which is a fancy way of saying I reported on all the ways that young people get treated like crap—and overcome! I started out working for Seventeen magazine, writing the kinds of articles that people (i.e. adults) never believe that Seventeen ran (on everything fr...more Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a journalist who specialized in reporting on young people and social-justice issues. Which is a fancy way of saying I reported on all the ways that young people get treated like crap—and overcome! I started out working for Seventeen magazine, writing the kinds of articles that people (i.e. adults) never believe that Seventeen ran (on everything from child soldiers in Sierra Leone to migrant teen farm workers in the U.S.). Later on, I became a freelance journalist, writing for magazines like Details, Jane, Glamour, The Nation, Elle, Budget Travel, and Cosmopolitan.

In 2002, I went traveling for a year around the world with my husband, Nick. I spent time hanging out with some pretty interesting people, a third sex (we’d probably call them transvestites here) in Tonga, Tolkien-obsessed, role-playing punks in Kazakhstan (bonus points to those of you who can find Kazakhstan on a map), working class hip-hop stars in Tanzania. The result of that year was my first book, a travel memoir called You Can’t Get There From Here: A Year On the Fringes of a Shrinking World. You can read about my trip and see pictures of it here.

What do you do when you get back home after traveling the globe for a whole year? First, you get disproportionately excited by the little comforts in life: Not having to look at a map to get everywhere? Yay! Being able to drink coffee without getting dressed and schlepping to a café first? Bliss! Then, if you’re 32 years old and have been with your husband for evah, you have a kid. Which we did. Presto, Willa!

So, there I was. With a baby. And all of a sudden I couldn’t do the kind of gallivanty reporting I’d done before. Well, you know how they say in life when one door closes another opens? In my case, the door came clear off the frame. Because I discovered that I could take the most amazing journeys of my life without ever having to leave my desk. It was all in my head. In stories I could make up. And the people I wanted to take these fantastical journeys with, they all happened to be between the ages of 12 and 20. I don’t know why. These are just the people who beckon me. And I go where I’m told.

My first young-adult novel, Sisters in Sanity, was based on another one of those social justice articles I wrote when for Seventeen and you can click here to read the article. Sisters was published in 2007. My next book, If I Stay, was published in April of 2009 by Dutton. It is also being published in 30 countries around the world, which is surreal. The sequel/companion book to If I Stay, Where She Went, comes out in April 2011. I am currently working on a new YA novel, that is, when my kids (plural, after Willa we adopted Denbele from Ethiopia) allow me to. And after that book is finished, I’ll write another, and another….

Wow. This is crazy long. I suppose the short version of this bio could simply read: My name is Gayle Forman and I love to write young-adult novels. Because I do. So thank you for reading them. Because without you, it’d just be me. And the voices in my head.

Gayle Forman is an award-winning author and journalist whose articles have appeared in such publications as Jane, Seventeen, Glamour, Elle, and The New York Times Magazine, to name just a few. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter. (less)

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Quotes from Sisters in Sanity

“Le plus curieux, c'est que, peu à peu, un autre sentiment a fait surface. Quelque chose comme de la déception. Et je me suis aperçue que, en dépit de tout, j'aurais vraiment aimé aller voir le grand canyon.” — 1 person liked it

“On était dans son bureau obscur, décoré avec des affiches à visée éducative. L'une d'elles représentait des oies sauvages volant en formation, avec une légende qui disait : << Si tu sais où tu vas, tu iras loin. >>Pour ma part, je ne risquais pas d'aller bien loin, car on m'avait pris mes vêtements et mes chaussures.” — 1 person liked it

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