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Crazy
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He's falling in love and she's falling over the edge of sanity. From the author of Beautiful and Clean, a heartwrenching exploration of a romance marred by mental illness.
Connor knows that Izzy will never fall in love with him the way he's fallen for her. But somehow he's been let into her crazy, exhilarating world and become her closest confidante. But the closer they get ...more
Connor knows that Izzy will never fall in love with him the way he's fallen for her. But somehow he's been let into her crazy, exhilarating world and become her closest confidante. But the closer they get ...more
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Hardcover, 384 pages
Published
June 12th 2012
by Simon Pulse
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4.5.
Well, this one did a pretty good job of making me a wreck. Talk about an intense, completely realistic and painfully honest look at bipolar disorder. It hit way close to home on a number of levels.
Connor and Isabel met at camp, and they continued their close friendship via email after it ended. Connor and Isabel's relationship is loving and destructive. They're very close and very far apart, and each of their emails to one another gives both of these sides. They abuse each other and they apo ...more
Well, this one did a pretty good job of making me a wreck. Talk about an intense, completely realistic and painfully honest look at bipolar disorder. It hit way close to home on a number of levels.
Connor and Isabel met at camp, and they continued their close friendship via email after it ended. Connor and Isabel's relationship is loving and destructive. They're very close and very far apart, and each of their emails to one another gives both of these sides. They abuse each other and they apo ...more

This book hit so close to home I can't imagine NOT reviewing it. 4.5 stars and a definite reread.
Review to come.
---
Before Reading:
For some reason, this book sounds like it describes every single relationship I've been in.
To-read? Check. ...more
Review to come.
---
Before Reading:
For some reason, this book sounds like it describes every single relationship I've been in.
To-read? Check. ...more

This book did a number on me. So it's about Connor and it's about Izzy and it's about this THING between the two of them. It's about mutual destruction, budding love, caring, misunderstandings, understanding, mental illness, worry, and hope.
And when you read a book that is, essentially YourLife.txt, it becomes hard to objectively review it. There are a number of passages in this book that are put so perfectly, that hit so close, so hard, that I had to put the book in my freezer for a while.
Seein ...more
And when you read a book that is, essentially YourLife.txt, it becomes hard to objectively review it. There are a number of passages in this book that are put so perfectly, that hit so close, so hard, that I had to put the book in my freezer for a while.
Seein ...more

Note: I received this as an ARC from S&S Galley Grab.
Initial reaction: Another book that kept me up to the wee hours of the morning to read through. It was worth every moment. I loved the story, even if there were parts of the story that I didn't care for. That may not make sense in my sleep deprived brain. I'll try to explain it more tomorrow.
Full Review:
"Crazy" is the first book I've ever read from Amy Reed, and what a story to start out with. For such a difficult subject matter, this book hi ...more
Initial reaction: Another book that kept me up to the wee hours of the morning to read through. It was worth every moment. I loved the story, even if there were parts of the story that I didn't care for. That may not make sense in my sleep deprived brain. I'll try to explain it more tomorrow.
Full Review:
"Crazy" is the first book I've ever read from Amy Reed, and what a story to start out with. For such a difficult subject matter, this book hi ...more

So despite the fact that some people are too immature and judgmental to see Amy Reed's talent at writing a story that very clearly and accurately depicts a young girl suffering from depression and bipolar disorder, I can say that I saw it and appreciate how good this book is. To read snippets of the reviews of this book is kinda brutal; some people seem to think that teenagers can't be depressed because it really just means they're spoiled brats who complain all the time and are self centered. W
...more

Isabel (Izzy) and Connor met at summer camp where they were counselors. They struck up a friendship that continued when they returned to their homes -- Bainbridge Island (Connor) and Seattle's Capitol Hill. Although Puget Sound separates them e-mail keeps their relationship alive. Told in alternating messages, the reader learns of their growing relationship and of Izzy's descent into mental illness.
Within the first 12 pages, there's a lot of profanity and a very clear (although not graphic)and d ...more
Within the first 12 pages, there's a lot of profanity and a very clear (although not graphic)and d ...more

Well to start off this book had me thinking....ok it's cool how they stay in touch after summer camp via email. Then as I keep reading the emails from Isabel made me say to myself maybe I'm just a little to old to be reading this book. My patience was running thin. I was thinking this chick is really getting on my nerves,her thoughts seem to be all over the place.i was getting to a point when I was like ok just run and jump out the window bc I'm getting tired of u. That was really mean of me but
...more

Definitely not an easy book- it’s teen angst mixed with mental illness personified... I flew through it in a day. At times I loved the characters, at times I hated them... sometimes I hurt for them. I will say- the book is written in the format of emails between the 2 main characters so if that’s not your style, this isn’t for you. It did take me a bit of getting used to.

SPOILER ALERT
My god, what an amazing book. I loved Beautiful and Clean, and I think I like Crazy the best so far (although I'm the kind of person who's favourite book is whatever they just finished, so that isn't the most reliable opinion). I finished it within a day (mostly during class...whoops), because it was amazing and addicting and insane and beautiful. It was good at the beginning, but it didn't get exciting and crazy for me until the middle/end. You read it, and it's good, and I just ha ...more
My god, what an amazing book. I loved Beautiful and Clean, and I think I like Crazy the best so far (although I'm the kind of person who's favourite book is whatever they just finished, so that isn't the most reliable opinion). I finished it within a day (mostly during class...whoops), because it was amazing and addicting and insane and beautiful. It was good at the beginning, but it didn't get exciting and crazy for me until the middle/end. You read it, and it's good, and I just ha ...more

Where do I begin with my utter distaste for this book?!
Why did I attempt to read Amy Reed after my horrible experience with Beautiful? In all honesty, I blame my own stupidity for trying. Reed seems to believe that she understands the teenage struggle and the changes kids go through during these years...no. Strike that. Reed completely understands what it's like to be a teenager. She sees teens for exactly what they are: egotistical, confused, moralistic roller coasters, and good at making moun ...more
Why did I attempt to read Amy Reed after my horrible experience with Beautiful? In all honesty, I blame my own stupidity for trying. Reed seems to believe that she understands the teenage struggle and the changes kids go through during these years...no. Strike that. Reed completely understands what it's like to be a teenager. She sees teens for exactly what they are: egotistical, confused, moralistic roller coasters, and good at making moun ...more

Nov 12, 2014
♫✯Em loves Hollenstein✯♫❤the summertime and butterflies all belong to your creation❤
rated it
it was amazing
Crazy is a fast paced, beautiful, exhilarating ride.
I started bawling three quarters through- this story definitely touched me.
It felt painfully real, and I couldn't keep my eyes off the pages. I was stuck in the story, though it did take 50 pages to get into it- possibly due to the style of writing.
I read most of it in 5 hours- it's a very quick book- and I was hooked the whole time.
The characters, the way they wrote- it felt so realistic. They swore, they had outbursts, they got angry- ...more
I started bawling three quarters through- this story definitely touched me.
It felt painfully real, and I couldn't keep my eyes off the pages. I was stuck in the story, though it did take 50 pages to get into it- possibly due to the style of writing.
I read most of it in 5 hours- it's a very quick book- and I was hooked the whole time.
The characters, the way they wrote- it felt so realistic. They swore, they had outbursts, they got angry- ...more

When this book started I didn't know what I was going to think about it. The language is a little rough. The characters a little rough around the edges. But then I began to get to know Connor and Izzy and connect to them. Connor has his loving life with his caring mother, but he's in love with Izzy who's not in love with him. Izzy in her life where it seems no one loves her at least by the way she tells it. They are different and yet they are the same, they are two teenagers trying to feel their
...more

I have never cried so hard from a book before. Ever.
This book was fantastic, It is difficult to find words to properly explain my feelings after reading this book.
The emotion is so raw and realistic, you don't have to be dealing with BPD to relate to some of Isabel's feelings and thoughts. I loved this book for so many reasons, the story and the writing was stunning. A big part of this story that I loved so much was the mental illness incorporation, because the mental illness was not romanticize ...more
This book was fantastic, It is difficult to find words to properly explain my feelings after reading this book.
The emotion is so raw and realistic, you don't have to be dealing with BPD to relate to some of Isabel's feelings and thoughts. I loved this book for so many reasons, the story and the writing was stunning. A big part of this story that I loved so much was the mental illness incorporation, because the mental illness was not romanticize ...more

"If the reader is unfamiliar with bipolar disorder or depression, it is tempting to attribute Izzy’s early mood swings as being products of her environment. As someone whose bipolar disorder also onset in my teenage years, I can appreciate that this nuance may have been Reed’s intention. Bipolar disorders and depression often go undiagnosed in children and teenagers until something—or a string of somethings—severe."
Read contributor L.D. Lewis' full review at Disability in Kidlit. ...more
Read contributor L.D. Lewis' full review at Disability in Kidlit. ...more

This was good. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
I also really loved the format of the book and how it was written completely through back and forth emails.
I also really loved the format of the book and how it was written completely through back and forth emails.

Axis 1. Characters
I didn't particularly like either Connor or Isabel, especially for the first half. Isabel was very annoying in some ways — she's quite self-centered and melodramatic. I suspect that these are aspects of her personality regardless, but that her bipolar disorder intensifies them. She's also creative, and there appears to be some connection between creativity and manic episodes. I thought the difference between "normal" creativity and manic-inspired creativity was actually illust
...more
I didn't particularly like either Connor or Isabel, especially for the first half. Isabel was very annoying in some ways — she's quite self-centered and melodramatic. I suspect that these are aspects of her personality regardless, but that her bipolar disorder intensifies them. She's also creative, and there appears to be some connection between creativity and manic episodes. I thought the difference between "normal" creativity and manic-inspired creativity was actually illust

Amy Reed should be embarrassed that the only book she cited as referencing about bipolar disorder was a book about people having to “live with” their bipolar loved ones. It was tiring to read how focused everyone in the book was on how “selfish” Isabel was being (by struggling with an illness?) and how she came to the conclusion that all people who struggle with suicidal ideation will be fine if it just occurs to them that they should ask for help. Descriptions of mental illness in the book were
...more


(Find the original review and more at Jellyfish Reads.)
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Crazy is about Isabel and Connor, two teenagers who meet when they're working at a summer camp together. The book begins in September, after summer has ended and they have gone their separate ways. It begins with an email from Connor.
This story is told mostly through emails. (There's some variation on the format later on in the book, but it really is just mostly emails.) And I loved it. I loved this format so much. Co ...more

Okay, so if you're at all familiar with my blog, you'll know this book must have been hand picked for me!
Bipolar disease runs in my family with three out of the four of us having it in my immediate family. I could relate to Izzy so well, Amy Reed could have interviewed me. I was always "too sensitive" or "everyone else feels that way too." When you've never known normal, how do you know you're sick?
My first impression of this book was that it was a great snapshot into showing the highs and lows ...more
Bipolar disease runs in my family with three out of the four of us having it in my immediate family. I could relate to Izzy so well, Amy Reed could have interviewed me. I was always "too sensitive" or "everyone else feels that way too." When you've never known normal, how do you know you're sick?
My first impression of this book was that it was a great snapshot into showing the highs and lows ...more

When I sat down to read this book, I was very nervous. Well, not really at first. At first, I saw the cover and thought that it would be pretty good. But then I saw the format of this book.
The format of this book is composed of instant messages, letters, emails, and much more! I get pretty nervous around these books. You ask why? They are so hard to keep up with! It's like one second we're a boy, then we're a girl, then we're a cat posing as a human! Okay, maybe the cat thing was a little ove ...more
The format of this book is composed of instant messages, letters, emails, and much more! I get pretty nervous around these books. You ask why? They are so hard to keep up with! It's like one second we're a boy, then we're a girl, then we're a cat posing as a human! Okay, maybe the cat thing was a little ove ...more

There is no way I’m going to manage to be rational about this book. There isn’t. Like Izzy, I have (undiagnosed) bipolar disorder or, at the very least, cyclothymia. I’ve probably always had it, but it hasn’t been until the last few years where it’s become truly noticeable and an actual problem. Like Izzy, I go through spells where I’m so manic that I have trouble sleeping and can go for hours focusing on one specific thing. Then I crash into a depressive episode where I have trouble even gettin
...more

Meeeeeeeh. It was so disappointing.
First off, I didn't know the whole book was written in e-mails and it really bothered me, as soon as I started reading. It felt weird and artificial and kinda childish. And unfortunately, the characters didn't help.
The major problem I had with this book was characterization. John Green, anyone? The guy, Connor, is soft, innocent, funny, nice, calm, responsible (and he even has a loser sidekick!) Btw, Connor's compared to Michael Cera in the book, and that's to ...more
First off, I didn't know the whole book was written in e-mails and it really bothered me, as soon as I started reading. It felt weird and artificial and kinda childish. And unfortunately, the characters didn't help.
The major problem I had with this book was characterization. John Green, anyone? The guy, Connor, is soft, innocent, funny, nice, calm, responsible (and he even has a loser sidekick!) Btw, Connor's compared to Michael Cera in the book, and that's to ...more

Amy Reed's third novel Crazy is by far my favorite of her books. Connor and Izzy meet during the summer while working at a kid’s camp and when they return to their homes not far from each other, but separated from a body of water, they decide to keep in touch. Through a series of emails, IM's and a few journal entries (because Izzy WILL NOT talk on the telephone), we see how their friendship continues to grow. It is clear from almost the very beginning that Connor loves Izzy even when he asks he ...more

Crazy is written almost entirely in emails and IM messages, which I didn't know before starting this book. And I'm not sure how I feel about that. It's an original idea, and it gives us a unique insight into Connor and Izzy's relationship. I was worried this format would mean we wouldn't get to know the characters enough in how they really think, since we don't know whether they're being honest or whether they're telling the other person everything. But that part works pretty well - Connor and I
...more

Check out my other book reviews on my blog if you like this one: http://meridianreviews.blogspot.co.uk/
I'm disappointed to say this is the first book since I've started my blog that I have been unable to finish, but I'm done trying to force myself to read this. So this book is unrated, and will remain so indefinitely.
Crazy by Amy Reed promises an insight into manic depression from the point of view of a teenage boy in love with a girl who exhibits the symptoms. It could have been a very engaging ...more
I'm disappointed to say this is the first book since I've started my blog that I have been unable to finish, but I'm done trying to force myself to read this. So this book is unrated, and will remain so indefinitely.
Crazy by Amy Reed promises an insight into manic depression from the point of view of a teenage boy in love with a girl who exhibits the symptoms. It could have been a very engaging ...more

I very rarely give out 5 stars, but this book Oh my GOD, this book. I don't even know if I can articulate my feelings properly, but I'm going to try.
So this is a hauntingly accurate portrayal of bipolar disorder and how quickly you surrender to it, how frighteningly FAST it consumes you, strangles you, changes you into a person no longer recognizable by those around you. The truth is that mental illnesses are NOT beautiful. They are not to be worn like a mask, they are not to be romanticized, t ...more
So this is a hauntingly accurate portrayal of bipolar disorder and how quickly you surrender to it, how frighteningly FAST it consumes you, strangles you, changes you into a person no longer recognizable by those around you. The truth is that mental illnesses are NOT beautiful. They are not to be worn like a mask, they are not to be romanticized, t ...more

4.5 / This is a contemporary story about a boy, Conner and a girl, Isabel who meet during the summer at a summer camp. They don't live too far from each other but Isabel never wanted to follow through in going to see Conner, which frustrates him but doesn't want to lose touch with Isabel... So, he lets her break their plans and forgives her every time she freaks because Conner is trying to help Isabel.
The entire book is formatted in emails and instant messages. We get to learn about the characte ...more
The entire book is formatted in emails and instant messages. We get to learn about the characte ...more

Grade: C+
One Word: Uneven
CRAZY can best be described as a tale of two halves. The first, a dreary one-star setup for a a story of a teen's crush on a camp friend as she descends into bipolar hell. Told primarily in email between Connor, the nerdy, outcast and Izzy, the over-the-top angsty artist. He's needy and super-supportive , she's slowly slipping into deep depression before exploding into often unkind, self-destructive mania. He pushes, she pulls away.
The first 51%, before Izzy's initial ma ...more
One Word: Uneven
CRAZY can best be described as a tale of two halves. The first, a dreary one-star setup for a a story of a teen's crush on a camp friend as she descends into bipolar hell. Told primarily in email between Connor, the nerdy, outcast and Izzy, the over-the-top angsty artist. He's needy and super-supportive , she's slowly slipping into deep depression before exploding into often unkind, self-destructive mania. He pushes, she pulls away.
The first 51%, before Izzy's initial ma ...more

This book is the first Amy Reed book that I've read, and I really enjoyed it. It is told in a unique format, which is e-mail format. Towards the end there are also a few journal entries. The story kept me turning the pages to see what else would happen in Connor's and Izzy's lives.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
Connor is a really great guy, and he is very caring. Connor wants to help Izzy, but he also doesn't want her to get mad at him. He is supportive of her, and he lets her know that he's there if sh ...more
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
Connor is a really great guy, and he is very caring. Connor wants to help Izzy, but he also doesn't want her to get mad at him. He is supportive of her, and he lets her know that he's there if sh ...more
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Amy Reed was born and raised in and around Seattle, where she attended a total of eight schools by the time she was eighteen. Constant moving taught her to be restless and being an only child made her imagination do funny things. After a brief stint at Reed College (no relation), she moved to San Francisco and spent the next several years serving coffee and getting into trouble. She eventually gra
...more
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