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Life is But a Dream
Alec and Sabrina are crazy in love. Problem is: Sabrina’s really crazy.
Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced it's the world that's crazy, not the two of them. They are meant to be together; they are special. But when Alec starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries that she'll lose hold of her dreams and herself. Should she listen to her doctor? Her decision may have fatal consequences.
Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced it's the world that's crazy, not the two of them. They are meant to be together; they are special. But when Alec starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries that she'll lose hold of her dreams and herself. Should she listen to her doctor? Her decision may have fatal consequences.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2012
32 people are currently reading
4594 people want to read
About the author
Brian James
111 books227 followersI've written numerous children's books, including the Pirate School series and the Catkid series. I'm also the author of several novels: Pure Sunshine; Tomorrow, Maybe; Perfect World; Dirty Liar; Thief; Zombie Blondes; The Heights.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
March 15, 2012
Did you know that Schizophrenia typically appears between the ages of 16 and 25? How old are you? Scary, huh? I've always been fascinated, if a bit terrified, by this illness. I got a chance to learn a lot about it in one of my psychology classes at University and it's not a disorder that many really understand. Life Is But a Dream takes us in the mind of Sabrina - in a mental facility because of this incurable illness.
There is so much sadness, underneath it all. We go into Sabrina's mind and see her delusions, her perceptions, and even when she thinks she's completely happy, you can feel her helplessness; it's brilliantly written. You get a grip of how this illness takes away your sense of the world. However, I could never completely connect with Sabrina. I felt like she held the reader at arm's length in a way that made it hard to me to really be able to sympathize for her. No doubt is it distressing, but I felt this in a more general sense of the illness, than towards Sabrina herself.
Alec - in the mental facility as well - quickly falls for Sabrina, and she him. The romantic element is a sweet way to give a little light to the otherwise gloominess of the story. I was happy that she found someone to be herself with, although I didn't particularly like how he was feeding her conspiracies that negatively affected her mental state. Especially that he is otherwise healthy, thus should have realized this wasn't helping her.
The book consists of Sabrina trying to understand, to accept, who she is. It's a fairly short novel of a little over 200 pages, even so I did find the story was moving too slowly for my taste. I felt myself longing for something deeper to unravel. Nonetheless, there is a definite beauty in the slow, painful way that it's told. Flashbacks throughout the novel also helps us understand how her illness started, unfolding to the events that led her to the facility.
Life Is But a Dream opens our eyes to a mental disability that is often misunderstood. Brian's portrayal of schizophrenia is impressive; he makes us see the despair, as well as the beauty in such a sensitive subject. For those who enjoy books dealing with mental disorders, this is one that will make you see the world in a completely new way.
"Is the world crazy--or is she?" - quote on cover
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
There is so much sadness, underneath it all. We go into Sabrina's mind and see her delusions, her perceptions, and even when she thinks she's completely happy, you can feel her helplessness; it's brilliantly written. You get a grip of how this illness takes away your sense of the world. However, I could never completely connect with Sabrina. I felt like she held the reader at arm's length in a way that made it hard to me to really be able to sympathize for her. No doubt is it distressing, but I felt this in a more general sense of the illness, than towards Sabrina herself.
Alec - in the mental facility as well - quickly falls for Sabrina, and she him. The romantic element is a sweet way to give a little light to the otherwise gloominess of the story. I was happy that she found someone to be herself with, although I didn't particularly like how he was feeding her conspiracies that negatively affected her mental state. Especially that he is otherwise healthy, thus should have realized this wasn't helping her.
The book consists of Sabrina trying to understand, to accept, who she is. It's a fairly short novel of a little over 200 pages, even so I did find the story was moving too slowly for my taste. I felt myself longing for something deeper to unravel. Nonetheless, there is a definite beauty in the slow, painful way that it's told. Flashbacks throughout the novel also helps us understand how her illness started, unfolding to the events that led her to the facility.
Life Is But a Dream opens our eyes to a mental disability that is often misunderstood. Brian's portrayal of schizophrenia is impressive; he makes us see the despair, as well as the beauty in such a sensitive subject. For those who enjoy books dealing with mental disorders, this is one that will make you see the world in a completely new way.
"Is the world crazy--or is she?" - quote on cover
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
May 25, 2019
Mental Health A Thon: Schizophrenia Rep
1.5 Stars
Okay, how do I explain this book?
When we meet Sabrina she is at a mental health hospital being treated for Schizophrenia. Since this is YA, Sabrina of course meets a boy Alec and instantly falls in love. We, the reader are suppose to fall in love with Alec but I didn't because....
ALEC IS A HORRIBLE PERSON!
Sabrina is battling Schizophrenia so medication is very very necessary but Alec is just like "I love you, you don't need medicine. All you need me"
NO! JUST NO!
I had an uncle who suffered from Schizophrenia and medication saved his life. Without medication my sister and I never would have met him because he was very unstable and dangerous to his self and others. But when properly medicated he was literally the funniest person I've ever met. He spent 8- 10 years in and out of mental health hospitals until my mom(his baby sister) became his conservator and he was able to work and see his kids and just live a normal life.
My first problem with this book and I have several was the fact that while staying in a mental health hospital Sabrina stops taking her medicine and no one notices.
WHAT?
My uncle had his blood tested every other week to test the level of medicine in his system. Plus the hospital had cameras so he couldn't have gotten away with it.
My second problem with this book was we never get to meet the real Sabrina. We only meet her while she's sick and the book is from her point of view so we live in her Schizophrenic mind. A person in an Schizophrenic episode is not their true self. If I only ever saw my uncle while he was sick I would have never really met the real him. So I couldn't really connect to Sabrina's character, living in her mind was chaotic and anxiety inducing.
And yet I was bored. I'mma just say it this book bored me to death.
Life Is But A Dream was a disappointment to me but I appear to be in the minority on this one. All the reviews I read talked about how emotionally moving and important this book was but it did nothing for me.
1.5 Stars
Okay, how do I explain this book?
When we meet Sabrina she is at a mental health hospital being treated for Schizophrenia. Since this is YA, Sabrina of course meets a boy Alec and instantly falls in love. We, the reader are suppose to fall in love with Alec but I didn't because....
ALEC IS A HORRIBLE PERSON!
Sabrina is battling Schizophrenia so medication is very very necessary but Alec is just like "I love you, you don't need medicine. All you need me"
NO! JUST NO!
I had an uncle who suffered from Schizophrenia and medication saved his life. Without medication my sister and I never would have met him because he was very unstable and dangerous to his self and others. But when properly medicated he was literally the funniest person I've ever met. He spent 8- 10 years in and out of mental health hospitals until my mom(his baby sister) became his conservator and he was able to work and see his kids and just live a normal life.
My first problem with this book and I have several was the fact that while staying in a mental health hospital Sabrina stops taking her medicine and no one notices.
WHAT?
My uncle had his blood tested every other week to test the level of medicine in his system. Plus the hospital had cameras so he couldn't have gotten away with it.
My second problem with this book was we never get to meet the real Sabrina. We only meet her while she's sick and the book is from her point of view so we live in her Schizophrenic mind. A person in an Schizophrenic episode is not their true self. If I only ever saw my uncle while he was sick I would have never really met the real him. So I couldn't really connect to Sabrina's character, living in her mind was chaotic and anxiety inducing.
And yet I was bored. I'mma just say it this book bored me to death.
Life Is But A Dream was a disappointment to me but I appear to be in the minority on this one. All the reviews I read talked about how emotionally moving and important this book was but it did nothing for me.
April 25, 2012
Life Is But A Dream is an unusual, intense book that tackles the subject of truth as perception from the angle of mental illness.
Sabrina is a schizophrenic teen, checked into the Wellness Centre after events that are slowly revealed through a series of flashbacks. Using these snapshots of the recent past and Sabrina’s childhood, James sharpens the image of Sabrina-in-the-present, where she meets and becomes close to fellow patient Alec. Sabrina is convinced that there is a connection between she and Alec - that he originates from the dreams that texture her world.
In a similar way, James clearly conveys Sabrina’s confusion and fear at the idea of separating these worlds, of tearing out the part that makes her feel special.
However, despite the first person narration, there is never a real sense of closeness to Sabrina. As readers, we might see through her eyes, but we are never fully in her shoes, living her experiences as intimately as the point of view might suggest.
Life Is But A Dream also subtly touches on the theme of bullying, particularly the repercussions for Sabrina, without being heavy handed with the messaging. It’s handled in a manner that feels both relevant and respectful, while drawing attention to the very real emotional impact for victims of bullying.
While this is at times a distressing book to read, given the struggle Sabrina undergoes, its undeniably moving and thought provoking. At least, until the resolution. This was where I felt a considerable disconnect with the story and dissatisfaction with the manner in which it was concluded.
It’s worth mentioning here that certain points (and characters) in this book are highly subjective and reader interpretations of what exactly is real and what is part of Sabrina’s schizophrenia will vary. If taken on a completely literal basis, I find the way the Sabrina is compelled to confront her illness slightly problematic and unrealistic, particularly when it comes to the role Alec plays. The emotional engagement I had felt up until this point waned. While I felt happy with the note on which Sabrina’s story ends, the manner in which it arrived there rang somewhat hollow to me, and I felt it undid some of the complicated crafting that gone into the plot previously.
Still, Life Is But A Dream is a complex, beautifully written book – with a great deal of empathy for the characters and the respective challenges they face.
This review also appears at The Midnight Garden
Sabrina is a schizophrenic teen, checked into the Wellness Centre after events that are slowly revealed through a series of flashbacks. Using these snapshots of the recent past and Sabrina’s childhood, James sharpens the image of Sabrina-in-the-present, where she meets and becomes close to fellow patient Alec. Sabrina is convinced that there is a connection between she and Alec - that he originates from the dreams that texture her world.
…mine [dreams] aren’t like that. Mine stay around even when I’m awake. They are everywhere around me, shadows that I see out of the corner of my eyes. Sometimes they are more than shadows. […] Those dreams aren’t dreams at all but windows into other places. Those special dreams exist in the small places where two words rub up against each other.”James’ portrayal of Sabrina’s schizophrenia is definitely one of the strongest elements of this book. He seamlessly weaves Sabrina’s delusions into her narration, creating a rich and evocative voice that effectively communicates the way her mind merges the real and the unreal.
In a similar way, James clearly conveys Sabrina’s confusion and fear at the idea of separating these worlds, of tearing out the part that makes her feel special.
-But why is it so wrong for me to just perceive what I perceive? – I ask her. – Everyone’s always said I should believe in myself. Until I stopped believing what they wanted me to…
Dr Richards is trying to take away the part of me that makes me special. That is what she wants. It’s what my parents want too. But it’s not what I want. I don’t want to see things their way. […] The thought of a world that plain frightens me.In this respect the novel highlights the power of perception, and how Sabrina defines herself by the way she sees the world. The story is largely focused on Sabrina’s internal journey, and the potentially fatal consequences of the choices she must make.
However, despite the first person narration, there is never a real sense of closeness to Sabrina. As readers, we might see through her eyes, but we are never fully in her shoes, living her experiences as intimately as the point of view might suggest.
Life Is But A Dream also subtly touches on the theme of bullying, particularly the repercussions for Sabrina, without being heavy handed with the messaging. It’s handled in a manner that feels both relevant and respectful, while drawing attention to the very real emotional impact for victims of bullying.
While this is at times a distressing book to read, given the struggle Sabrina undergoes, its undeniably moving and thought provoking. At least, until the resolution. This was where I felt a considerable disconnect with the story and dissatisfaction with the manner in which it was concluded.
It’s worth mentioning here that certain points (and characters) in this book are highly subjective and reader interpretations of what exactly is real and what is part of Sabrina’s schizophrenia will vary. If taken on a completely literal basis, I find the way the Sabrina is compelled to confront her illness slightly problematic and unrealistic, particularly when it comes to the role Alec plays. The emotional engagement I had felt up until this point waned. While I felt happy with the note on which Sabrina’s story ends, the manner in which it arrived there rang somewhat hollow to me, and I felt it undid some of the complicated crafting that gone into the plot previously.
Still, Life Is But A Dream is a complex, beautifully written book – with a great deal of empathy for the characters and the respective challenges they face.
This review also appears at The Midnight Garden
February 18, 2012
“I know how to stand still even when the Earth spins faster and faster than it ever did before. The rest of them try to keep up with the rhythm until it makes them dizzy. And with dizzy eyes, they stare at me and say I’m crazy.”
I absolutely adored this book. I wasn’t so sure at first because mental illness will always be an incredibly sensitive subject for me. It seems that mental illness is a subject that can either be done really, really badly, or really, really well.
Thankfully, this book falls into the latter category.
I have to admit I’m not an expert in schizophrenia, unless a B in a psychology A-Level module makes me one nowadays. But I doubt it. So please keep that in mind when I say that this book felt like an honest and accurate portrayal of what it would be like to suffer from schizophrenia. I’d be interested to know how this portrayal holds up with someone who does have experience with it.
From the first few pages, I realised that this book wasn’t going to be for everyone. It’s full of surreal imagery, bizarre concepts portrayed as if they were every day and lots of beautiful writing. Now I normally hate beautiful writing. I know that sounds stupid because, surely, everyone should love beautiful writing, I mean… it’s beautiful, right?
But I’m not a fan of flowery prose and obscure metaphors that don’t make sense. I like my writing to be to the point and gimmick-free. When I read a book, I’m much more interested in knowing whether the author knows how to tell a story than whether they can write a pretty sentence.
I fell in love with Sabrina’s narration after I read the following paragraph:
That’s the second paragraph, by the way. It didn’t take me long.
I feel I need to amend my thoughts of beautiful writing: I hate it when it feels fake and forced and “Hey, look what I can do!”
But through Sabrina’s eyes, I believed that she saw the sky above her changing colours with every breath.
I hate it when authors try to make mental illness a glamorous disease. When they make it out to be a beautiful yet tragic illness I always wonder whether they’ve done any research at all. What I loved about Mr James’ portrayal of schizophrenia is that even though the world that Sabrina saw was absolutely stunning and it would be tempting to stay within the safety of her dreams, with all their colours and lights, there was always that sense of danger and of unease.
Sabrina was an absolutely glorious character. As I glimpsed the world through her eyes, I could really sense the level of frustration she felt as she tried to articulate what she was going through. It was incredibly sad but really affective.
My only real criticism is that I’m not entirely sure I understood what led to Sabrina being committed in the first place. I have an idea and I get the basic gist but there were a few questions I have about it. I don’t really want to go into it too much, and it’s probably just me being a bit dim, but I just thought it was a bit too vague and confused for such an important aspect of the story.
< Mini spoilers >
I feel like I need to talk about Alec, the love interest.
Eeeh, this kid had me having kittens all over the place. He was so destructive, and so adamant that he was right all the time. It would be easy to label him as the baddie but I didn’t really see him as that. I think he was just a teenager who didn’t really understand how dangerous his words would be to someone like Sabrina. I don’t think there was any malice behind his words. He was such an interesting character and, I’m glad to say, he really redeemed himself in the end.
< End of mini spoilers >
And, on a completely girly point, the scenes between him and Sabrina were so, so sweet that, if I ignored all the implications and ramifications and focus purely on their relationship, it could well be one of the most beautiful and innocent YA relationships I’ve read.
But I’m not completely sure I can ignore them all, even if he did learn his lesson the hard way. The jury’s still out on Alec.
*narrows eyes*
Also, if I read one more prologue that I absolutely love, I’m going to seriously damage my reputation as Jo, The Prologue Hater.
But Sabrina got her perfect ending and that last line… yesyesyes.
Theme Tune.
I always think of Patrick Wolf when I read a beautiful and poetic book that has one foot set firmly in the surreal. There is actually a better song for this book and I was this close to choosing it but it’s the theme song I’m using for my own WIP and… well… I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I don’t like to share my Wolf.
But this one is just as suitable.
The Days by Patrick Wolf.
I had your love once
Seized my body whole
And in our first dance
I thought by chance
God had matched my soul
But time bought its travelling
Its distance and solitude
My self-damaging
I took my love
Far, far from you.
I promise, I will meet you
I will meet you
At the end of the days.
This book could be seen as a love story in the same way this song could be seen as a love song, but it can also be seen as the beginning of a journey that is difficult and there are no guarantees that everything will work out, but the heroine is hopeful and determined to give it a try.
I’m calling it both.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley.
You can read this review and lots of other exciting things on my blog here.
I absolutely adored this book. I wasn’t so sure at first because mental illness will always be an incredibly sensitive subject for me. It seems that mental illness is a subject that can either be done really, really badly, or really, really well.
Thankfully, this book falls into the latter category.
I have to admit I’m not an expert in schizophrenia, unless a B in a psychology A-Level module makes me one nowadays. But I doubt it. So please keep that in mind when I say that this book felt like an honest and accurate portrayal of what it would be like to suffer from schizophrenia. I’d be interested to know how this portrayal holds up with someone who does have experience with it.
From the first few pages, I realised that this book wasn’t going to be for everyone. It’s full of surreal imagery, bizarre concepts portrayed as if they were every day and lots of beautiful writing. Now I normally hate beautiful writing. I know that sounds stupid because, surely, everyone should love beautiful writing, I mean… it’s beautiful, right?
But I’m not a fan of flowery prose and obscure metaphors that don’t make sense. I like my writing to be to the point and gimmick-free. When I read a book, I’m much more interested in knowing whether the author knows how to tell a story than whether they can write a pretty sentence.
I fell in love with Sabrina’s narration after I read the following paragraph:
“I exhale swirling colors that streak across the clouds like rainbows on soapy water. I reach upward with my free hand. The evening sunlight touches my skin like golden water and I feel safe- almost like heaven is falling from the sky to protect me. It should be confusing but somehow it all makes sense to me. It makes sense the way a dream makes sense. The only difference is, I’m awake.”
That’s the second paragraph, by the way. It didn’t take me long.
I feel I need to amend my thoughts of beautiful writing: I hate it when it feels fake and forced and “Hey, look what I can do!”
But through Sabrina’s eyes, I believed that she saw the sky above her changing colours with every breath.
I hate it when authors try to make mental illness a glamorous disease. When they make it out to be a beautiful yet tragic illness I always wonder whether they’ve done any research at all. What I loved about Mr James’ portrayal of schizophrenia is that even though the world that Sabrina saw was absolutely stunning and it would be tempting to stay within the safety of her dreams, with all their colours and lights, there was always that sense of danger and of unease.
“Lately, I’ve been feeling like the wires in my brain have been switched around- disconnected from where they belong. It makes everything too sharp – makes my skin tingle like little shocks made of glitter. Without the medicine, they are growing back to where they belong. Already, my dreams are coming back- little by little.”
Sabrina was an absolutely glorious character. As I glimpsed the world through her eyes, I could really sense the level of frustration she felt as she tried to articulate what she was going through. It was incredibly sad but really affective.
“When I was little, they encouraged me to use my imagination. They bought me posters of unicorns and fairies. Everything I had, from my little girl makeup to my glittery pink sneakers, was bathed in make-believe and came from a place where every girl could be a princess. I guess I never knew I was supposed to stop believing.”
My only real criticism is that I’m not entirely sure I understood what led to Sabrina being committed in the first place. I have an idea and I get the basic gist but there were a few questions I have about it. I don’t really want to go into it too much, and it’s probably just me being a bit dim, but I just thought it was a bit too vague and confused for such an important aspect of the story.
< Mini spoilers >
I feel like I need to talk about Alec, the love interest.
Eeeh, this kid had me having kittens all over the place. He was so destructive, and so adamant that he was right all the time. It would be easy to label him as the baddie but I didn’t really see him as that. I think he was just a teenager who didn’t really understand how dangerous his words would be to someone like Sabrina. I don’t think there was any malice behind his words. He was such an interesting character and, I’m glad to say, he really redeemed himself in the end.
< End of mini spoilers >
And, on a completely girly point, the scenes between him and Sabrina were so, so sweet that, if I ignored all the implications and ramifications and focus purely on their relationship, it could well be one of the most beautiful and innocent YA relationships I’ve read.
But I’m not completely sure I can ignore them all, even if he did learn his lesson the hard way. The jury’s still out on Alec.
*narrows eyes*
Also, if I read one more prologue that I absolutely love, I’m going to seriously damage my reputation as Jo, The Prologue Hater.
But Sabrina got her perfect ending and that last line… yesyesyes.
Theme Tune.
I always think of Patrick Wolf when I read a beautiful and poetic book that has one foot set firmly in the surreal. There is actually a better song for this book and I was this close to choosing it but it’s the theme song I’m using for my own WIP and… well… I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I don’t like to share my Wolf.
But this one is just as suitable.
The Days by Patrick Wolf.
I had your love once
Seized my body whole
And in our first dance
I thought by chance
God had matched my soul
But time bought its travelling
Its distance and solitude
My self-damaging
I took my love
Far, far from you.
I promise, I will meet you
I will meet you
At the end of the days.
This book could be seen as a love story in the same way this song could be seen as a love song, but it can also be seen as the beginning of a journey that is difficult and there are no guarantees that everything will work out, but the heroine is hopeful and determined to give it a try.
I’m calling it both.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley.
You can read this review and lots of other exciting things on my blog here.
December 7, 2011
I have always had a thing about books dealing with mental illness, so when I read the synopsis for this book I was hooked! I mean a girl struggling with schizophrenia in a mental institution? Ummmmm YES PLEASE!
That and schizophrenia is something I know very little about, but have always wondered about. So deciding to pick this up was an easy decision to make.
Sabrina is a 15 year old girl that has come to realize that she doesn't see the world like everyone else does. When she was a child she always thought she just had a vivid imagination, and everyone applauded her for it...but she's not a child any more. Her parents and her best friend Kayliegh seemed to be more annoyed then anything by what she sees and draws. They are always telling her she needs to grow up, but what they don't understand is this isn't a figment of Sabrina's imagination. For her the world really does look different. After her delusions take a turn for the worse she finds herself in the Wellness Center, and there she meets Alec. A boy that she knows she is supposed to be with. So when he tells her that the medicine is just the worlds way of trying to control her she believes him, and stops taking them. Little does Alec know, Sabrina really does need those pills.
By the time she finds out it just might be too late...
This book was one twisted ride that is for sure. The story is told from Sabrina's POV and at times left me feeling confused and slightly lost. Especially when she would flashback, and I was left standing there wondering how we got out of the Wellness Center and into her bedroom, or the mall? Eventually I got used to the sudden jumps back and forth and was able to keep up, but I felt that is could have maybe been done a a little different so the reader would never have been lost. Like maybe put the flashbacks in italics or something. Other than that the writing style was great! I think it really helped get you into the mind of a person with schizophrenia in a way that was believable. There was no doubt for me that Sabrina saw the things she saw, and towards the end, when everything started to unravel, I couldn't put the book down.
Over all I say this is a good read and for anyone out there that wants to know what it's like to live inside the world of schizophrenia should pick it up and give it a try. That and the relationship between Alec & Sabrina was so sweet in a naive kind of way;)
That and schizophrenia is something I know very little about, but have always wondered about. So deciding to pick this up was an easy decision to make.
Sabrina is a 15 year old girl that has come to realize that she doesn't see the world like everyone else does. When she was a child she always thought she just had a vivid imagination, and everyone applauded her for it...but she's not a child any more. Her parents and her best friend Kayliegh seemed to be more annoyed then anything by what she sees and draws. They are always telling her she needs to grow up, but what they don't understand is this isn't a figment of Sabrina's imagination. For her the world really does look different. After her delusions take a turn for the worse she finds herself in the Wellness Center, and there she meets Alec. A boy that she knows she is supposed to be with. So when he tells her that the medicine is just the worlds way of trying to control her she believes him, and stops taking them. Little does Alec know, Sabrina really does need those pills.
By the time she finds out it just might be too late...
This book was one twisted ride that is for sure. The story is told from Sabrina's POV and at times left me feeling confused and slightly lost. Especially when she would flashback, and I was left standing there wondering how we got out of the Wellness Center and into her bedroom, or the mall? Eventually I got used to the sudden jumps back and forth and was able to keep up, but I felt that is could have maybe been done a a little different so the reader would never have been lost. Like maybe put the flashbacks in italics or something. Other than that the writing style was great! I think it really helped get you into the mind of a person with schizophrenia in a way that was believable. There was no doubt for me that Sabrina saw the things she saw, and towards the end, when everything started to unravel, I couldn't put the book down.
Over all I say this is a good read and for anyone out there that wants to know what it's like to live inside the world of schizophrenia should pick it up and give it a try. That and the relationship between Alec & Sabrina was so sweet in a naive kind of way;)
November 7, 2011
Books set in psychiatric institutions fascinate me. Their world is completely different from anything that we experience on a regular basis--the doctors, the regimens, the interactions. It also takes a lot of careful consideration to craft a character living in a setting like this. Brian James created a very interesting world here, but for some reason, something didn't 100% click for me with this one.
The main character, Sabrina, is locked up in a psychiatric facility and diagnosed as schizophrenic. She's slowly progressing towards normal when Alex enters her life and turns everything upside down. She rather quickly spirals backwards into her delusions.
Sabrina is really a fascinating character to follow. James really takes you straight into her head and determining the dreams and delusions from reality is next to impossible at times. Seeing the world through Sabrina's eyes shows the reader both the beauty and the terror that can come with such a life. It was really difficult for me, as a reader, to watch her . I liked her so much as a character that I wanted her to recover and have a shot at a normal life.
Alex...well, as a love interest he was a bit of a disappointment to me at times. I wanted Sabrina to have someone who loved her and her wacky way of thinking, feeling, and seeing things. Alex seemed like that person...at least at first. I don't think that he was ever able to grasp the severity of Sabrina's disease, and I didn't like how . He redeemed himself quite a bit in the later parts of the story.
I'm not exactly sure what makes this more of a three star than a four star book for me. I definitely enjoyed reading it, but it wasn't the sort of book that I was racing to pick up each whenever I had time to read. The pacing is a bit slow and the world didn't pull me in as much as I was expecting. The most exciting moments come rather late in the story, and while those moments were incredibly well-written, they were simply difficult to GET to because of the slower pacing at the beginning. I wouldn't warn anyone away from this book if they're interested, just be aware that it's not a fast-paced read.
The main character, Sabrina, is locked up in a psychiatric facility and diagnosed as schizophrenic. She's slowly progressing towards normal when Alex enters her life and turns everything upside down. She rather quickly spirals backwards into her delusions.
Sabrina is really a fascinating character to follow. James really takes you straight into her head and determining the dreams and delusions from reality is next to impossible at times. Seeing the world through Sabrina's eyes shows the reader both the beauty and the terror that can come with such a life. It was really difficult for me, as a reader, to watch her . I liked her so much as a character that I wanted her to recover and have a shot at a normal life.
Alex...well, as a love interest he was a bit of a disappointment to me at times. I wanted Sabrina to have someone who loved her and her wacky way of thinking, feeling, and seeing things. Alex seemed like that person...at least at first. I don't think that he was ever able to grasp the severity of Sabrina's disease, and I didn't like how . He redeemed himself quite a bit in the later parts of the story.
I'm not exactly sure what makes this more of a three star than a four star book for me. I definitely enjoyed reading it, but it wasn't the sort of book that I was racing to pick up each whenever I had time to read. The pacing is a bit slow and the world didn't pull me in as much as I was expecting. The most exciting moments come rather late in the story, and while those moments were incredibly well-written, they were simply difficult to GET to because of the slower pacing at the beginning. I wouldn't warn anyone away from this book if they're interested, just be aware that it's not a fast-paced read.
March 28, 2012
Sabrina is young, 15, and I thought that was too young for schizophrenia, but I was informed by my 15 yr old that they just studied it in Health and that it isn't too young. So my tax dollars at work, he learned something! But I do think it's unusual. Still it happens to Sabrina and though she's delusional she's strong in some ways. She was taken advantage of and her mind just built a different, though pretty world around the ugly things kids did to her. In fact, she escaped from reality all the time and by escape, she got totally engrossed in her fantasy so that she lost track of time, days, what was going on around her. Her delusions are beautiful, fairies and painting the sky, she's searching for heaven. No, she's not suicidal.
I have no way of judging if Brian James did a good job of portraying what it's like to have "acute schizophrenia." I have nothing to compare it to and the only research I saw that he did was pick up a hitchhiker who shared with him what it was like to have schizophrenia.* But this isn't a "Guide for Schizophrenics." It's just a fictional account of a girl falling into her delusional life, believing the boy she meets in therapy that says the drugs are just going to make her a robot person. Alec. Alec the angry boy who falls for the delusional girl that paints pretty pictures for him that calm him down. But he doesn't realize how serious she is. And she doesn't realize he doesn't believe in her dream. That they will walk into the sun in the ocean, hand in hand and the world will fall to dust all around them and they will be in heaven. What he sees as metaphor she sees as reality.
I think Alec is so busy being angry at the world, at his parents, at his doctors, that he doesn't really take the time to really hear her. He listens and Sabrina believes he's the only one that's ever understood her, but the things he tells her only feeds her paranoia and just when she's getting better, he undoes everything. He tells her they are the only normal ones. And tells her how to fake taking her medicine. And that if she takes her medicine, she'll become one of them. Sabrina has been noticing her escaping has not been working and now she realizes it's the medicine. They are changing her. And her paranoia sets in deep. Unknowingly, Alec makes her much, much worse because they never tell each other what their diseases are,they just describe what the doctors say is wrong with them. The word schizophrenia never comes up.
I think Mr. James tells a great story about a girl coming undone and no one really hearing her. A story about a young girl who knows she's not right, she's special but she doesn't quite understand why it's wrong to be this kind of special. And she's not sure why she should let go of this specialness since it is who she is. Mr. James definitely got that right. As a person that has to take many psychiatric drugs on a daily basis, I fight with that too. And I understand not wanting to change who you are. As soon as Sabrina starts being more lucid, she starts missing her dreams, her escapes from reality. Facing reality is scary and dreaming is much more preferable. So when she feels her escape being taken away, she feels like she's changing, losing herself. I totally identify with her. It's kind of like when you're drinking and you're uninhibited so that you're more social. You'd like to be that way all the time, right? But you can't drink all the time, there are rules. For Sabrina, they are taking away those feelings that she uses to cope as she gets better. It's a good thing, but it's hard to lose when you've always had it.
The story is really beautifully written as Sabrina's delusions are descriptive and original. She's artistic so her delusions are as well. Mr. James isn't flowery in his descriptions yet they are poetic and painted all the same. After the fateful meeting with Alec, I could feel the ball rolling down the hill as Sabrina's mind gained momentum toward her explosive rock bottom, until no one could be trusted, even her own reflection. It's very intense, almost like waiting for a thunderstorm. When they separate her from Alec, she wants to leave the hospital immediately. No one realizes the true effect he's had on her, not even Alec.
I enjoyed reading this story so much. It was told from Sabrina's point of view and it was so mesmerizing reading her thought process. She was lucid at times, remembering to pretend to act normal and other times, completely lost. So foreign to any mental illness I've ever known. And so frightening. And the story was completely different in a good way. Told from the point of view of the person with the mental illness, the victim of the disease, it never vilified her as something evil or soul sucking or a potential murderer. She was the victim of a disease, a "chemical imbalance". I was almost giddy to see it described like that. Why, oh, because that's what many mental illnesses are. And the medicines bring balance back and make a person stable.
I don't know much about schizophrenia. The little I do know is that I'm glad it isn't the disorder I have. But I have been told by mental health professionals that people with the disease can lead very productive lives. So there's hope. And that's kind of where I was left at the end of this book, with some hope. And I applaud Mr. James for his writing, for the inventiveness of Sabrina's delusions and dreams and for writing from the sick person's point of view. Thank you for not making her someone to be hated or pitied. Yes, this is personal for me.
**Brian James, the author, reached out to me on Goodreads to let me know it he did a lot of research on schizophrenia and that his mention of the hitch hiker was merely a shout out for all his valuable and brave sharing of what his daily life is like living with the illness.
Thank you to MacMillian and Feiwel and Friends for allowing me to read an ARC of this via NetGalley.
This in no way influenced my review of this novel.
I have no way of judging if Brian James did a good job of portraying what it's like to have "acute schizophrenia." I have nothing to compare it to and the only research I saw that he did was pick up a hitchhiker who shared with him what it was like to have schizophrenia.* But this isn't a "Guide for Schizophrenics." It's just a fictional account of a girl falling into her delusional life, believing the boy she meets in therapy that says the drugs are just going to make her a robot person. Alec. Alec the angry boy who falls for the delusional girl that paints pretty pictures for him that calm him down. But he doesn't realize how serious she is. And she doesn't realize he doesn't believe in her dream. That they will walk into the sun in the ocean, hand in hand and the world will fall to dust all around them and they will be in heaven. What he sees as metaphor she sees as reality.
I think Alec is so busy being angry at the world, at his parents, at his doctors, that he doesn't really take the time to really hear her. He listens and Sabrina believes he's the only one that's ever understood her, but the things he tells her only feeds her paranoia and just when she's getting better, he undoes everything. He tells her they are the only normal ones. And tells her how to fake taking her medicine. And that if she takes her medicine, she'll become one of them. Sabrina has been noticing her escaping has not been working and now she realizes it's the medicine. They are changing her. And her paranoia sets in deep. Unknowingly, Alec makes her much, much worse because they never tell each other what their diseases are,they just describe what the doctors say is wrong with them. The word schizophrenia never comes up.
I think Mr. James tells a great story about a girl coming undone and no one really hearing her. A story about a young girl who knows she's not right, she's special but she doesn't quite understand why it's wrong to be this kind of special. And she's not sure why she should let go of this specialness since it is who she is. Mr. James definitely got that right. As a person that has to take many psychiatric drugs on a daily basis, I fight with that too. And I understand not wanting to change who you are. As soon as Sabrina starts being more lucid, she starts missing her dreams, her escapes from reality. Facing reality is scary and dreaming is much more preferable. So when she feels her escape being taken away, she feels like she's changing, losing herself. I totally identify with her. It's kind of like when you're drinking and you're uninhibited so that you're more social. You'd like to be that way all the time, right? But you can't drink all the time, there are rules. For Sabrina, they are taking away those feelings that she uses to cope as she gets better. It's a good thing, but it's hard to lose when you've always had it.
The story is really beautifully written as Sabrina's delusions are descriptive and original. She's artistic so her delusions are as well. Mr. James isn't flowery in his descriptions yet they are poetic and painted all the same. After the fateful meeting with Alec, I could feel the ball rolling down the hill as Sabrina's mind gained momentum toward her explosive rock bottom, until no one could be trusted, even her own reflection. It's very intense, almost like waiting for a thunderstorm. When they separate her from Alec, she wants to leave the hospital immediately. No one realizes the true effect he's had on her, not even Alec.
I enjoyed reading this story so much. It was told from Sabrina's point of view and it was so mesmerizing reading her thought process. She was lucid at times, remembering to pretend to act normal and other times, completely lost. So foreign to any mental illness I've ever known. And so frightening. And the story was completely different in a good way. Told from the point of view of the person with the mental illness, the victim of the disease, it never vilified her as something evil or soul sucking or a potential murderer. She was the victim of a disease, a "chemical imbalance". I was almost giddy to see it described like that. Why, oh, because that's what many mental illnesses are. And the medicines bring balance back and make a person stable.
I don't know much about schizophrenia. The little I do know is that I'm glad it isn't the disorder I have. But I have been told by mental health professionals that people with the disease can lead very productive lives. So there's hope. And that's kind of where I was left at the end of this book, with some hope. And I applaud Mr. James for his writing, for the inventiveness of Sabrina's delusions and dreams and for writing from the sick person's point of view. Thank you for not making her someone to be hated or pitied. Yes, this is personal for me.
**Brian James, the author, reached out to me on Goodreads to let me know it he did a lot of research on schizophrenia and that his mention of the hitch hiker was merely a shout out for all his valuable and brave sharing of what his daily life is like living with the illness.
Thank you to MacMillian and Feiwel and Friends for allowing me to read an ARC of this via NetGalley.
This in no way influenced my review of this novel.
January 20, 2013
This book caught my interest from the song lyrics for "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as well as my deep love of contemporary novels. By the time I picked this up, I had read Ultraviolet (review to come) and had high expectations for the writing and characterization (yes Ultraviolet is about a character with a neurological phenomenon while this is about a character with schizophrenia but both are about female teenagers placed involuntarily in mental facilities.
I have never really thought of myself as a reader who pays attention to the writing, preferring instead to focus on the plot and how the characters make me feel. But it is something I've been noticing and happily the writing in this was glorious and intense, capturing Sabrina's unique perspective on the world. I did have one problem which was the alternating between present in the center and flashbacks to the past. They were usually sudden and had me questioning if they were memories tinged with Sabrina's interpretation or complete fabrications; Sabrina is not an entirely reliable narrator.
But I do still think character is important so if you can't sympathize with her, then even the gorgeous writing probably won't be enough for you. I really felt for Sabrina, who mostly lives in her head and has been largely ostracized by her classmates. She has different priorities than their popularity-obsessed minds, looking outside of the narrow high school bubble. In particular there was one boy who treated her abominably without repercussion and certainly didn't help her healing.
Besides our main character Sabrina, there is also the mysterious Alec, who in some ways appears as an entitled rich jerk whose rich dad got him in a mental facilities instead of juvenile detention. He seems to be the only one who can understand Sabrina and encourages to stop taking her medication and to hold onto her beautiful thoughts. But in some ways Alec also seems like a figment of Sabrina's imagination which had me alternating my interpretation. I've read one review that came down on the side of made-up but the last pages had me saying he was real.
Overall: A powerful contemporary with beautiful imagery and an intriguing main character.
Cover: I love the colors of the leaves and the sky but I don't like Sabrina's hair on the ground.
I have never really thought of myself as a reader who pays attention to the writing, preferring instead to focus on the plot and how the characters make me feel. But it is something I've been noticing and happily the writing in this was glorious and intense, capturing Sabrina's unique perspective on the world. I did have one problem which was the alternating between present in the center and flashbacks to the past. They were usually sudden and had me questioning if they were memories tinged with Sabrina's interpretation or complete fabrications; Sabrina is not an entirely reliable narrator.
But I do still think character is important so if you can't sympathize with her, then even the gorgeous writing probably won't be enough for you. I really felt for Sabrina, who mostly lives in her head and has been largely ostracized by her classmates. She has different priorities than their popularity-obsessed minds, looking outside of the narrow high school bubble. In particular there was one boy who treated her abominably without repercussion and certainly didn't help her healing.
Besides our main character Sabrina, there is also the mysterious Alec, who in some ways appears as an entitled rich jerk whose rich dad got him in a mental facilities instead of juvenile detention. He seems to be the only one who can understand Sabrina and encourages to stop taking her medication and to hold onto her beautiful thoughts. But in some ways Alec also seems like a figment of Sabrina's imagination which had me alternating my interpretation. I've read one review that came down on the side of made-up but the last pages had me saying he was real.
Overall: A powerful contemporary with beautiful imagery and an intriguing main character.
Cover: I love the colors of the leaves and the sky but I don't like Sabrina's hair on the ground.
June 18, 2012
Life is But a Dream is a beautiful and brave and necessary book. And it’s one of those books that to paraphrase the story does the book a disservice. Sabrina is a teenage girl who is schizophrenic, and who, in the course of her treatment, meets a boy she believes she has a special bond with. But this is not a book “about” schizophrenia, nor is it a romance. It’s a book, in the end, about what it means to be human, about how to find your place and identity in the world, and how to hold on to the things that matter most to you. It is, in short, a book that is radically about being a teenager. Wonderfully, Sabrina is the narrator here—an audacious move--and the writing on every page soars, a deep and delicate prose that is never less than honest. There are scenes in this book that, months after having read it, still rise up into my mind, fully formed, etched there forever. The ending is both surprising and welcome, and heartbreaking on many different levels. Brian James has proved in his previous books that he sees into the lives of teenagers better than almost anyone, and Life is But a Dream is a master example of his vision. Urgently, let me say this: read this book.
June 12, 2012
Sabrina has always been a little odd: she daydreams, builds fairy coves, sees the whole world like a Van Gogh painting, acts very impulsively and is very naive. This isn't seen as a problem until the event that leads to her admittance to the Wellness Center. Sabrina is not entirely convinced that she wants to be "fixed." She likes her daydreams and the colors she sees in the sky. When she meets Alex, another patient at the Center, she hopes that maybe he will accept her the was she is.
Really, really, terrific. True confession time though: I stopped reading this about 20% of the way through because it starts off slightly slow and confusing. When I restarted it, not long after the 20% mark I was beginning to get it sorted out in my head and quickly becoming completely fascinated.
I know next to nothing about serious mental illness like schizophrenia but I thought Sabrina's experiences seemed very real. I can understand how someone could feel that there was nothing wrong with them and that they wouldn't want to be "fixed" with medication. This is probably something a lot of teenagers could relate to. Especially since they're just hormone bombs waiting to detonate. And* some of what Sabrina describes is beautiful, I wish I could see the sky that way. I imagine it must be how Van Gogh saw it. Of course, he had problems of his own.
I would definitely recommend this for any psychology class. Or hey, even an art class! You might even be able to get by with it in an AP middle school. There are a few instances that might piss off a parent but nothing too awful.
*I would never let my students get away with starting a sentence with the word "and."
Really, really, terrific. True confession time though: I stopped reading this about 20% of the way through because it starts off slightly slow and confusing. When I restarted it, not long after the 20% mark I was beginning to get it sorted out in my head and quickly becoming completely fascinated.
I know next to nothing about serious mental illness like schizophrenia but I thought Sabrina's experiences seemed very real. I can understand how someone could feel that there was nothing wrong with them and that they wouldn't want to be "fixed" with medication. This is probably something a lot of teenagers could relate to. Especially since they're just hormone bombs waiting to detonate. And* some of what Sabrina describes is beautiful, I wish I could see the sky that way. I imagine it must be how Van Gogh saw it. Of course, he had problems of his own.
I would definitely recommend this for any psychology class. Or hey, even an art class! You might even be able to get by with it in an AP middle school. There are a few instances that might piss off a parent but nothing too awful.
*I would never let my students get away with starting a sentence with the word "and."
May 25, 2012
I have to be honest and say that I’m not quite sure how to go about writing this review. Under normal circumstances I have an “absolute” feeling when finishing a book. I know what I’m going to say about it and I know how I’m going to rate it. Neither can be said when it comes to “Life is But a Dream.”
On one hand it was a spectacularly written example of schizophrenia and how it not only effects the person who has it, but the people surrounding it. In the other, you have a novel that is so full of flowery, elaborate and lengthy descriptions (where the lead character Sabrina is concerned) that I found myself wanting to skim to get to the overall plot of the book.
What I DO know…it was heartbreaking and eye opening.
“Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced it’s the world that’s crazy, not the two of them. They are meant to be together; they are special. But when Alec starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries that she’ll lose hold of her dreams and herself. Should she listen to her doctor? her decision may have fatal consequences.”
I have been a fist-hand witness to several psychological diseases in my life. I’ve read about several more, but schizophrenia has never been on the top of that list. “Life Is But A Dream” by Brian James single-handedly opened my eyes to this life altering disease, and he did so in a genuinely beautiful way, not only explaining the complexities of its origin but more importantly…illustrating the horrors that can occur when it’s not treated properly.
First let’s talk about Sabrina (the lead in Life is But a Dream.)
I adored Sabrina.
Though she had her fair share of issues, the most debilitating of those being mental illness, she felt very real, AND without even trying made me see the beauty that life has to offer. Schizophrenia is a breading ground for hallucinations and is characterized as: being unable to tell the difference between real and unreal experiences. In Sabrina’s case, her delusions are very child-like, and focused around her powerlessness to understand why we (as adults) loose our sense of wonder, our need to be carefree and embrace life’s mysteries with enthusiasm vs pessimism. She sees the world full of color, while the rest of the world is stuck in the black and white, and because of her brilliantly sculpted arguments (thanks Mr. James) by the end of the book I felt myself agreeing with her.
Alec is NOT sick, just trapped in a world of his own self-destructive making. And though he fuels Sabrina’s disease by encouraging her to live in her head (and stop taking her medication) his confidence in her, and the fact that he clearly cares for her (which is confirmed in the final moments of this novel) makes up for his misguided actions. Making him (ultimately) one of the most sad but honorably endearing characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading.
So where does the confusion come in on my part? The language used. I can appreciate flowery, and in some cases I’m warmed by it. But when Sabrina is at her very worst, when she is off her meds and struggling to understand her surroundings, the rants get slightly out of hand and had me feeling much more anxious for answers than entranced by the journey.
If you like sometimes dark, very serious literature with a bit of floral fluff and a good message…this is the book for you. If you are turned off by poetic stylings and pages of imagery (regardless of how wonderfully crafted it is) you should probably take a pass.
Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Maturity is a high price to pay for growing up.
On one hand it was a spectacularly written example of schizophrenia and how it not only effects the person who has it, but the people surrounding it. In the other, you have a novel that is so full of flowery, elaborate and lengthy descriptions (where the lead character Sabrina is concerned) that I found myself wanting to skim to get to the overall plot of the book.
What I DO know…it was heartbreaking and eye opening.
“Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced it’s the world that’s crazy, not the two of them. They are meant to be together; they are special. But when Alec starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries that she’ll lose hold of her dreams and herself. Should she listen to her doctor? her decision may have fatal consequences.”
I have been a fist-hand witness to several psychological diseases in my life. I’ve read about several more, but schizophrenia has never been on the top of that list. “Life Is But A Dream” by Brian James single-handedly opened my eyes to this life altering disease, and he did so in a genuinely beautiful way, not only explaining the complexities of its origin but more importantly…illustrating the horrors that can occur when it’s not treated properly.
First let’s talk about Sabrina (the lead in Life is But a Dream.)
I adored Sabrina.
Though she had her fair share of issues, the most debilitating of those being mental illness, she felt very real, AND without even trying made me see the beauty that life has to offer. Schizophrenia is a breading ground for hallucinations and is characterized as: being unable to tell the difference between real and unreal experiences. In Sabrina’s case, her delusions are very child-like, and focused around her powerlessness to understand why we (as adults) loose our sense of wonder, our need to be carefree and embrace life’s mysteries with enthusiasm vs pessimism. She sees the world full of color, while the rest of the world is stuck in the black and white, and because of her brilliantly sculpted arguments (thanks Mr. James) by the end of the book I felt myself agreeing with her.
Alec is NOT sick, just trapped in a world of his own self-destructive making. And though he fuels Sabrina’s disease by encouraging her to live in her head (and stop taking her medication) his confidence in her, and the fact that he clearly cares for her (which is confirmed in the final moments of this novel) makes up for his misguided actions. Making him (ultimately) one of the most sad but honorably endearing characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading.
So where does the confusion come in on my part? The language used. I can appreciate flowery, and in some cases I’m warmed by it. But when Sabrina is at her very worst, when she is off her meds and struggling to understand her surroundings, the rants get slightly out of hand and had me feeling much more anxious for answers than entranced by the journey.
If you like sometimes dark, very serious literature with a bit of floral fluff and a good message…this is the book for you. If you are turned off by poetic stylings and pages of imagery (regardless of how wonderfully crafted it is) you should probably take a pass.
Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Maturity is a high price to pay for growing up.
February 8, 2017
5 stars.
"I'm not crazy. At least...I don't think I am, anyway."
Life is But a Dream is beautiful tale about Sabrina, an artist diagnosed with schizophrenia. She has always been seen as special. Before, it was in the way where she was delicate and rare. Now it is because she is sick. Her parents check her into the Wellness Center. Just as she is getting better, she meets Alec, the boy from her dreams, and he tells her it's the world that's crazy, not them. She believes him wholeheartedly, stops taking medication and lets her condition worsen in exchange for having her colourful daydreams back. What Alec doesn't know is how bad he is for Sabrina, and how bad her condition is becoming.
Starting with the cover, it is quite creepy. The girl looks like she's lying on concrete. It reminds me of Katy Perry's song, "Wide Awake." There are lyrics that go: "Gravity hurts/you made it so sweet/until I woke up on/on the concrete." In my opinion, it symbolises how Sabrina is waking up to the real world where she fell hard on the concrete.
The font inside the book I found pretty cool. Most books use a Times New Roman or Garamond style font whereas this book uses something much similar to Arial.
The schizophrenia in this novel is not to be confused with multiple personality disorder. This is acute schizophrenia where Sabrina perceives the world differently.
Sabrina, despite having a mental illness, is so easy to relate to. Sometimes we all just want to lose ourself to our dreams or experience our favourite memories all over again. Also, I love her imagination. I shouldn't because she's ill but it is described in such a way that you can really feel for her. The way she sees things changes your own perspective on life. What if we really were the crazy ones? It's something to think about.
Alec really doesn't know what he's doing to Sabrina. He thinks he's helping her by letting her dream again, but he doesn't understand her condition. He was sweet, careless, funny, and who Sabrina felt was the only person she could open up to. On the other hand, he was very angry at the world for being the way it was. He really is bad for Sabrina but she loves him anyway, like the way you are drawn to things that are bad for you. Chocolate for example. It's like an addiction. You have one piece and suddenly you want four more.
Be warned, this is a very slow paced story. It fits the whole story though and makes it feel like the book is a lot thicker than it looks. On my second read I discovered that you really have to set aside a reasonable block of time to read this book. It's not one of those books you can just pick up and jump straight back into the story. Sabrina's tale grows on you slowly as you read, making a deeper connection. I also really liked the happy ending. It was sweet and I closed the book feeling light and happy instead of depressed as I would have felt if the climax took another route.
Brian James describes Sabrina's condition in such a beautiful way, it's almost like you are seeing what she can see. One thing I found strange though was the talking marks, or really, things James substituted for talking marks. It looked like this:
--I like that idea.--
Because it was italicized, I thought it sounded very dreamlike.
This story was sweet, sad, beautiful and thought-provoking all at once. If you've always been curious about schizophrenia, you must read this book.
"The question is: Is the world crazy--or are they?"
"I'm not crazy. At least...I don't think I am, anyway."
Life is But a Dream is beautiful tale about Sabrina, an artist diagnosed with schizophrenia. She has always been seen as special. Before, it was in the way where she was delicate and rare. Now it is because she is sick. Her parents check her into the Wellness Center. Just as she is getting better, she meets Alec, the boy from her dreams, and he tells her it's the world that's crazy, not them. She believes him wholeheartedly, stops taking medication and lets her condition worsen in exchange for having her colourful daydreams back. What Alec doesn't know is how bad he is for Sabrina, and how bad her condition is becoming.
Starting with the cover, it is quite creepy. The girl looks like she's lying on concrete. It reminds me of Katy Perry's song, "Wide Awake." There are lyrics that go: "Gravity hurts/you made it so sweet/until I woke up on/on the concrete." In my opinion, it symbolises how Sabrina is waking up to the real world where she fell hard on the concrete.
The font inside the book I found pretty cool. Most books use a Times New Roman or Garamond style font whereas this book uses something much similar to Arial.
The schizophrenia in this novel is not to be confused with multiple personality disorder. This is acute schizophrenia where Sabrina perceives the world differently.
Sabrina, despite having a mental illness, is so easy to relate to. Sometimes we all just want to lose ourself to our dreams or experience our favourite memories all over again. Also, I love her imagination. I shouldn't because she's ill but it is described in such a way that you can really feel for her. The way she sees things changes your own perspective on life. What if we really were the crazy ones? It's something to think about.
Alec really doesn't know what he's doing to Sabrina. He thinks he's helping her by letting her dream again, but he doesn't understand her condition. He was sweet, careless, funny, and who Sabrina felt was the only person she could open up to. On the other hand, he was very angry at the world for being the way it was. He really is bad for Sabrina but she loves him anyway, like the way you are drawn to things that are bad for you. Chocolate for example. It's like an addiction. You have one piece and suddenly you want four more.
Be warned, this is a very slow paced story. It fits the whole story though and makes it feel like the book is a lot thicker than it looks. On my second read I discovered that you really have to set aside a reasonable block of time to read this book. It's not one of those books you can just pick up and jump straight back into the story. Sabrina's tale grows on you slowly as you read, making a deeper connection. I also really liked the happy ending. It was sweet and I closed the book feeling light and happy instead of depressed as I would have felt if the climax took another route.
Brian James describes Sabrina's condition in such a beautiful way, it's almost like you are seeing what she can see. One thing I found strange though was the talking marks, or really, things James substituted for talking marks. It looked like this:
--I like that idea.--
Because it was italicized, I thought it sounded very dreamlike.
This story was sweet, sad, beautiful and thought-provoking all at once. If you've always been curious about schizophrenia, you must read this book.
"The question is: Is the world crazy--or are they?"
December 27, 2011
As soon as I first saw the beautiful cover of this one, I automatically added it to my wishlist. It also didn't hurt that it sounded unique and one of a kind. I mean, two crazy people falling in love? What's not intriguing about that? Luckily, Life is But a Dream ended up blowing me away, because not only was the story within its pages startling yet spellbinding but also the writing was simply GORGEOUS! There was so much I just loved about this one to tell the truth.
Life is But a Dream begins the story of Sabrina just as she's in the middle of getting treated for schizophrenia much to her utter dismay. Sabrina has always argued that her unique way of seeing the world as well as her dreams were her own "special" way of seeing the world. Her parents and the people at the Wellness Center don't agree with this. However, everything changes when she meets Alec, a boy at the Wellness Center for his own reasons. Alec believes Sabrina and everything she says she sees, but as they begin to fall more and more love, everything begins to spin even more out of control. Sabrina stops taking her medicine, and takes her problems into her own hands, but will this build her up or break her down? Better yet, will everything be salvaged before it's too late? Only time and more pages can tell in this imaginative new addition to YA.
From the first page, I was utterly captivated by Sabrina's character and her way of seeing the world. It was easy to see that she was indeed crazy, but to see things from her point of view, really helped me to understand her character as well as to see why she didn't think she was "crazy" as her doctors said. I felt Brian really just did a fabulous job with bringing her character to life overall, because not only was she likable, but it was easy to root for her to get better. Alec, on the other hand, was a character I felt a variety of mixed emotions about, because while in some ways he truly helped Sabrina, in others he left her down in some big ways. However, this allowed the book to become one tension filled ride, one that I couldn't imagine any other way to say the least.
The best part of this book, though, was the writing. The descriptions of what Sabrina saw were hauntingly beautiful, and as mentioned before, they really allowed me to get into her head and understand what she did. I also enjoyed the development James put into the Wellness Center as well as its inhabitants. From the nurses to the doctors to the patients, each played their part perfectly.
The plot in this was another high point! I don't think I've ever read a book about schizophrenia before so to say this book was unique to me would be a serious understatement. I especially loved the level of tension as well as twists and turns Brian put into this book. For the majority Life is But a Dream, I truly had no idea how it was going to end, especially in the last handful of pages were everything truly begin to spiral out of control. Lastly, the conclusion was lovely. It was everything I wanted it to be, especially since it contained the perfect mixture of closure/openness.
Haunting, gorgeously written, and romantic, Life is But a Dream is one book I can't suggest highly enough! I know it's not going to be for everyone, but I still urge you to give a try, because hopefully you'll be just as blown away by it as I was. I can't wait to read more by Brian!
Grade: A+
Life is But a Dream begins the story of Sabrina just as she's in the middle of getting treated for schizophrenia much to her utter dismay. Sabrina has always argued that her unique way of seeing the world as well as her dreams were her own "special" way of seeing the world. Her parents and the people at the Wellness Center don't agree with this. However, everything changes when she meets Alec, a boy at the Wellness Center for his own reasons. Alec believes Sabrina and everything she says she sees, but as they begin to fall more and more love, everything begins to spin even more out of control. Sabrina stops taking her medicine, and takes her problems into her own hands, but will this build her up or break her down? Better yet, will everything be salvaged before it's too late? Only time and more pages can tell in this imaginative new addition to YA.
From the first page, I was utterly captivated by Sabrina's character and her way of seeing the world. It was easy to see that she was indeed crazy, but to see things from her point of view, really helped me to understand her character as well as to see why she didn't think she was "crazy" as her doctors said. I felt Brian really just did a fabulous job with bringing her character to life overall, because not only was she likable, but it was easy to root for her to get better. Alec, on the other hand, was a character I felt a variety of mixed emotions about, because while in some ways he truly helped Sabrina, in others he left her down in some big ways. However, this allowed the book to become one tension filled ride, one that I couldn't imagine any other way to say the least.
The best part of this book, though, was the writing. The descriptions of what Sabrina saw were hauntingly beautiful, and as mentioned before, they really allowed me to get into her head and understand what she did. I also enjoyed the development James put into the Wellness Center as well as its inhabitants. From the nurses to the doctors to the patients, each played their part perfectly.
The plot in this was another high point! I don't think I've ever read a book about schizophrenia before so to say this book was unique to me would be a serious understatement. I especially loved the level of tension as well as twists and turns Brian put into this book. For the majority Life is But a Dream, I truly had no idea how it was going to end, especially in the last handful of pages were everything truly begin to spiral out of control. Lastly, the conclusion was lovely. It was everything I wanted it to be, especially since it contained the perfect mixture of closure/openness.
Haunting, gorgeously written, and romantic, Life is But a Dream is one book I can't suggest highly enough! I know it's not going to be for everyone, but I still urge you to give a try, because hopefully you'll be just as blown away by it as I was. I can't wait to read more by Brian!
Grade: A+
December 20, 2015
Review will be posted at Owl Tell You About It on release date.
Achingly beautiful. Those are the two words that come to mind upon finishing this book. I sincerely hope that this book gets all the buzz it deserves and does well. With so many hyped books coming out next year, it would be easy for this one to fall between the cracks. Don’t let that happen! It really is beautiful.
This book is both a look at the world through the eyes of a girl while her mind slowly unravels and a gorgeous love story about two troubled teens who find solace in their understanding of one another. I will say that the quick progression of Sabrina and Alec’s relationship was a little off-putting. I had to remind myself of the desperate and intense emotions that comes with being a teenager. I can only imagine that those emotions would taken to another level if suffering from the psychological and social disorders that these two have. What’s so beautiful about it all is that they get each other. In the same situation most people would decide Sabrina or Alec was crazy and walk quickly in the other direction. Because they’ve both felt what it’s like to be weird or outcast (or “special,” as Sabrina would say) they develop a deep connection.
The book isn’t just about Sabrina and Alec’s love. It’s mostly about the world Sabrina lives in vs the real world. She struggles to hold onto what is real and what isn’t. What I loved about Sabina’s illness what that it was written in a way that’s easy to understand. It’s easy to see how she gets confused. Her obsessive fixations on some things seem to take her away from real life. It’s so easy to sympathize with her character when experiencing the whole thing through her eyes. She’s constantly afraid of what will happen. She doesn’t want to change. She doesn’t want to become fake, like all the people she sees around her. She most definitely does not want to lose Alec. It’s all very engaging. I could hardly tear myself away from the book.
Within her stay at the hospital, she sorts through her memories. I slowly got to discover what happened to her and why she ended up there in the first place. That part was almost as interesting to me as her developing relationship with Alec and the progression of her illness. I just needed know how things ended up this way. There was also a small focus on her relationship with her parents. I think that part was a little more understated, but it was there. I am glad they’re not the terrible parents that always seem to inhabit teen books.
To sum things up, I thought this book was terrific. Everything really leaped off the page. It was a very visual experience for me. The writing was beautiful and I can’t wait for it come out so I can go get my very own finished copy.
Achingly beautiful. Those are the two words that come to mind upon finishing this book. I sincerely hope that this book gets all the buzz it deserves and does well. With so many hyped books coming out next year, it would be easy for this one to fall between the cracks. Don’t let that happen! It really is beautiful.
This book is both a look at the world through the eyes of a girl while her mind slowly unravels and a gorgeous love story about two troubled teens who find solace in their understanding of one another. I will say that the quick progression of Sabrina and Alec’s relationship was a little off-putting. I had to remind myself of the desperate and intense emotions that comes with being a teenager. I can only imagine that those emotions would taken to another level if suffering from the psychological and social disorders that these two have. What’s so beautiful about it all is that they get each other. In the same situation most people would decide Sabrina or Alec was crazy and walk quickly in the other direction. Because they’ve both felt what it’s like to be weird or outcast (or “special,” as Sabrina would say) they develop a deep connection.
The book isn’t just about Sabrina and Alec’s love. It’s mostly about the world Sabrina lives in vs the real world. She struggles to hold onto what is real and what isn’t. What I loved about Sabina’s illness what that it was written in a way that’s easy to understand. It’s easy to see how she gets confused. Her obsessive fixations on some things seem to take her away from real life. It’s so easy to sympathize with her character when experiencing the whole thing through her eyes. She’s constantly afraid of what will happen. She doesn’t want to change. She doesn’t want to become fake, like all the people she sees around her. She most definitely does not want to lose Alec. It’s all very engaging. I could hardly tear myself away from the book.
Within her stay at the hospital, she sorts through her memories. I slowly got to discover what happened to her and why she ended up there in the first place. That part was almost as interesting to me as her developing relationship with Alec and the progression of her illness. I just needed know how things ended up this way. There was also a small focus on her relationship with her parents. I think that part was a little more understated, but it was there. I am glad they’re not the terrible parents that always seem to inhabit teen books.
To sum things up, I thought this book was terrific. Everything really leaped off the page. It was a very visual experience for me. The writing was beautiful and I can’t wait for it come out so I can go get my very own finished copy.
December 8, 2015
Plot:I enjoyed Life is but a Dream by Brian James, because it told me about how Sabrina lived before she went to Well Care center for her treatment. Before she went to Well Care Center she daydreamed and got very bad grades. Also when she was little, her friend always asked her to draw a picture of what she was day dreaming about. It was so amazing, she said it was amazing and cool. As they grew older her friend didn’t even ask for a drawing of the day dreams anymore. It was like she didn’t even want to know anymore. Her parent decided to send her to the Well Care Center, because she was getting bad grades and they thought it was just a thing she would grow out of, but when she got older it got worse. Her grades fell and were poor and even her friend thought she was being childish.
I thought it was cool how when she got there she had barely any friends, but then she met a girl named Amanda. Amanda was shy, but she was somewhat like Sabrina and a lot of other people there. Alec was a boy she met at the Well Care Center after she met Amanda. Alec and Sabrina, although they’re alike in many ways, they have many things that are different. For example Sabrina sucks on her sleeve which is her bad habit. Also Alec has an arched back, unlike Sabrina who stands up straight.
They didn’t’ like the Well Care Center, because they had to take medicine which would change them into normal people, and people they don’t want to be. When they ran away I thought that they would actually get farther away from the hospital, but then when they were in the grass the cops found them and took them back the hospital. Also I think it was a bad Idea for Sabrina to stop taking her medication, because they were helping her get better. After they got to the hospital Amanda and Sabrina were on their way to group when Amanda started talking bad about Alec, and Sabrina wanted to know why. Amanda told her it was because Alec threatened the school and said that he was going to kill some of them and harm the school.
In the end I thought it was good that Sabrina went back to the hospital to actually do her time and take her medication. In result, she got better and she also came closer to the doctor’s nurses etc., and even her parents.
recommendation:I recommend this book to females at the ages 13+, because of the sexually conduct in some parts, and the tough words in this book. Although it should be read by females both genders would probably in joy it due to the conflict, and how people actually live when they need help. They also don’t want the help that they need. Also they don’t think they should be in the place they are and they need to take the first step to get out of the place they don’t want to be in.
I thought it was cool how when she got there she had barely any friends, but then she met a girl named Amanda. Amanda was shy, but she was somewhat like Sabrina and a lot of other people there. Alec was a boy she met at the Well Care Center after she met Amanda. Alec and Sabrina, although they’re alike in many ways, they have many things that are different. For example Sabrina sucks on her sleeve which is her bad habit. Also Alec has an arched back, unlike Sabrina who stands up straight.
They didn’t’ like the Well Care Center, because they had to take medicine which would change them into normal people, and people they don’t want to be. When they ran away I thought that they would actually get farther away from the hospital, but then when they were in the grass the cops found them and took them back the hospital. Also I think it was a bad Idea for Sabrina to stop taking her medication, because they were helping her get better. After they got to the hospital Amanda and Sabrina were on their way to group when Amanda started talking bad about Alec, and Sabrina wanted to know why. Amanda told her it was because Alec threatened the school and said that he was going to kill some of them and harm the school.
In the end I thought it was good that Sabrina went back to the hospital to actually do her time and take her medication. In result, she got better and she also came closer to the doctor’s nurses etc., and even her parents.
recommendation:I recommend this book to females at the ages 13+, because of the sexually conduct in some parts, and the tough words in this book. Although it should be read by females both genders would probably in joy it due to the conflict, and how people actually live when they need help. They also don’t want the help that they need. Also they don’t think they should be in the place they are and they need to take the first step to get out of the place they don’t want to be in.
January 8, 2012
Read this review and more on my blog From A to Z.
This book was so much more real than I was expecting. For some reason when I first heard about it I got the impression that it had almost a psychological thriller feel to it and that the reader was going to be unsure about which was reality - Sabina’s dreams or the facility where she lives. This is NOT the plot, clearly I am just an idiot (in my defense I think I first read a different synopsis than the one above), and what happens is actually a very beautiful story about Sabrina’s struggle with schizophrenia.
Life Is But a Dream portrays Sabrina’s condition incredibly well and it is so easy to sympathize with her. Brian James really manages to get inside her head, allowing the reader to see the world the way Sabrina does and understand why she gets worried about losing herself to the medication. Some of the things she sees sound so beautiful, and it doesn’t always feel like she’s crazy. She’s just afraid of her life changing and she doesn’t want to become a mindless robot like the rest of the world. You can’t help but get caught up in her story.
Alec as a love interest was very interesting. He and Sabrina fall in love very quickly, which isn’t my favorite thing, but is understandable under the circumstances. They have both been locked away from the world, told that they’re crazy, and they find comfort and understanding in each other. I totally get it, and it was wonderful to watch their connection develop and see someone understand Sabrina in a way that she hasn’t experienced for her entire life. What made it interesting to me was that at certain times I thought that Alec almost felt like the villain. As a reader I became so invested in wanting Sabrina to get better and conquer her disorder that it was really hard to read when Alec tried to convince her that the doctors were the crazy ones and didn’t have her best interests at heart. I went back and forth between not wanting Sabrina to lose her world and wishing that she would just trust her doctor.
Overall I really enjoyed Life Is But a Dream. The writing is beautiful and it is a fascinating look at the world through the eyes of someone who has schizophrenia. I’ll definitely be watching for more from Brian James.
This book was so much more real than I was expecting. For some reason when I first heard about it I got the impression that it had almost a psychological thriller feel to it and that the reader was going to be unsure about which was reality - Sabina’s dreams or the facility where she lives. This is NOT the plot, clearly I am just an idiot (in my defense I think I first read a different synopsis than the one above), and what happens is actually a very beautiful story about Sabrina’s struggle with schizophrenia.
Life Is But a Dream portrays Sabrina’s condition incredibly well and it is so easy to sympathize with her. Brian James really manages to get inside her head, allowing the reader to see the world the way Sabrina does and understand why she gets worried about losing herself to the medication. Some of the things she sees sound so beautiful, and it doesn’t always feel like she’s crazy. She’s just afraid of her life changing and she doesn’t want to become a mindless robot like the rest of the world. You can’t help but get caught up in her story.
Alec as a love interest was very interesting. He and Sabrina fall in love very quickly, which isn’t my favorite thing, but is understandable under the circumstances. They have both been locked away from the world, told that they’re crazy, and they find comfort and understanding in each other. I totally get it, and it was wonderful to watch their connection develop and see someone understand Sabrina in a way that she hasn’t experienced for her entire life. What made it interesting to me was that at certain times I thought that Alec almost felt like the villain. As a reader I became so invested in wanting Sabrina to get better and conquer her disorder that it was really hard to read when Alec tried to convince her that the doctors were the crazy ones and didn’t have her best interests at heart. I went back and forth between not wanting Sabrina to lose her world and wishing that she would just trust her doctor.
Overall I really enjoyed Life Is But a Dream. The writing is beautiful and it is a fascinating look at the world through the eyes of someone who has schizophrenia. I’ll definitely be watching for more from Brian James.
June 13, 2012
I have read several books by Brian James, but he's never made much of an impression. While none of his books struck me as particularly memorable, I enjoyed reading them. Still, I felt some trepidation when I began LIFE IS BUT A DREAM. Mental illness is not well understood and stories are one way to spread knowledge and empathy.
It is extremely common to hear tales about how people with schizophrenia, manic depression, or other illnesses are more creative when they don't take their medication. That their medicine turns them into low-functioning zombies. It's a dangerous meme. Everyone has a right to make their own decisions about treatment as long as they aren't dangerous to themselves or others. But sometimes people avoid treatment that could help them based on nothing more than hearsay.
Sabrina seemed like a poetic dreamer when she was a child. But eventually, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Then she had to be put into a mental wellness center. She's on the mend when Alec enters her life. He convinces her that it's the world that's crazy, not them, and that they can escape together and live without drugs. It's pretty easy for Alec to say, since he's your basic rich kid for attention issues.
I loved getting lost in Sabrina's narration. It's easy for the reader, at first, to think Alec may be right. Then the things Sabrina lies to herself start coming to light and her narrative frays around the edges as she spirals down. It's pretty rough to see her regress after she stops her medication regime. Meanwhile, Alec is blithely oblivious to the damage he's causing.
But despite LIFE IS BUT A DREAM being intensely shaped by Sabrina's worldview, you can tell that Alec matures. The scene wherein he realizes Sabrina is actually schizophrenic is a brutal wake-up call. And, in the end, things do work out well. Sabrina, after all, must choose her treatment for herself. Alec's words wouldn't affect her so much if she hadn't believed she wasn't ill at the beginning of LIFE IS BUT A DREAM.
James has written an affecting and realistic portrait of schizophrenia. Even better, he created a wonderful protagonist who happens to have schizophrenia, just as she happens to fall in love and come of age.
It is extremely common to hear tales about how people with schizophrenia, manic depression, or other illnesses are more creative when they don't take their medication. That their medicine turns them into low-functioning zombies. It's a dangerous meme. Everyone has a right to make their own decisions about treatment as long as they aren't dangerous to themselves or others. But sometimes people avoid treatment that could help them based on nothing more than hearsay.
Sabrina seemed like a poetic dreamer when she was a child. But eventually, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Then she had to be put into a mental wellness center. She's on the mend when Alec enters her life. He convinces her that it's the world that's crazy, not them, and that they can escape together and live without drugs. It's pretty easy for Alec to say, since he's your basic rich kid for attention issues.
I loved getting lost in Sabrina's narration. It's easy for the reader, at first, to think Alec may be right. Then the things Sabrina lies to herself start coming to light and her narrative frays around the edges as she spirals down. It's pretty rough to see her regress after she stops her medication regime. Meanwhile, Alec is blithely oblivious to the damage he's causing.
But despite LIFE IS BUT A DREAM being intensely shaped by Sabrina's worldview, you can tell that Alec matures. The scene wherein he realizes Sabrina is actually schizophrenic is a brutal wake-up call. And, in the end, things do work out well. Sabrina, after all, must choose her treatment for herself. Alec's words wouldn't affect her so much if she hadn't believed she wasn't ill at the beginning of LIFE IS BUT A DREAM.
James has written an affecting and realistic portrait of schizophrenia. Even better, he created a wonderful protagonist who happens to have schizophrenia, just as she happens to fall in love and come of age.
April 11, 2016
Sabrina has always had an active imagination, and as an artist she would constantly draw pictures of everything she could dream of. Her parents concerned with her well-being place her in a wellness center where she meets Alec. He's not sick like Sabrina, but has more psychological problems. Sabrina on the other hand suffers from Schizophrenia and has paranoid delusions of everyone and everything. Her dreams mesh into reality making her even more unstable because she can't distinguish dreams from reality.
One might be a little wary to read a novel that emphasizes on a mental illness like Schizophrenia, but I felt the story was rather sweet and undeniably sad at the same time. Sabrina's mind was such a mix of frenzied activity that it was even hard to read what was going on. I couldn't help but wonder if this is how the mental illness feels like. You could feel the emotions leap from the page.
Alec being her only friend and confidante was the only one who made her feel truly alive. And I love his character. The way he was there for her, and really listened made all the difference in the world. Even in her state, she falls in love, and that made her cling to her life even more.
At first, the back and forth of reality and memories confused me a little, because I had to think about which state Sabrina was in, but other than that I loved the beautiful written story. Brian James sure knows how to evoke a tear jerker of a novel!
Rating 3/5
Quotes
"All that matters is that we're here and we found each other and understand each other as well as two fish forever swimming as one in a circle. That's how perfect we fit together and that's all that matters."—Sabrina (77)
"I don't know why, but something about it seems wrong—feels like the computer is trying to read my mind. I start to wonder if the more information I feed into it, the more real the fake me becomes."—Sabrina (124)
One might be a little wary to read a novel that emphasizes on a mental illness like Schizophrenia, but I felt the story was rather sweet and undeniably sad at the same time. Sabrina's mind was such a mix of frenzied activity that it was even hard to read what was going on. I couldn't help but wonder if this is how the mental illness feels like. You could feel the emotions leap from the page.
Alec being her only friend and confidante was the only one who made her feel truly alive. And I love his character. The way he was there for her, and really listened made all the difference in the world. Even in her state, she falls in love, and that made her cling to her life even more.
At first, the back and forth of reality and memories confused me a little, because I had to think about which state Sabrina was in, but other than that I loved the beautiful written story. Brian James sure knows how to evoke a tear jerker of a novel!
Rating 3/5
Quotes
"All that matters is that we're here and we found each other and understand each other as well as two fish forever swimming as one in a circle. That's how perfect we fit together and that's all that matters."—Sabrina (77)
"I don't know why, but something about it seems wrong—feels like the computer is trying to read my mind. I start to wonder if the more information I feed into it, the more real the fake me becomes."—Sabrina (124)
March 18, 2012
Life is but a dream was definitely a foreign and interesting journey! Getting to see how a schizophrenic person thinks and what really goes inside their mind fascinated me. All that paranoia, the voices, the feeling as if Sabrina, the protagonist is watching a different channel or listening to a different radio station from the rest of the world, as if the whole book is set in her mind. At the beginning, Sabrina lived in her own little colorful world, but as the days passed while she was in the Wellness Center, she actually got better. The world started becoming less colorful, and well.. more harsh, sharper, scarier,and well.. "real".
When Sabrina meets Alec, he destroys her road to recovery and then Sabrina gets worse. I had a problem with Alec at the beginning, not understanding what his intentions are or if he even belonged in the Wellness Center. I didn't trust him. I was also mad at Sabrina; she started clinging to Alec and clinging to his every word, which surprised me because any fleeting paranoia or mistrust she would feel for Alec, she would wave it away. So this leads me to question on whether being schizophrenic and paranoid at the world a choice or just an easier way with coping with the cruelty of the world?
Throughout the book there was barely any dialogue and that might have made this book less enjoyable for me, that I needed to breathe, outside of Sabrina's head and her constant losing battle against the "voices" in her head. It was very interesting, but I just wished there was more dialogue between other characters and it wasn't centered around her through 100% of the book. All in all Life Is But a Dream is unique, different, and enlightens people on schizophrenia in a realistic and contemporary story about a girl trying to find herself and if she will ever belong in this world.
When Sabrina meets Alec, he destroys her road to recovery and then Sabrina gets worse. I had a problem with Alec at the beginning, not understanding what his intentions are or if he even belonged in the Wellness Center. I didn't trust him. I was also mad at Sabrina; she started clinging to Alec and clinging to his every word, which surprised me because any fleeting paranoia or mistrust she would feel for Alec, she would wave it away. So this leads me to question on whether being schizophrenic and paranoid at the world a choice or just an easier way with coping with the cruelty of the world?
Throughout the book there was barely any dialogue and that might have made this book less enjoyable for me, that I needed to breathe, outside of Sabrina's head and her constant losing battle against the "voices" in her head. It was very interesting, but I just wished there was more dialogue between other characters and it wasn't centered around her through 100% of the book. All in all Life Is But a Dream is unique, different, and enlightens people on schizophrenia in a realistic and contemporary story about a girl trying to find herself and if she will ever belong in this world.
March 13, 2012
4 1/2 stars
From the opening pages I was completely immersed in the story of Sabrina and I had no trouble loosing myself in this book. Told in alternating past and present, with flashbacks to Sabrina’s childhood, I initially found myself questioning whether Sabrina was really ill or just a daydreamer of a girl with an over-active imagination.
Life is But a Dream is beautifully, intensely written. As I read the book I was more and more enamoured with Sabrina and couldn’t help but want the best possible outcome for her. Alec was sweet but it took me until almost the end of the book to completely appreciate his feelings and intent towards Sabrina, but this is an integral part of the story. Sabrina’s parents play a smaller role in the book but I felt incredibly sad for them as they also struggled to come to terms with their daughter’s illness.
This book ends with a tense climax, but my only criticism is that I found the ending to be a little bit too short and neat and tidy. Aside from this small issue, the story itself is incredibly convincing and heartbreaking.
Mental illness, particularly young adult mental illness would be a daunting task for any writer. Convincing the reader, and drawing them completely into the world of the main character is on a whole other level, and Mr. James does it exceedingly well.
Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie
From the opening pages I was completely immersed in the story of Sabrina and I had no trouble loosing myself in this book. Told in alternating past and present, with flashbacks to Sabrina’s childhood, I initially found myself questioning whether Sabrina was really ill or just a daydreamer of a girl with an over-active imagination.
Life is But a Dream is beautifully, intensely written. As I read the book I was more and more enamoured with Sabrina and couldn’t help but want the best possible outcome for her. Alec was sweet but it took me until almost the end of the book to completely appreciate his feelings and intent towards Sabrina, but this is an integral part of the story. Sabrina’s parents play a smaller role in the book but I felt incredibly sad for them as they also struggled to come to terms with their daughter’s illness.
This book ends with a tense climax, but my only criticism is that I found the ending to be a little bit too short and neat and tidy. Aside from this small issue, the story itself is incredibly convincing and heartbreaking.
Mental illness, particularly young adult mental illness would be a daunting task for any writer. Convincing the reader, and drawing them completely into the world of the main character is on a whole other level, and Mr. James does it exceedingly well.
Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie
March 14, 2012
WOW! This is another "its so crazy its brilliant" type of book. I wasn't sure what I was expecting. I just knew this book intrigued from the synopsis and knew I wanted to read it.
This book. It's crazy!!! I really loved it. What I like most about this book is the great character Sabrina. There is a reason I love to read. I love to read to be able to get into another person's mind. And being in Sabrina's mind really made me wonder. I love that my imagination ran rapid in this book. To see things that way Sabrina saw it, really awed me.
The plot of the book is simple yet complex. Sabrina is learning to deal with everyday life in her own mind. I like that the reader see her every struggle and how she got there. In college I studied Psychology so for me this book is a great insight of what goes on in the minds of those who have Schizophrenia.
I am a bit disappointed in the love interest. I was expecting a bit more but still liked it. My favorite part is how Sabrina saw the change in him. To see things the way she did kept me intrigued and entertained.
Life Is But A Dream is so crazy its beautiful! Unable to put it down, Life Is But A Dream will take your imagination to heights to you never been to!
This book. It's crazy!!! I really loved it. What I like most about this book is the great character Sabrina. There is a reason I love to read. I love to read to be able to get into another person's mind. And being in Sabrina's mind really made me wonder. I love that my imagination ran rapid in this book. To see things that way Sabrina saw it, really awed me.
The plot of the book is simple yet complex. Sabrina is learning to deal with everyday life in her own mind. I like that the reader see her every struggle and how she got there. In college I studied Psychology so for me this book is a great insight of what goes on in the minds of those who have Schizophrenia.
I am a bit disappointed in the love interest. I was expecting a bit more but still liked it. My favorite part is how Sabrina saw the change in him. To see things the way she did kept me intrigued and entertained.
Life Is But A Dream is so crazy its beautiful! Unable to put it down, Life Is But A Dream will take your imagination to heights to you never been to!
March 22, 2013
This book is about someone sent to a mental institute just because she's different than anyone else. Throughout the story there were many different twists and turns. It made me want to keep reading more. The detail was good and I felt it wasn't too repetitive. I recommend this book to teenagers, especially the ones who think they're in love. This book puts a whole new spin on love and proves that things are not always what they seem to be. I enjoyed this book because it kept me interested and made me think about all the things going on in the world around me everyday that I don't even notice because they don't affect me personally.
December 1, 2011
I ended up liking this book so much more than I thought I would! Not that it's a happy, hug a puppy kind of read. It's pretty dark since it deals with mental illness, but James does a fantastic job pulling you into Sabrina's mind and explaining her world. I was really impressed with his portrayal of a teenage girl dealing with schizophrenia.
Read
January 29, 2014This book is definitely not for everyone. It took a little bit of time to get into it but I really enjoyed it. I'm a teacher of students with emotional disabilities, so this hit very close to home. It was a very emotional look into what my students could be dealing with.
January 18, 2012
Really great book, a bit sad, but so good! Loved the way she saw the world, and how considerate she was, and yeah, it was just great!
Read
February 27, 2012Loved the concept. It's like you're inside the head of someone suffering from a mental heath problem. A beautiful story and a quick read. I'd read it again and recommend it to anyone.
August 14, 2013
An enjoyable read. I had to push myself to finish it as I got a little bored but still enjoyable.
August 31, 2015
Actual Rating: 2.5/5
Ever since I saw this absolutely beautiful cover online, I've really been looking forward to read this. It didn't help my anxiousness to read this when I couldn't find it at ANY store. I did eventually find it online. Imagine how I felt when I finally did read this and it left me with some conflicting feelings..
Life is But a Dream is about Sabrina, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia but doesn't believe she's the crazy one; she feels it's everyone else who's crazy. Enter in Alec: the boy she instantly falls for, who encourages all of Sabrina's thoughts, and even brings out new ones.
I had a problem with this. Many times throughout the book when Sabrina was reasoning with herself, it was, "Well Alec says this" and "Alec says that." He unknowingly had a great hand in making her and her delusions worse. Alec isn't like all the other patients at this wellness center; he's "normal." Even the nurses say that all they're doing is "babysitting a delinquent offspring of rich people." But yet he doesn't honestly see how bad Sabrina's condition is?
Alec is a very conflicting character for me. Alec claims the reason why he was sent to the wellness center is over a comment he made about how someone killing his fellow students would do the world a favor. Sometimes when you see how he thinks and reacts, you'd think there's more to it than what he leads on. You also can see he does have anger issues. Sadly, the book barely touches base on Alec's problems. You see he's a rebellious kid, thinking how his dad and the world are out to get him and his dad just sent him to the center so he didn't have to deal with Alec anymore. I can see how someone like Sabrina would be a breathe of fresh air to him and how her thoughts can be appealing to him since they were somewhat similar to his. The only thing is.. Her thoughts were a lot more extreme and delusional. Even some of the things she says to him should raise some red flags for him to realize that there are actually people there that got sent there for very good reasons, such as her. And he should remember where they're at: a Wellness Center, for crying out loud.
It put a damper on my feelings for Alec. It's a love/hate thing. Yeah, I'm really glad she found someone who accepted and loved her for the way she is when everyone else just pushed her away. I just wasn't a fan with how Alec handled it and he definitely could have done things differently to make things easier for Sabrina. He was just so blind to everything. I was seriously expecting the end to reveal that he was just one of her delusions or something just because of how bad it was. This 'normal guy' can't truly be believing all of this, right..?
Apparently so, though.
"I meant everything I said. But I meant it in an idea sort of way, you know? Like a way to think about things. That's what you meant too, isn't it?"
You're kidding me, right dude? And what bothers me is that she lies and sticks up for Alec at the end.
"I can't say that makes up for putting you in this position in the first place."
"He didn't. I did. I made myself worse."
Mmm, no, he didn't physically force you you to quit taking them, but he did highly encourage and talked you into it:
"Those pills are just to keep us from thinking. In this book I read about the future, everyone is on this pill called Soma that makes them easy to control. That's what this place is all about.. It's those pills that make you sick. They turn you head into plastic. Look, there's nothing wrong with us... I'm telling you, if we let them, they'll change us to the point where we won't ever be able to remember who we used to be."
But no.. He didn't have a part in making Sabrina worse..
The ending was another love/hate ordeal for me, but I don't want to go into too much detail to reveal anything more. I will say that it satisfies me, yet a couple things bother me a bit.
Although his characters could have made a little more sense, Brian James is an absolutely wonderful writer. I loved being in Sabrina's mind. I loved seeing and hearing everything she thought about and seeing her delusions along with her. This aspect of the book was definitely my favorite thing about the story. I was so intrigued by this that I just kept wanting to read more to see what this girl would think up next and how this would end. Sabrina is also a nicely written character. She was someone you could empathized for each time you found out all these different things that happened to her and read about her feelings of loneliness and not feeling wanted.
Ever since I saw this absolutely beautiful cover online, I've really been looking forward to read this. It didn't help my anxiousness to read this when I couldn't find it at ANY store. I did eventually find it online. Imagine how I felt when I finally did read this and it left me with some conflicting feelings..
Life is But a Dream is about Sabrina, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia but doesn't believe she's the crazy one; she feels it's everyone else who's crazy. Enter in Alec: the boy she instantly falls for, who encourages all of Sabrina's thoughts, and even brings out new ones.
I had a problem with this. Many times throughout the book when Sabrina was reasoning with herself, it was, "Well Alec says this" and "Alec says that." He unknowingly had a great hand in making her and her delusions worse. Alec isn't like all the other patients at this wellness center; he's "normal." Even the nurses say that all they're doing is "babysitting a delinquent offspring of rich people." But yet he doesn't honestly see how bad Sabrina's condition is?
Alec is a very conflicting character for me. Alec claims the reason why he was sent to the wellness center is over a comment he made about how someone killing his fellow students would do the world a favor. Sometimes when you see how he thinks and reacts, you'd think there's more to it than what he leads on. You also can see he does have anger issues. Sadly, the book barely touches base on Alec's problems. You see he's a rebellious kid, thinking how his dad and the world are out to get him and his dad just sent him to the center so he didn't have to deal with Alec anymore. I can see how someone like Sabrina would be a breathe of fresh air to him and how her thoughts can be appealing to him since they were somewhat similar to his. The only thing is.. Her thoughts were a lot more extreme and delusional. Even some of the things she says to him should raise some red flags for him to realize that there are actually people there that got sent there for very good reasons, such as her. And he should remember where they're at: a Wellness Center, for crying out loud.
It put a damper on my feelings for Alec. It's a love/hate thing. Yeah, I'm really glad she found someone who accepted and loved her for the way she is when everyone else just pushed her away. I just wasn't a fan with how Alec handled it and he definitely could have done things differently to make things easier for Sabrina. He was just so blind to everything. I was seriously expecting the end to reveal that he was just one of her delusions or something just because of how bad it was. This 'normal guy' can't truly be believing all of this, right..?
Apparently so, though.
"I meant everything I said. But I meant it in an idea sort of way, you know? Like a way to think about things. That's what you meant too, isn't it?"
You're kidding me, right dude? And what bothers me is that she lies and sticks up for Alec at the end.
"I can't say that makes up for putting you in this position in the first place."
"He didn't. I did. I made myself worse."
Mmm, no, he didn't physically force you you to quit taking them, but he did highly encourage and talked you into it:
"Those pills are just to keep us from thinking. In this book I read about the future, everyone is on this pill called Soma that makes them easy to control. That's what this place is all about.. It's those pills that make you sick. They turn you head into plastic. Look, there's nothing wrong with us... I'm telling you, if we let them, they'll change us to the point where we won't ever be able to remember who we used to be."
But no.. He didn't have a part in making Sabrina worse..
The ending was another love/hate ordeal for me, but I don't want to go into too much detail to reveal anything more. I will say that it satisfies me, yet a couple things bother me a bit.
Although his characters could have made a little more sense, Brian James is an absolutely wonderful writer. I loved being in Sabrina's mind. I loved seeing and hearing everything she thought about and seeing her delusions along with her. This aspect of the book was definitely my favorite thing about the story. I was so intrigued by this that I just kept wanting to read more to see what this girl would think up next and how this would end. Sabrina is also a nicely written character. She was someone you could empathized for each time you found out all these different things that happened to her and read about her feelings of loneliness and not feeling wanted.
March 15, 2012
Life is But A Dream by Brian James is anything but ordinary. He brings in this honest, surreal and captivating story about a girl, Sabrina, who is diagnosed with schizophrenia. Brian James managed to take a simple story of a girl trying to recover and managed to take it and twist into this story of beauty and brilliance.
I had no idea what to expect with Life is But A Dream. I wasn’t expecting to step into a mind of a schizophrenic and be filled with wonderment and have this slightly exhilarating feeling in my stomach. Not only did Brian James, amaze me, he impressed me with his beautiful writing. Every word in this book was more than descriptive and vivid, it was was imaginative. Everything was simple, but exuded this colorful incredibility with each phrase and sentence. I lost myself in those descriptions more than once.
I enjoyed the fact that Life is But A Dream was seen all through Sabrina’s eyes. I’ve never read a book that deals with an illness this severe and I was more than glad to have read it and experienced it such a way that the person who was sick is the narrator. I was able to sympathize with Sabrina and possibly understand her, if only a little. I really felt for her. I wanted to reach out to her because I knew she just needed someone by her side.
I love how magical and colorful and life-like everything was to Sabrina. She truly did see things differently; from the ever-changing sky, to the different colored rocks, to the sounds of the wind and the static that surrounds her world. I thought the world and the heaven she saw was beautiful. The way Sabrina describes her surroundings is like a fantasy and a dream. It felt like what she was seeing was real and just within reach.
I thought Brian James did a great job creating and developing Sabrina’s character and her personality. Sabrina was very intriguing character from the very beginning and was even more pleasing in the end. I was so wrapped up with Sabrina that I sometimes found myself questioning whether she really was crazy or not. She seemed more real than anything else in the book.
When Sabrina meets Alec, everything seemed to be going good for her. She found someone she could connect with and relate to, but it became obvious that Sabrina was spiraling downward instead of getting better. I thought having Alec as Sabrina’s love interest was a nice addition to the story. I enjoyed their talks and the time they spent together and I loved how Alec really did care for Sabrina from the beginning until the very end. Like him, I wish things didn’t go down that way with Sabrina. I get that Alec was trying to help Sabrina in his own way, but I thought the things he told her were a little irrational and I found him to be slightly cynical towards the world in general. Also, I did think their friendship and likeness for each other moved too quickly and this could possibly be the reason for Sabrina’s downfall.
I do have to comment that the pacing to this story is slower than I’m comfortable with. It’s not until fifty percent in where the story picks up the pace a bit. I also had trouble with the transitions between Sabrina’s past and present. Sometimes they blended and were unclear. I do not know if this was intentional due to Sabrina’s illness and her state of mind, but it did leave me disoriented at times. More than once I had to reread previous pages in the book to catch up with Sabrina’s ever changing thoughts. However, the overall writing of this book makes these issues minor in comparison.
All in all, Life is But A Dream was a fascinating and heart-felt story. It’s beautifully written and is seemingly able to transport you into the strange entrancing mind of Sabrina’s heaven.
4 out of 5 stars
*Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for allowing me to read an eARC of this book. In no way do they influence my thoughts in this review. It is solely my own.
More Reviews on my blog: Words, Pages, and Books
I had no idea what to expect with Life is But A Dream. I wasn’t expecting to step into a mind of a schizophrenic and be filled with wonderment and have this slightly exhilarating feeling in my stomach. Not only did Brian James, amaze me, he impressed me with his beautiful writing. Every word in this book was more than descriptive and vivid, it was was imaginative. Everything was simple, but exuded this colorful incredibility with each phrase and sentence. I lost myself in those descriptions more than once.
I enjoyed the fact that Life is But A Dream was seen all through Sabrina’s eyes. I’ve never read a book that deals with an illness this severe and I was more than glad to have read it and experienced it such a way that the person who was sick is the narrator. I was able to sympathize with Sabrina and possibly understand her, if only a little. I really felt for her. I wanted to reach out to her because I knew she just needed someone by her side.
I love how magical and colorful and life-like everything was to Sabrina. She truly did see things differently; from the ever-changing sky, to the different colored rocks, to the sounds of the wind and the static that surrounds her world. I thought the world and the heaven she saw was beautiful. The way Sabrina describes her surroundings is like a fantasy and a dream. It felt like what she was seeing was real and just within reach.
I thought Brian James did a great job creating and developing Sabrina’s character and her personality. Sabrina was very intriguing character from the very beginning and was even more pleasing in the end. I was so wrapped up with Sabrina that I sometimes found myself questioning whether she really was crazy or not. She seemed more real than anything else in the book.
When Sabrina meets Alec, everything seemed to be going good for her. She found someone she could connect with and relate to, but it became obvious that Sabrina was spiraling downward instead of getting better. I thought having Alec as Sabrina’s love interest was a nice addition to the story. I enjoyed their talks and the time they spent together and I loved how Alec really did care for Sabrina from the beginning until the very end. Like him, I wish things didn’t go down that way with Sabrina. I get that Alec was trying to help Sabrina in his own way, but I thought the things he told her were a little irrational and I found him to be slightly cynical towards the world in general. Also, I did think their friendship and likeness for each other moved too quickly and this could possibly be the reason for Sabrina’s downfall.
I do have to comment that the pacing to this story is slower than I’m comfortable with. It’s not until fifty percent in where the story picks up the pace a bit. I also had trouble with the transitions between Sabrina’s past and present. Sometimes they blended and were unclear. I do not know if this was intentional due to Sabrina’s illness and her state of mind, but it did leave me disoriented at times. More than once I had to reread previous pages in the book to catch up with Sabrina’s ever changing thoughts. However, the overall writing of this book makes these issues minor in comparison.
All in all, Life is But A Dream was a fascinating and heart-felt story. It’s beautifully written and is seemingly able to transport you into the strange entrancing mind of Sabrina’s heaven.
4 out of 5 stars
*Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for allowing me to read an eARC of this book. In no way do they influence my thoughts in this review. It is solely my own.
More Reviews on my blog: Words, Pages, and Books
January 4, 2012
First Thoughts:
At first I didn’t know what to think about this book, the imagery was past amazing, the colors and images this author painted were so beautiful and creative but at the same time the idea was a little bit strange and almost unconvincing.
The plot of the story was a bit off, the way the author switched back from past and future tense was at times a bit disorientating but after a while I was able to adjust to the authors structure and the confusion went away. But I did think the sub-plots were well written, I felt the author did a great job on creating different stories that helped tie the main story together; without them this book wouldn’t have been as well written and put together as it was. As for the characters I felt that they were well created. I felt that Sabrina was well crafted, her frame of mind and actions synced together so well that I really did believe her to be a schizophrenic. She was so full of life and creativity, she was a likeable character and she made a great transformation throughout this book. At times she morphed from one person to the next until at the end she finally settled in to someone she was meant to be from the start. As for Alec, he was just as likeable, he had that way about him that instantly drew you to him; that mysteriousness and “bad rap” definitely clued me into his type of character. He himself also made a transformation, he went from someone who was isolated and anger filled to someone worth loving. As for the other minor characters, they were artfully placed, though I didn’t always feel a connection with them, I did find them to be real to the story and world. As for the description like I mentioned earlier I found it to be beautiful and artistic. I really thought the way the author used the sight of Sabrina to describe schizophrenia was so perfect to those of us who always viewed schizophrenia to be multiple personalities (I mistake I had made but now don’t). The description also created the story, it revealed answers to the questions in the book and it provided insight in the world of someone who sees the world different than me and you. As for the writing style, the only issue I had was the structure of the scenes; I felt that things could have been better organized. And another issue I found was the end, though I liked the end result I felt that it was rushed. I would have liked the ending to be more drawn out, so that as us the readers could better savor all the changes taking place. But it was a beautiful story filled with such beauty and creativity.
Goodreads Summary:
Alec and Sabrina are crazy in love. Problem is: Sabrina’s really crazy.
Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced it's the world that's crazy, not the two of them. They are meant to be together; they are special. But when Alec starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries that she'll lose hold of her dreams and herself. Should she listen to her doctor? Her decision may have fatal consequences.
Last Thoughts:
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a book that is filled with great description and beauty and to those who enjoy reading about characters with mental illness; this one was really well written in the aspect of the disease. I would also recommend this to anyone who loves a book where love is a key element but isn’t necessarily the main element. I wouldn’t recommend this book if you don’t like books with sharp transitions and abrupt endings. I also wouldn’t recommend this if you don’t like romance; this book at times did get cheesy. But in the end I enjoyed this authors writing, the description to me was over the top and helped make the story as likeable as it was. I will definitely be looking forward to what else this author has in store for his readers.
At first I didn’t know what to think about this book, the imagery was past amazing, the colors and images this author painted were so beautiful and creative but at the same time the idea was a little bit strange and almost unconvincing.
The plot of the story was a bit off, the way the author switched back from past and future tense was at times a bit disorientating but after a while I was able to adjust to the authors structure and the confusion went away. But I did think the sub-plots were well written, I felt the author did a great job on creating different stories that helped tie the main story together; without them this book wouldn’t have been as well written and put together as it was. As for the characters I felt that they were well created. I felt that Sabrina was well crafted, her frame of mind and actions synced together so well that I really did believe her to be a schizophrenic. She was so full of life and creativity, she was a likeable character and she made a great transformation throughout this book. At times she morphed from one person to the next until at the end she finally settled in to someone she was meant to be from the start. As for Alec, he was just as likeable, he had that way about him that instantly drew you to him; that mysteriousness and “bad rap” definitely clued me into his type of character. He himself also made a transformation, he went from someone who was isolated and anger filled to someone worth loving. As for the other minor characters, they were artfully placed, though I didn’t always feel a connection with them, I did find them to be real to the story and world. As for the description like I mentioned earlier I found it to be beautiful and artistic. I really thought the way the author used the sight of Sabrina to describe schizophrenia was so perfect to those of us who always viewed schizophrenia to be multiple personalities (I mistake I had made but now don’t). The description also created the story, it revealed answers to the questions in the book and it provided insight in the world of someone who sees the world different than me and you. As for the writing style, the only issue I had was the structure of the scenes; I felt that things could have been better organized. And another issue I found was the end, though I liked the end result I felt that it was rushed. I would have liked the ending to be more drawn out, so that as us the readers could better savor all the changes taking place. But it was a beautiful story filled with such beauty and creativity.
Goodreads Summary:
Alec and Sabrina are crazy in love. Problem is: Sabrina’s really crazy.
Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced it's the world that's crazy, not the two of them. They are meant to be together; they are special. But when Alec starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries that she'll lose hold of her dreams and herself. Should she listen to her doctor? Her decision may have fatal consequences.
Last Thoughts:
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a book that is filled with great description and beauty and to those who enjoy reading about characters with mental illness; this one was really well written in the aspect of the disease. I would also recommend this to anyone who loves a book where love is a key element but isn’t necessarily the main element. I wouldn’t recommend this book if you don’t like books with sharp transitions and abrupt endings. I also wouldn’t recommend this if you don’t like romance; this book at times did get cheesy. But in the end I enjoyed this authors writing, the description to me was over the top and helped make the story as likeable as it was. I will definitely be looking forward to what else this author has in store for his readers.
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