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The Symptoms of My Insanity
A laugh-out-loud, bittersweet debut full of wit, wisdom, heart, and a hilarious, unforgettable heroine.
When you’re a hypochondriac, there are a million different things that could be wrong with you, but for Izzy, focusing on what could be wrong might be keeping her from dealing with what’s really wrong.
I almost raised my hand, but what would I say? “Mr. Bayer, may I please be excused? I’m not totally positive, but I think I might have cancer.” No way. Then everyone at school would know, and they would treat me differently, and I would be known as “Izzy, that poor girl who diagnosed herself with breast cancer during biology.”
But Izzy’s sense of humor can only get her so far when suddenly her best friend appears to have undergone a personality transplant, her mother’s health takes a turn for the worse, and her beautiful maybe-boyfriend is going all hot and cold. Izzy thinks she’s preparing for the worst-case scenario, but when the worst-case scenario actually hits, it’s a different story altogether—and there’s no tidy list of symptoms to help her through the insanity.
When you’re a hypochondriac, there are a million different things that could be wrong with you, but for Izzy, focusing on what could be wrong might be keeping her from dealing with what’s really wrong.
I almost raised my hand, but what would I say? “Mr. Bayer, may I please be excused? I’m not totally positive, but I think I might have cancer.” No way. Then everyone at school would know, and they would treat me differently, and I would be known as “Izzy, that poor girl who diagnosed herself with breast cancer during biology.”
But Izzy’s sense of humor can only get her so far when suddenly her best friend appears to have undergone a personality transplant, her mother’s health takes a turn for the worse, and her beautiful maybe-boyfriend is going all hot and cold. Izzy thinks she’s preparing for the worst-case scenario, but when the worst-case scenario actually hits, it’s a different story altogether—and there’s no tidy list of symptoms to help her through the insanity.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 18, 2013
38 people are currently reading
4843 people want to read
About the author
Mindy Raf
3 books40 followersMindy Raf is a writer, comedy performer, and musician based in Brooklyn, NY. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan, and grew up in a Detroit suburb right around here (visualize someone pointing to the inner part of their thumb). She has written for VH1 and CollegeHumor.com. The Symptoms of My Insanity is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
May 10, 2021
Suggestive is my mom's all-time favorite word, and due to the arrival of my newly measured 34 double Ds and my God-given birthing hips, I have learned two things: 1) Everything I wear looks suggestive, and 2) When someone looks suggestive, the thing that they are suggesting is sex.
The Symptoms of My Insanity is a bittersweet, quirky debut with a healthy dose of humor and a very lovable heroine. It was a light read that I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end.
Isabella - or Izzy - Skymen is a hypochondriac with enormous boobs that won't stop growing, a mother who is hiding her rare disease, a best friend who seems to have undergone a personality transplant, and a date with an out-of-her-league athlete who just spilled Gatorade all over her. All these events might seem hectic to Izzy, but before long she realises that these are only a minor part of life's insanity. When Izzy finds out the people she trusts most are withholding the biggest secrets from her and her whole life comes crashing down, what will she do?
Izzy was a lovely MC. She was resilient and kind and full of determination and fiercely loved her family. She was sometimes downright hilarious as well. The book is told from her first-person POV, so whenever her thoughts were snarky or sarcastic I had a good laugh. The storyline was original and interesting enough although it dragged a little in the first 150 pages. But there are some important messages that can be taken away from this book.
For one, society's apparent obsession with body image. When will we realise that no matter what shape and size they are, our girls are beautiful and they deserve to know that? Izzy's mom is always telling her she looks suggestive and should wear baggy clothes to hide her figure. Undoubtedly this doesn't have a good effect on her subconscious, because she feels like her "ever-growing boobs" and "God-given birthing hips" are out of her control.
Every time something like this happens now, I remember what Marcus said the other day about me wanting to be sick. And okay, I know wanting to have a heart attack sounds even more messed up than feeling like you're having one when you're not. But if I really was sick like that, then at least Mom could concentrate on something about me that's potentially fixable and not out of my control, like the way my body looks when I walk. And then she and I could be sick together; we could be in the hospital room together right now, and then maybe she wouldn't be so awkward about it all, and about me.
One thing I found lacking about this book was the characterization of hypochondriacs, because I've never read a book with a hypochondriac MC and I was so excited to learn and know more about this mental condition. Given that Izzy was one, I expected more descriptions, symptoms, anything, but I felt like the book focused more on the contemporary storyline without adding much of the hypochondriac element. There were only a few short moments when Izzy went onto Symptomaniac (a medical website) and that was it.
Yet there is one thing I absolutely, completely loved so much about this book: girl friendships and girls supporting girls. In this book, we don't see any evil ex-best friend, crush's jealous ex-girlfriend, clingy popular girl, etc. In fact, Izzy has an ex-best friend, Meredith, who approaches her about helping her cover for a party one day, and I thought for sure that Meredith would turn out wicked or betray Izzy somehow, but no, Meredith stayed loyal and was wonderful to Izzy throughout, and it was so satisfying to watch the two girls rekindle their friendship. But the most amazing moment was I was internally cheering while reading that part, because GIRLS SUPPORTING EACH OTHER and GIRL POWER. It was so heartwarming. I think that's my favorite aspect of the book, because it's so rarely seen in YA novels these days.
I'd just like to add that I saw the true romance coming from page 38. After Blake proved to be a first-class asshole, I would honestly have loved it if Izzy was independent and all like "I don't need no man", but the boy she got together with at the end was just adorable. Also, their friendship progressed throughout the book and he was really understanding and sweet to her, so it wasn't instalove but a slow build that was really cute to watch. It actually wasn't hinted at much, but on page 38, when he was first mentioned, I just had this feeling. I've read so many books with these tropes to guess, and sure enough, I was right! I was practically smiling from ear to ear when they kissed at the end.
I loved how everything worked out well in the end, and Izzy's mom finally realised how much she was frustrating her daughter, and when Izzy and Jenna finally worked things out between them.
But like Mom said, you don't stop loving someone just because they do something that surprises or even disappoints you. Maybe facts and formulas comfort Marcus, but I think that article he read was totally wrong. You don't love chemical reactions or particles or neuron receptors. You love whole people. Including the parts you didn't know were there, and the parts you're waiting for them to become.
If you're looking for a light read pick up The Symptoms of My Insanity! This book is lovely and humorous and has an original, heartwarming storyline. Not to mention Izzy is so lovable too. I don't think you'll regret reading it.
April 18, 2013
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
There are few books that I feel ever get the "teenage speak" right. There are even fewer that feature all those little awkward moments we've all dealt with in high school. Because let's face it, sometimes being a teen is awesome, but other times, it completely sucks. Really, really hard. The Symptoms of My Insanity takes a few of those moments and presents them in such a relatable way where I could sit back and go, "Oh, it's my teenage self all over again when I was socially awkward!" Then I realized, "Wait. I'm still socially awkward."
Izzy has a lot going on her plate in Symptoms: her mother's cancer seems to be coming back, a popular guy in school is suddenly showing interest in her, her best friend is acting strangely and she has to prepare her art portfolio. It's a lot. And thank goodness for Raf's humor, because without it this would be one sad novel. The thing with Izzy is that she gets so wrapped up in everything that's going on, she tends to glaze over or ignore the finer details. It's her biggest flaw in the story and ends up almost costing her a friendship. At times this frustrated me because I really thought Blake's arc was very obvious and I really needed her to wake up. She was dangerously tip-toing into "shakable heroine" territory.
But despite her flaws, I don't really blame her for it. She's a very relatable girl that reminds me of myself. Particularly, her experience shopping for a bra had my name all over it. Shopping for a bra is just one of those things that can make even the most confident woman, young or old, feel insecure. From dressing room lighting to the oversized mirrors that seem to emphasize everything, it can be a... humbling experience. But when you're in high school, still going through puberty, perhaps even faster, and you're more well-endowed than the others, it's even more stressful. Those little awkward moments were captured very well in Symptoms and I couldn't help but feel for Izzy.
Then the novel wore on and I was still really enjoying it even with the predictability here and there. But then something happened to really make me rage a little and bring down from rating from 4 stars to 2.5. If you are curious as to what it is click the spoiler, but be warned: It does spoil the plot twist (but honestly, the plot twist seemed very obvious from the beginning, so whatevs) and the ending of the book. I don't usually add this level of spoiler-age to my reviews, but I really need to get this off my chest. So feel free to skip it.
Other than my biggest issue hidden in the spoiler, there was also slut shaming from Izzy's mom and friend. BUT Izzy does correct her mother on that in the end. This didn't exactly thrill me since I do believe her mother's inability to accept her daughter's changing body directly impacted Izzy's self-esteem. The good thing is, by the end, Izzy does show a good amount of growth, grows a backbone and learns to be proud of herself.
Another thing that I wasn't sold on was her best friend Jenna. Jenna knew Izzy had a lot to deal with as far as her art portfolio and her mother's illness, but still proceeded to demand Izzy's time to further her own ventures. The really sucky part is that Jenna started distancing herself from Izzy after she agreed to help her. I get that friends grow apart and that Raf was trying to show that correlation, but for me it felt way too sudden and wasn't very gradual to be believable.
Overall, Symptoms of My Insanity is an entertaining read. Raf tackles a lot of different challenges teen girls face with a comical edge. Unfortunately, the last 3rd of the novel did not measure up to my expectations and caused me extreme disappointment.
ARC was provided by the publisher for an honest review. No monies or gifts were exchanged.
More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.
There are few books that I feel ever get the "teenage speak" right. There are even fewer that feature all those little awkward moments we've all dealt with in high school. Because let's face it, sometimes being a teen is awesome, but other times, it completely sucks. Really, really hard. The Symptoms of My Insanity takes a few of those moments and presents them in such a relatable way where I could sit back and go, "Oh, it's my teenage self all over again when I was socially awkward!" Then I realized, "Wait. I'm still socially awkward."
Izzy has a lot going on her plate in Symptoms: her mother's cancer seems to be coming back, a popular guy in school is suddenly showing interest in her, her best friend is acting strangely and she has to prepare her art portfolio. It's a lot. And thank goodness for Raf's humor, because without it this would be one sad novel. The thing with Izzy is that she gets so wrapped up in everything that's going on, she tends to glaze over or ignore the finer details. It's her biggest flaw in the story and ends up almost costing her a friendship. At times this frustrated me because I really thought Blake's arc was very obvious and I really needed her to wake up. She was dangerously tip-toing into "shakable heroine" territory.
But despite her flaws, I don't really blame her for it. She's a very relatable girl that reminds me of myself. Particularly, her experience shopping for a bra had my name all over it. Shopping for a bra is just one of those things that can make even the most confident woman, young or old, feel insecure. From dressing room lighting to the oversized mirrors that seem to emphasize everything, it can be a... humbling experience. But when you're in high school, still going through puberty, perhaps even faster, and you're more well-endowed than the others, it's even more stressful. Those little awkward moments were captured very well in Symptoms and I couldn't help but feel for Izzy.
Then the novel wore on and I was still really enjoying it even with the predictability here and there. But then something happened to really make me rage a little and bring down from rating from 4 stars to 2.5. If you are curious as to what it is click the spoiler, but be warned: It does spoil the plot twist (but honestly, the plot twist seemed very obvious from the beginning, so whatevs) and the ending of the book. I don't usually add this level of spoiler-age to my reviews, but I really need to get this off my chest. So feel free to skip it.
Other than my biggest issue hidden in the spoiler, there was also slut shaming from Izzy's mom and friend. BUT Izzy does correct her mother on that in the end. This didn't exactly thrill me since I do believe her mother's inability to accept her daughter's changing body directly impacted Izzy's self-esteem. The good thing is, by the end, Izzy does show a good amount of growth, grows a backbone and learns to be proud of herself.
Another thing that I wasn't sold on was her best friend Jenna. Jenna knew Izzy had a lot to deal with as far as her art portfolio and her mother's illness, but still proceeded to demand Izzy's time to further her own ventures. The really sucky part is that Jenna started distancing herself from Izzy after she agreed to help her. I get that friends grow apart and that Raf was trying to show that correlation, but for me it felt way too sudden and wasn't very gradual to be believable.
Overall, Symptoms of My Insanity is an entertaining read. Raf tackles a lot of different challenges teen girls face with a comical edge. Unfortunately, the last 3rd of the novel did not measure up to my expectations and caused me extreme disappointment.
ARC was provided by the publisher for an honest review. No monies or gifts were exchanged.
More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.
April 17, 2013
Yet again, my strong desire for a book stemmed from the awesome cover (not the final cover shown above) more than the blurb. Sure, the blurb is funny and all, but that's not what really raised my interest. This turns out to be yet another reminder that I should probably stop seeking out books that I wasn't especially interested in before I saw the cover. Though I didn't precisely dislike The Symptoms of My Insanity and some of it was quite humorous, I had a lot of issues with it as well.
What Mindy Raf does best are the funny, awkward scenes, and those are where she comes closest to capturing teenage life. The horrors of getting fitted for a bra, the discomfort with you body, and getting your long hair stuck on someone's glasses, prolonging an already tense moment. Those things work well, and Raf made me chuckle a handful of times. These small moments, the teasing and the day-to-day stuff are the aspects of The Symptoms of My Insanity that really worked.
For the most part, I feel like this novel couldn't decide whether to be serious or funny, and often ends up being vaguely disquieting, as the lighthearted tone jars with the serious subject matter. Mindy Raf attempts to tackle cancer, sexual harassment, friendship, and slut-shaming, all while keeping things funny, and the darker subjects do not get the respect they deserve.
Take, for example, Izzy's hypochondria, which she develops as a coping mechanism for her mother's slow but fatal cancer. Izzy started out researching her mother's disease, and gradually became a bit addicted to an online web diagnosis site, paranoid that every sniffle or stomach ache is an omen of disaster. Sure, hypochondria can be rife with humor, and Izzy's development of it in correlation to her mother's illness is convincing. What is less convincing is the way that, once a few jokes have been told at her expense and her hypochondria has been pointed out to her by more than one person, poof, it disappears. Awareness of a problem does not immediately conquer it.
Then there's Izzy's mother, who I suppose I ought to be sympathizing with, since she's dying a slow death from cancer. However, she is enormously hard to like, since she tears down Izzy's self-esteem left and right. Izzy's body issues mostly come from her mother, who suspects her of being a lesbian if she wears loose clothes and accuses her of being inappropriate if she wears anything tight. Apparently, if a girl has large breasts, wearing anything form-fitting or remotely low cut is inappropriate. Way to make her feel like her body is disgusting. Yes, Izzy's mom learns lessons about this in the long run, but, again, I felt like the denouement was rushed, and a bit unsatisfying, since it came basically two pages from the end after hundreds of pages of narrow-minded vitriol.
Most upsetting by far, though, is the plot line involving sexual harassment. Izzy ends up in a compromising position with a boy, very much against her will. Despite the fact that he and his friends have similarly harassed two other girls, her friends, Izzy doesn't report him or do anything other than give him the cold shoulder. Izzy and her friends are just sending them off to hurt other girls, because, if they hadn't learned their lessons hurting the two friends, they certainly won't have learned it now.
Along this vein, I don't think the female friendships were handled well. Jenna and Izzy are supposedly best friends, but neither one seems to care for the other at all. Jenna withholds information that could help Izzy avoid pain, all because Jenna felt neglected by Izzy over the summer. Now, I get feeling neglected, but the reason Izzy was so busy was taking care of her mother who was going through cancer treatments, so how about a little leeway. Yes, Izzy could have been more thoughtful of her best friend, but she also didn't know anything was happening. Of course, once Izzy learns what Jenna's issues were, she still doesn't inquire or support Jenna, so there's that. Meredith, who neither liked much at the outset, proved a much better friend to both, even they judged her unfairly.
The language is a bit stilted, and rarely does Izzy really coalesce into a character I had a strong handle on. Her personality doesn't seem particularly set in stone yet, and, if I were to describe her in one word, that word would be naive. So many things are going on that should be obvious to Izzy, like the issues with her crush or Jenna. I called what was up with both of them in their earliest scenes, but Izzy was completely shocked to figure out the truth hundreds of pages later. For all that she's concerned about her mom's health, that, too, takes her time actually believing that she's having health problems, despite the really obvious evidence and her obsession with all things medical.
Izzy's burgeoning healthy romance I did like. In fact, for once, I am wishing for more romance, rather than having that as the weak point in a novel. The scenes in which Izzy speaks with the boy are the ones where the dialog feels most natural, even in the way they end up saying the wrong things and fighting. They banter and have things in common the way that Izzy and the rest of her friends and family do not really seem to. Overall, there was an authenticity of character and emotion that was lacking.
I realize this has turned into a rant, but I did like parts of this novel quite a bit, and I do envision a good future for Raf as a writer. The humor is well done in places, and the tougher subjects show promise. The Symptoms of My Insanity tries to do too much and ends up not quite satisfying overall. Though I didn't end up loving this, I will be open to trying Raf's sophomore novel.
What Mindy Raf does best are the funny, awkward scenes, and those are where she comes closest to capturing teenage life. The horrors of getting fitted for a bra, the discomfort with you body, and getting your long hair stuck on someone's glasses, prolonging an already tense moment. Those things work well, and Raf made me chuckle a handful of times. These small moments, the teasing and the day-to-day stuff are the aspects of The Symptoms of My Insanity that really worked.
For the most part, I feel like this novel couldn't decide whether to be serious or funny, and often ends up being vaguely disquieting, as the lighthearted tone jars with the serious subject matter. Mindy Raf attempts to tackle cancer, sexual harassment, friendship, and slut-shaming, all while keeping things funny, and the darker subjects do not get the respect they deserve.
Take, for example, Izzy's hypochondria, which she develops as a coping mechanism for her mother's slow but fatal cancer. Izzy started out researching her mother's disease, and gradually became a bit addicted to an online web diagnosis site, paranoid that every sniffle or stomach ache is an omen of disaster. Sure, hypochondria can be rife with humor, and Izzy's development of it in correlation to her mother's illness is convincing. What is less convincing is the way that, once a few jokes have been told at her expense and her hypochondria has been pointed out to her by more than one person, poof, it disappears. Awareness of a problem does not immediately conquer it.
Then there's Izzy's mother, who I suppose I ought to be sympathizing with, since she's dying a slow death from cancer. However, she is enormously hard to like, since she tears down Izzy's self-esteem left and right. Izzy's body issues mostly come from her mother, who suspects her of being a lesbian if she wears loose clothes and accuses her of being inappropriate if she wears anything tight. Apparently, if a girl has large breasts, wearing anything form-fitting or remotely low cut is inappropriate. Way to make her feel like her body is disgusting. Yes, Izzy's mom learns lessons about this in the long run, but, again, I felt like the denouement was rushed, and a bit unsatisfying, since it came basically two pages from the end after hundreds of pages of narrow-minded vitriol.
Most upsetting by far, though, is the plot line involving sexual harassment. Izzy ends up in a compromising position with a boy, very much against her will. Despite the fact that he and his friends have similarly harassed two other girls, her friends, Izzy doesn't report him or do anything other than give him the cold shoulder. Izzy and her friends are just sending them off to hurt other girls, because, if they hadn't learned their lessons hurting the two friends, they certainly won't have learned it now.
Along this vein, I don't think the female friendships were handled well. Jenna and Izzy are supposedly best friends, but neither one seems to care for the other at all. Jenna withholds information that could help Izzy avoid pain, all because Jenna felt neglected by Izzy over the summer. Now, I get feeling neglected, but the reason Izzy was so busy was taking care of her mother who was going through cancer treatments, so how about a little leeway. Yes, Izzy could have been more thoughtful of her best friend, but she also didn't know anything was happening. Of course, once Izzy learns what Jenna's issues were, she still doesn't inquire or support Jenna, so there's that. Meredith, who neither liked much at the outset, proved a much better friend to both, even they judged her unfairly.
The language is a bit stilted, and rarely does Izzy really coalesce into a character I had a strong handle on. Her personality doesn't seem particularly set in stone yet, and, if I were to describe her in one word, that word would be naive. So many things are going on that should be obvious to Izzy, like the issues with her crush or Jenna. I called what was up with both of them in their earliest scenes, but Izzy was completely shocked to figure out the truth hundreds of pages later. For all that she's concerned about her mom's health, that, too, takes her time actually believing that she's having health problems, despite the really obvious evidence and her obsession with all things medical.
Izzy's burgeoning healthy romance I did like. In fact, for once, I am wishing for more romance, rather than having that as the weak point in a novel. The scenes in which Izzy speaks with the boy are the ones where the dialog feels most natural, even in the way they end up saying the wrong things and fighting. They banter and have things in common the way that Izzy and the rest of her friends and family do not really seem to. Overall, there was an authenticity of character and emotion that was lacking.
I realize this has turned into a rant, but I did like parts of this novel quite a bit, and I do envision a good future for Raf as a writer. The humor is well done in places, and the tougher subjects show promise. The Symptoms of My Insanity tries to do too much and ends up not quite satisfying overall. Though I didn't end up loving this, I will be open to trying Raf's sophomore novel.
November 17, 2013
This is going to be a tough review. It's hard for me to give this one a mere two stars when it started out so promising. The sarcasm bowled me over, and I actually laughed out loud a few times.
But then it all started to go downhill. My first issue was the protagonist, Izzy. She's...well, she's kind of an ass. I mean, I know she be goin' through some shit, but...wow. I highly doubt even having a relatively stress-free life (in comparison) would help her. She's a horrible friend, a pushover, she doesn't listen, stand up for herself, or even really pay attention to anything that's going on around her. I think Raf was attempting to portray a girl who felt as if she were being kept out of the loop (and indeed, she was), but the crux of her problem was that she simply didn't pay attention. She was so internal. Completely self-absorbed. And what's worse, everyone else in the story was the exact same way. I guess you can kind of expect it from teenagers, but all the adults were self absorbed, too. So with all these people only thinking about themselves, it's really no wonder that everyone kinda sorta hated everyone else. It made for some awkward dynamics.
My biggest issue with this book, however, is the message it sends to young women regarding their bodies and sexual activity. From the beginning, the reader is bombarded with judgmental attitudes regarding "that girl" (in this case, a girl whom everyone thinks gave a guy a blowjob in one of the school's bathrooms). Izzy's mom is continually berating Izzy for wearing what she refers to as "Nafka" (slutty) clothing. But when Izzy wears anything baggy, her mom says she could try and look nicer. The girl can't win, and I get that this is supposed to be an issue in the story, but the thing is, it's never really addressed thoroughly. Izzy tries to have a serious conversation with her mom about her mom's judgmental behavior, and her mom says, "Well, I guess I never thought of it that way", but then changes the subject! Like, what?
Then there's the other issue....if you don't want a spoiler, stop reading now....
Blake basically assaults Izzy. He holds her down on the floor, ignores her when she tells him to stop, and takes a photo of her naked breast without her knowledge or permission. So all the girls in the school getting together to make sure no one else finds out the picture was of Izzy? Yeah, noble and all, but this ensures that Blake is never held accountable for what he did. What the hell kind of message is that? Izzy even says, "Yeah, I let it happen."
HUH? Making out with a guy does not give him permission to do things like that. Hell, taking off your shirt and bouncing your jumblies in his face doesn't give a guy permission to snap pictures of 'em.
*Sigh*
If it had been addressed properly - like, hey, douchebag, you can't just go around holding girls down and taking snapshots of their tatas - I wouldn't have a problem. But that's not what happens. And for that alone, this book doesn't really deserve to be read.
But then it all started to go downhill. My first issue was the protagonist, Izzy. She's...well, she's kind of an ass. I mean, I know she be goin' through some shit, but...wow. I highly doubt even having a relatively stress-free life (in comparison) would help her. She's a horrible friend, a pushover, she doesn't listen, stand up for herself, or even really pay attention to anything that's going on around her. I think Raf was attempting to portray a girl who felt as if she were being kept out of the loop (and indeed, she was), but the crux of her problem was that she simply didn't pay attention. She was so internal. Completely self-absorbed. And what's worse, everyone else in the story was the exact same way. I guess you can kind of expect it from teenagers, but all the adults were self absorbed, too. So with all these people only thinking about themselves, it's really no wonder that everyone kinda sorta hated everyone else. It made for some awkward dynamics.
My biggest issue with this book, however, is the message it sends to young women regarding their bodies and sexual activity. From the beginning, the reader is bombarded with judgmental attitudes regarding "that girl" (in this case, a girl whom everyone thinks gave a guy a blowjob in one of the school's bathrooms). Izzy's mom is continually berating Izzy for wearing what she refers to as "Nafka" (slutty) clothing. But when Izzy wears anything baggy, her mom says she could try and look nicer. The girl can't win, and I get that this is supposed to be an issue in the story, but the thing is, it's never really addressed thoroughly. Izzy tries to have a serious conversation with her mom about her mom's judgmental behavior, and her mom says, "Well, I guess I never thought of it that way", but then changes the subject! Like, what?
Then there's the other issue....if you don't want a spoiler, stop reading now....
Blake basically assaults Izzy. He holds her down on the floor, ignores her when she tells him to stop, and takes a photo of her naked breast without her knowledge or permission. So all the girls in the school getting together to make sure no one else finds out the picture was of Izzy? Yeah, noble and all, but this ensures that Blake is never held accountable for what he did. What the hell kind of message is that? Izzy even says, "Yeah, I let it happen."
HUH? Making out with a guy does not give him permission to do things like that. Hell, taking off your shirt and bouncing your jumblies in his face doesn't give a guy permission to snap pictures of 'em.
*Sigh*
If it had been addressed properly - like, hey, douchebag, you can't just go around holding girls down and taking snapshots of their tatas - I wouldn't have a problem. But that's not what happens. And for that alone, this book doesn't really deserve to be read.
March 21, 2013
I came away from "The Symptoms of My Insanity" with very mixed feelings.
When I began it, I loved it, and some of that love stayed throughout. I loved Izzy's voice: it was fun, funny, and somehow fresh. I loved a lot of the early-presented problems: juggling too many requests on her time with none for herself, her mother's illness, her own hypochondriac tendencies, trying not to let people down... It felt incredibly real-to-life and I could easily see lots of my teenaged self in Izzy.
But at some point... I don't know. Maybe the author tried to take on too much? I really admired the issues she picked to tackle, especially those of teenaged sexuality, the pressures that girls face, etc. But there was so much. There was that, the iffy relationship with the sister, the mom crisis, the fight with her best friend, the sometimes-rocky relationship with her friend's brother, the business with her ex-best friend, the art, the play, Blake, and more I'm probably forgetting. I think some could have been dropped to let the emotional aspects of the others be fuller-felt. Her fight with Jenna, especially, felt more like an excuse to let Jenna vanish from the narrative for a *really* long time because there was too much else going on.
Streamlined a little, this would have been an easy four-star for me. I had fun reading it, but it did become a little tiring. There are also a lot of stray threads that are sort of humorous at the start and then totally vanish (like the mother's Yiddish) that struck me as a little superfluous.
Also, totally would have loved to see at least ONE adult who was okay with teens at least going to second base.
Thanks go to Netgalley for the ARC.
When I began it, I loved it, and some of that love stayed throughout. I loved Izzy's voice: it was fun, funny, and somehow fresh. I loved a lot of the early-presented problems: juggling too many requests on her time with none for herself, her mother's illness, her own hypochondriac tendencies, trying not to let people down... It felt incredibly real-to-life and I could easily see lots of my teenaged self in Izzy.
But at some point... I don't know. Maybe the author tried to take on too much? I really admired the issues she picked to tackle, especially those of teenaged sexuality, the pressures that girls face, etc. But there was so much. There was that, the iffy relationship with the sister, the mom crisis, the fight with her best friend, the sometimes-rocky relationship with her friend's brother, the business with her ex-best friend, the art, the play, Blake, and more I'm probably forgetting. I think some could have been dropped to let the emotional aspects of the others be fuller-felt. Her fight with Jenna, especially, felt more like an excuse to let Jenna vanish from the narrative for a *really* long time because there was too much else going on.
Streamlined a little, this would have been an easy four-star for me. I had fun reading it, but it did become a little tiring. There are also a lot of stray threads that are sort of humorous at the start and then totally vanish (like the mother's Yiddish) that struck me as a little superfluous.
Also, totally would have loved to see at least ONE adult who was okay with teens at least going to second base.
Thanks go to Netgalley for the ARC.
August 10, 2016
Ugh, DNF at 40%
I don't even know how I'm going to explain this. It's just plain weird. The dialogues, the storyline, the characters are all very weird. This book is completely off topic from what the premises indicates.
A laugh-out-loud, bittersweet debut full of wit, wisdom, heart, and a hilarious, unforgettable heroine.
In the 40% I read, I didn't laugh out loud once or learned anything. The heroine wasn't funny at all and she was definitely forgettable.
Every scene is so over exaggerated and unnecessary at times. I don't even get why Meredith (fellow classmate) or Blake (Izzy's "Boyfriend") were needed.
The writing is something I do not like at all and one of the major reason I couldn't continue with the story. It was a poor interpretation of an adult trying to sound like a teenager. The dialogue was filled with caps-lock, italics and repetitive letters in a word like helooooo. Ugh. It was just bad bad bad.
I would suggest that you try a sample from amazon or wherever you buy it, and judge from that little portion. If you don't like the way it's written, then move on and don't give this book another thought. If you like it, then good luck. You are going to need it.
A Copy was provided by Dial Books for Young Readers via Netgalley for an honest review. (Thank You. I appreciate it.)
I don't even know how I'm going to explain this. It's just plain weird. The dialogues, the storyline, the characters are all very weird. This book is completely off topic from what the premises indicates.
A laugh-out-loud, bittersweet debut full of wit, wisdom, heart, and a hilarious, unforgettable heroine.
In the 40% I read, I didn't laugh out loud once or learned anything. The heroine wasn't funny at all and she was definitely forgettable.
Every scene is so over exaggerated and unnecessary at times. I don't even get why Meredith (fellow classmate) or Blake (Izzy's "Boyfriend") were needed.
The writing is something I do not like at all and one of the major reason I couldn't continue with the story. It was a poor interpretation of an adult trying to sound like a teenager. The dialogue was filled with caps-lock, italics and repetitive letters in a word like helooooo. Ugh. It was just bad bad bad.
I would suggest that you try a sample from amazon or wherever you buy it, and judge from that little portion. If you don't like the way it's written, then move on and don't give this book another thought. If you like it, then good luck. You are going to need it.
A Copy was provided by Dial Books for Young Readers via Netgalley for an honest review. (Thank You. I appreciate it.)
October 30, 2020
When I first started this book, I thought I was going to find it both entertaining and helpful in illustrating the symptoms of mental health issues. Unfortunately, as it turned out, it sorely lacked in story or purpose and the author chose to focus instead on the "quirks" of mental illness. It did not sit well with me because it played off like mental illness is a personality trait, rather than a very real struggle millions of people face every day. Beyond that, the story was weak and if I'm honest, I couldn't tell you if there even really WAS one beyond "My mom is sick and this exacerbates the symptoms of my illness." There were also some very problematic depictions of consent- or a lack thereof- and the general lesson there was "It's okay if people take advantage of you as long as it doesn't affect you in the long run." Just... hard pass.
November 18, 2013
So. I was taken in by the title of the first chapter, “I’m Diseased”. And then the first few lines, “I’m standing inside a large fitting room at Lola’s Lingerie. Oh, and there are three hands on my breasts.” Unfortunately, these may have been the only high points. This book was written by a comedian, so I really expected more humor, but like I said, the humor is pretty much all in the first page. And there was so much potential, with the voice of this snarky, neurotic teen.
The book presents itself as, “not your typical teen story”, but it’s totally predictable in almost every way. It’s not even worth my time to describe it because it’s that predictable. Artsy girl, best friend, mom has cancer,popular jock, handsome nerd who was there all along. You’ve seen it before.
I want to appreciate that the author tried to present us with a variety of female characters, who were all intelligent in different ways. But really they all came off as self-absorbed and unlikeable. I would like to say that I can also appreciate that the author tried to tackle the issue of sexual assault and cyber-bullying. A boy holds a girl down, despite her protests. He then takes a picture of her breasts without her knowing, and then the picture goes viral. And the girls are left blaming themselves for letting these things happen, and then in total misguided fashion feel good about themselves because in an act of solidarity, they prevent the administrators from finding out whose boobs were in the picture--because she was the one who was going to get in trouble! The boys face zero consequences, and the author doesn’t even seem to recognize the assault as an assault. Because the main character is an artist, she turns the whole thing into some misguided girl-power, prize winning art piece without ever acknowledging what really happened.
In the end this book left me angry.
The book presents itself as, “not your typical teen story”, but it’s totally predictable in almost every way. It’s not even worth my time to describe it because it’s that predictable. Artsy girl, best friend, mom has cancer,popular jock, handsome nerd who was there all along. You’ve seen it before.
I want to appreciate that the author tried to present us with a variety of female characters, who were all intelligent in different ways. But really they all came off as self-absorbed and unlikeable. I would like to say that I can also appreciate that the author tried to tackle the issue of sexual assault and cyber-bullying. A boy holds a girl down, despite her protests. He then takes a picture of her breasts without her knowing, and then the picture goes viral. And the girls are left blaming themselves for letting these things happen, and then in total misguided fashion feel good about themselves because in an act of solidarity, they prevent the administrators from finding out whose boobs were in the picture--because she was the one who was going to get in trouble! The boys face zero consequences, and the author doesn’t even seem to recognize the assault as an assault. Because the main character is an artist, she turns the whole thing into some misguided girl-power, prize winning art piece without ever acknowledging what really happened.
In the end this book left me angry.
October 5, 2012
I was totally in love with this book. How could I not - Izzy is the exact replica of me as a high school senior- physically, emotionally, and in the fact that she is a total art nerd. Ugh. Mindy Raf had me laughing from page 1. Totally recommended for those who love snarky YA "issue" novels. Plus, the cover is totally kick ass.
April 13, 2013
*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Mindy Raf's The Symptoms of My Insanity upon request from Net Galley. We thank Net Galley for the book!
I was really excited to read The Symptoms of My Insanity when I came across it on Goodreads. It sounded fun, exciting and different.
When I read my blogger friend @ Enticed By Books, Aman's review (she was the one who told me about the book being up for request on Net Galley. Thank you, Aman!), I was a little apprehensive about starting it. But obviously, seeing as my request got accepted, I had to read it. I must admit that my feelings for Mindy Raf's The Symptoms Of My Insanity are so-so. This review is very difficult to write since I really don't know how I feel about the book.
Izzy, the protagonist in The Symptoms Of My Insanity talks about her daily life and that's all. She talks about what she does, who she meets, about her friends and her family life. Izzy thinks too much. But then I really cannot complain because I know that I over-think as well. Her voice, although very innocent and sweet, does seem whiny and immoderate at times. She is confused and she is upset and it gets annoying with her constant dragged out dialogue.
It seemed like the book has no purpose at all. But somewhere in the second half of the book, the story actually starts going somewhere. And The Symptoms Of My Insanity did have a purpose after all. It's just that the purpose came out almost towards the end of the book and trust me, by that time, you really don't know why or what you're reading. Thank God, something did happen.
The secondary characters played a role, but exactly what that was, I'm yet to figure out. At the family front, I liked how Izzy was responsible and she shared a great relationship with her mom.
I liked how author Mindi Raf has taken up an important issue whilst dealing with an hypochondriac protagonist. I could see the efforts the author has taken to bring to light the fact that anyone, anywhere can be a victim of anything and I appreciated that. The writing, however, was quite okay. The summary rightly says that Izzy concentrates more on what could be wrong than what really is wrong. The summary, however, is wrong when it leads the reader to believe that the book will be a laugh riot. I hardly found myself laughing out loud.
Up to a certain extent, The Symptoms Of My Insanity is an alright book but it is very hard to get into and can be very obscure. It's not a light read, but it's not heavy either. It stands somewhere in the middle of nowhere. While I did like certain aspects of the book, it was hard to get into it. While I enjoyed Izzy's over thinking, it got too much at some point. While the first half of the book was just as good as nothing and took me a long time to get into, the second half was full of content and went by fast.
The Symptoms Of My Insanity is an alright read that's like a zigzagging roller coaster.
I was really excited to read The Symptoms of My Insanity when I came across it on Goodreads. It sounded fun, exciting and different.
When I read my blogger friend @ Enticed By Books, Aman's review (she was the one who told me about the book being up for request on Net Galley. Thank you, Aman!), I was a little apprehensive about starting it. But obviously, seeing as my request got accepted, I had to read it. I must admit that my feelings for Mindy Raf's The Symptoms Of My Insanity are so-so. This review is very difficult to write since I really don't know how I feel about the book.
Izzy, the protagonist in The Symptoms Of My Insanity talks about her daily life and that's all. She talks about what she does, who she meets, about her friends and her family life. Izzy thinks too much. But then I really cannot complain because I know that I over-think as well. Her voice, although very innocent and sweet, does seem whiny and immoderate at times. She is confused and she is upset and it gets annoying with her constant dragged out dialogue.
It seemed like the book has no purpose at all. But somewhere in the second half of the book, the story actually starts going somewhere. And The Symptoms Of My Insanity did have a purpose after all. It's just that the purpose came out almost towards the end of the book and trust me, by that time, you really don't know why or what you're reading. Thank God, something did happen.
The secondary characters played a role, but exactly what that was, I'm yet to figure out. At the family front, I liked how Izzy was responsible and she shared a great relationship with her mom.
I liked how author Mindi Raf has taken up an important issue whilst dealing with an hypochondriac protagonist. I could see the efforts the author has taken to bring to light the fact that anyone, anywhere can be a victim of anything and I appreciated that. The writing, however, was quite okay. The summary rightly says that Izzy concentrates more on what could be wrong than what really is wrong. The summary, however, is wrong when it leads the reader to believe that the book will be a laugh riot. I hardly found myself laughing out loud.
Up to a certain extent, The Symptoms Of My Insanity is an alright book but it is very hard to get into and can be very obscure. It's not a light read, but it's not heavy either. It stands somewhere in the middle of nowhere. While I did like certain aspects of the book, it was hard to get into it. While I enjoyed Izzy's over thinking, it got too much at some point. While the first half of the book was just as good as nothing and took me a long time to get into, the second half was full of content and went by fast.
The Symptoms Of My Insanity is an alright read that's like a zigzagging roller coaster.
April 16, 2013
3.5 stars - If you're looking for a book with a refreshingly funny, sweet, snarky, and slightly awkward heroine then you must pick up Mindy Raf's debut.
In The Symptoms of My Insanity we meet Izzy who is an incredibly likable character. She's got a lot on her plate, her mom has been ill, (she's become a bit of a hypochondriac because of it) she's got to get her art portfolio prepared for an opportunity of a lifetime, and her best friend has volunteered her to help with the school play. On top of all that, one of the popular boys suddenly takes an interest in her and she's not quite sure how to deal with it all.
I have to say that this is another book that tackles quite a few 'issues' specifically the issues that teen girls face daily. While it does that, I didn't feel like it bogged the story down at all. Ultimately it's about Izzy taking back her life. She's constantly giving of her time and energy, never focusing on herself and we get to see firsthand how that really is impacting her sanity.
I really enjoyed the humor and the way Raf took these serious topics, specifically teen sexuality and used the wonderful character she created in Izzy to lighten them up but still bring them to the forefront.
Izzy was my favorite thing about this story - like I said above, she wasn't the perfect heroine - she's a bit of an art nerd, a bit snarky and her voluptuous body makes her a prime target for teasing.
I'm about to ask Svenya if she feels anything suspicious when I look down and notice the cavernous cleavage I have from the monster-size underwire the Russians have strapped onto me. Holy cow! if one of these ladies dropped her pen right now, my breasts would swallow it whole. I'm like a living, breathing, busty Bermuda Triangle.
It did seem to me though, that some of her voice, the lightheartedness, the snarkiness, seemed to get lost midway through the book, and that is what drew me to her initially so I was a bit disappointed in that.
Overall, I think this was a good read... Izzy won me over and by the end I was feeling a bit insane myself, just experiencing everything she had. If you're looking for something that tackles some serious topics but does it in a funny and touching way, definitely pick up The Symptoms of My Insanity!
Thank you to Penguin & Dial Books for the advance copy for an honest review.
This review can be found on my blog, Fic Fare:
In The Symptoms of My Insanity we meet Izzy who is an incredibly likable character. She's got a lot on her plate, her mom has been ill, (she's become a bit of a hypochondriac because of it) she's got to get her art portfolio prepared for an opportunity of a lifetime, and her best friend has volunteered her to help with the school play. On top of all that, one of the popular boys suddenly takes an interest in her and she's not quite sure how to deal with it all.
I have to say that this is another book that tackles quite a few 'issues' specifically the issues that teen girls face daily. While it does that, I didn't feel like it bogged the story down at all. Ultimately it's about Izzy taking back her life. She's constantly giving of her time and energy, never focusing on herself and we get to see firsthand how that really is impacting her sanity.
I really enjoyed the humor and the way Raf took these serious topics, specifically teen sexuality and used the wonderful character she created in Izzy to lighten them up but still bring them to the forefront.
Izzy was my favorite thing about this story - like I said above, she wasn't the perfect heroine - she's a bit of an art nerd, a bit snarky and her voluptuous body makes her a prime target for teasing.
I'm about to ask Svenya if she feels anything suspicious when I look down and notice the cavernous cleavage I have from the monster-size underwire the Russians have strapped onto me. Holy cow! if one of these ladies dropped her pen right now, my breasts would swallow it whole. I'm like a living, breathing, busty Bermuda Triangle.
It did seem to me though, that some of her voice, the lightheartedness, the snarkiness, seemed to get lost midway through the book, and that is what drew me to her initially so I was a bit disappointed in that.
Overall, I think this was a good read... Izzy won me over and by the end I was feeling a bit insane myself, just experiencing everything she had. If you're looking for something that tackles some serious topics but does it in a funny and touching way, definitely pick up The Symptoms of My Insanity!
Thank you to Penguin & Dial Books for the advance copy for an honest review.
This review can be found on my blog, Fic Fare:
November 27, 2013
So this book is like. AMAZING. Just a little flaws, that's all. The beginning of this book was very...um...anti-climatic, if not boring. I read only the first couple of chapters then got bored and left the book in my locker for like months. I went on to read other books until finally I had no choice but to finish this. I guess as the plot went on, it got more interesting and likeable. But it was just extremely predictable. For homework one day, I had to do an independent reading journal. I chose to answer this question: predict what you think will happen. So I did. I said: Izzy goes out with Marcus, not Blake, she gets back together with her friend Jenna and she and her mom solve their issues with each other. That was basically what I said and it happened. The book was exciting in a way but near the end, it sort of...fizzled. The way Izzy and her mom solved things was frustrating and I just found the fact that Izzy can't talk back to her mom not that likeable. She seemed to not be able to make up her mind about her feelings. One day, she's all, I CARE SO MUCH ABOUT MY MOM I LOVE HER and the next, I DISLIKE, if not hate, MY MOM. The characters were confusing and in the beginning, there were too many characters introduced. I had no idea or I kept forgetting who Allissa was until about halfway into the story. I never understood who Pam was and Cara seemed to have no need to even be in the story. She was not that developed and the thing between Jenna and Izzy was just sort of unreasonable.
However. I do like how the ending (like, the very last page) was sweet and had that nice message. Blake was weird and I swear I knew he was bad news the moment he came into the pages.
Ms. S talked weird and it was frustrating reading her dialogue. The boob problem was, I guess in my opinion, unrealistic. Girls seem to always want big-ass boobs. And I don't think DD is that big at all. She's in high school for Pete's sake! The boys are rather immature and not very, once again, realistic. I found Jillian annoying and I also kept forgetting who SHE was too!
But all in all, I do think this book is great and I really did enjoy it. These were just some small flaws that I found unlikeable.
However. I do like how the ending (like, the very last page) was sweet and had that nice message. Blake was weird and I swear I knew he was bad news the moment he came into the pages.
Ms. S talked weird and it was frustrating reading her dialogue. The boob problem was, I guess in my opinion, unrealistic. Girls seem to always want big-ass boobs. And I don't think DD is that big at all. She's in high school for Pete's sake! The boys are rather immature and not very, once again, realistic. I found Jillian annoying and I also kept forgetting who SHE was too!
But all in all, I do think this book is great and I really did enjoy it. These were just some small flaws that I found unlikeable.
March 11, 2016
I just finished The Symptoms of My Insanity, a cute, sweet book that took me only a few days to get through – and for good reason!
I read this book on behalf of The Book Junkies book club, owned and run by me, Emma and Sophie. Emma chose this month’s book and I have to say she did a great job – thank you Em!
If you’d like to see more about what we all thought, stay tuned to find out in a chat post at the end of this month!
The plot…is mostly great! There were a few places when I felt it was going a little slow but mostly I loved it – solid, steady and real. The day-to-day approach really works for this book!
The characters…I love Izzy! She’s just so…normal, a real person. There is no elaborate character building or parts of the book to make Izzy anything more than what she really is – a teenage girl.
The writing…is good. It really suits the book and makes it seem more like a diary than a novel – and therefore you feel extremely close to the main character, Izzy.
Something I liked…the reality of this book. It’s nothing extraordinary and it’s pretty normal, but it has a real charm to it. It’s relatable, sweet and an all round feel good book. I would definitely recommend it to lovers of Night Owls, South of Sunshine and We’re All Made of Molecules!
Something I didn’t like…not a lot, really. I found a few things really obvious and could sometimes guess what was about to happen…and I did think the plot was a little slow in places. I also took a while to understand completely about what was happening to Izzy’s mum, but other than that, I loved it!
My rating is…
☽ ☽ ☽ ☽
4 out of 5 moons
-Beth
I read this book on behalf of The Book Junkies book club, owned and run by me, Emma and Sophie. Emma chose this month’s book and I have to say she did a great job – thank you Em!
If you’d like to see more about what we all thought, stay tuned to find out in a chat post at the end of this month!
The plot…is mostly great! There were a few places when I felt it was going a little slow but mostly I loved it – solid, steady and real. The day-to-day approach really works for this book!
The characters…I love Izzy! She’s just so…normal, a real person. There is no elaborate character building or parts of the book to make Izzy anything more than what she really is – a teenage girl.
The writing…is good. It really suits the book and makes it seem more like a diary than a novel – and therefore you feel extremely close to the main character, Izzy.
Something I liked…the reality of this book. It’s nothing extraordinary and it’s pretty normal, but it has a real charm to it. It’s relatable, sweet and an all round feel good book. I would definitely recommend it to lovers of Night Owls, South of Sunshine and We’re All Made of Molecules!
Something I didn’t like…not a lot, really. I found a few things really obvious and could sometimes guess what was about to happen…and I did think the plot was a little slow in places. I also took a while to understand completely about what was happening to Izzy’s mum, but other than that, I loved it!
My rating is…
☽ ☽ ☽ ☽
4 out of 5 moons
-Beth
March 31, 2013
There's so much going on in this novel that reading it is almost as exhausting as the life the narrator leads. Her mother has an esoteric form of cancer, she's supposed to be preparing her art portfolio for a scholarship jury, her best friend ropes her into working on the school musical, she's being pursued by a really hot boy--or two?, her former best friend wants to be friends again--or does she just have ulterior motives?, her mother wants her to design the decorations and publicity for the school dance, she's the constant butt of jokes regarding her burgeoning breasts...all this in the space of--what--3 weeks? It's too much. Too much for poor Izzy and too much for me.
June 12, 2013
I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, light, and cheesy at times, but it also had deeper undertones.
October 5, 2015
This is a solid 3.5. I didn't connect with this one as much as some of the other books I've read recently, but that might be because it lacks some of the emotion and angst I'm used to. The story is a little more innocent and predictable than some of the recent YA on my radar. Still a good read, though, and full of issues teens will connect with--boy problems, friend problems, sick family members, body image...the list goes on.
May 29, 2015
3.5 stars
After reading some very mixed reviews, I was not sure what to expect...but I quite enjoyed this YA title! Even with some serious subjects covered, this novel made me laugh. The storyline suffers from being a little scattered and sometimes cluttered- like Izzy, our narrator- but overall, Raf's novel is filled with likable and off-kilter characters and lots of charm.
After reading some very mixed reviews, I was not sure what to expect...but I quite enjoyed this YA title! Even with some serious subjects covered, this novel made me laugh. The storyline suffers from being a little scattered and sometimes cluttered- like Izzy, our narrator- but overall, Raf's novel is filled with likable and off-kilter characters and lots of charm.
Read
March 7, 2013This book was equal parts touching and hilarious. I loved the main character, Izzy, who despite lots of stress and problems that at times seem totally overwhelming, manages to keep her sense of humor and rise to the challenges that face her with grace and charm.
wishlist
November 23, 2012Interesting cover, to say the least. You know what the blue skin reminds me of? Skeeter from Doug. :P
September 9, 2012
Teens will love Raf's debut - she's a comedian and she writes of a hypochondriac, busty teen girl with humor and grace. I loved it!
Read
March 5, 2013This book had my laughing from the first page. Out loud. And I didn't stop until the end. You can't help but root for Izzy thoughout the whole book (and laugh with her too!).
December 5, 2017
The symptoms of my insanity is a book about a teen girl named Izzy and her journey through highschool. Izzy if full of wit and wisdom which made this book so interesting to read. It’s like you’ll never want to stop reading it. She goes through troubles with her mom, as her mom won’t see to the fact that Izzy is sick and needs help. But izzy also meets a potential new boyfriend. This causes her anxiety and happiness all at the same time. There’s also a chance to study art in Italy which is very nerve racking. But overall, the book was great and I would recommend it to anyone between the ages of 11 and 17 mainly because children that age would be able to relate to Izzy more and would be more amused by the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2017
I really enjoyed this book and the humourous way it approached a huge range of serious topics, including mental illness, caring for a patent with cancer, and enduring the often toxic social culture of high school. My main complaint would be that the book's major plot twists and revelations were foreshadowed to such an extent that I was often confused during scenes where the truth came out because I assumed the protagonist must already know.
February 13, 2020
It was.. Um... Interesting.. Just not so interesting that I'd want to read it again, and I wouldn't really recommend it all that much. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it. But it didn't give me the "omg i can't put this book down" feeling. It's just full of teenage drama, and yeah, sure, her mom had cancer, but there were no plot-twists or interesting factors that made me want more. It just gave me an odd representation of high school.
May 7, 2020
I liked this book! I thought the main character was a little strange, but it was an understandable sort of strange as the book went on. But she was also really funny and the friendships were very realistic! Overall, very enjoyable, with only a few negatives!
March 2, 2018
I think the fact that I read all but the last thirty pages and then totally forgot about this book speaks for itself.
December 10, 2019
This book is a little predictable and there were almost too many issues, but I actually quite liked reading it. I felt bad for Izzy even if she caused some of her own problems. 3.5 stars.
February 20, 2021
I loved this book. It was compelling, interesting, and dramatic. It was well written.
June 5, 2022
3.5 stars
January 21, 2024
It didnt convince me to keep reading. So I stopped after the first 30 pages.
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