by Elyn Saks
For anyone who thinks they have a rough life, this book will make you think differently. Saks has written the most powerful book I have ever read, and it happens to be a memoir of her life with one of the most debilitating mental illnesses in existence: schizophrenia.
She doesn't step around anything in her life. When she goes into psychosis, you are right there with her, hearing what she says, knowing what she's thinking, and all of the outrageous behaviors. She gets hospitalized multiple times for it, and to read some of it makes you scared. I know in parts I was scared that something bad was going to happen to her. The most amazing part of it all is that she is able to be functioning. It's an inspirational story, and it's one that will make you think twice about mental illness. If you have a stigma about them, I suggest reading this book, because you'll understand it from their point of view. It's an illness like diabetes or nonterminal cancer. It's there, it might come back, but it's manageable.
This was also the first memoir I've ever read. I had to read it for my Abnormal Psychology class. I didn't think I would like a memoir. It is very different from an autobiography, which is what I thought it would be like. Instead of providing facts and going over everything, Saks sticks to only the parts of her life that relate to her illness. She includes dialogue and conflict, like a novel, and it felt like I was reading a novel. I'm considering to read other memoirs now, maybe Running with Scissors. It's an interesting genre, one I would try if I had an exciting life.
5 stars
Next: Atonement by Ian McEwan
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