Tag Archives: Schizophrenia

Resonance by Chris Dolley

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Synopsis:
Graham Smith notices that his world shifts every now and again, but when a sexy woman claiming to be a psychic tells him that he’s at the nexus of a vast conspiracy, he has to break from routine and maybe just save the universe.

Review:
I picked up Resonance as a free e-book with no idea what to expect. It was quite a head trip and a very fun ride. Chris Dolley did a great job of keeping the plot moving while still allowing for some wonderfully wonky digressions. And the love story really sucked me in–it wasn’t just perfunctory. This book really snuck up on me and I have to say I really enjoyed it.

Try to Remember by Iris Gomez

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Synopsis:
When her father’s behavior begins to deteriorate, Colombian immigrant Gabriela tries to hold her family together as best she can.

Review:
Try to Remember has a lot going for it. Gabi is an appealing protagonist caught in a intense situation, afraid that her father’s increasingly erratic behavior will get them all deported. Iris Gomez’s sharp observations of culture and psychology didn’t go unnoticed by, even though ultimately I never totally engaged with this story. I kind of feel guilty that I got bored with it, because the writing is so strong and the subject matter so dramatic, but I did. I’m sorry…

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

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Synopsis:
A young woman discovers that she is cursed to go mad on the birth of her first child unless she can complete three impossible tasks.

Review:
Woven from the lyrics of the ballad Scarborough Fair, made famous by Simon and Garfunkel, Impossible successfully places a fairy tale in the context of modern life without sacrificing any magic at all.

Lucy Scarborough was raised by foster parents after her mother, Miranda, went mad on Lucy’s birth. Now Lucy finds herself pregnant at 17, and discovers a diary kept by Miranda during her pregnancy claiming that unless Lucy can complete the tasks named in the ballad, Lucy will go mad when her own daughter is born. Lucy chooses to believe, and sets out to weave a seamless shirt with no needles, find an acre of land between the saltwater and the sea strand, and plow it with one grain of corn using a goat’s horn. In the backdrop lurks the figure of the Elfin King, who seems to rule over Lucy’s plight, though she does not know yet exactly how.

I tore through this book. It’s fast paced, romantic, magical, and skillfully plotted. I’m not always a fan of updated fairy tales but this one really worked, I think because Werlin didn’t try to make it too contemporary. There was just enough realism for me to connect with the characters, and just enough magic for me to buy the premise.

The Minotaur by Barbara Vine

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Synopsis:
Hired to be an au pair to a schizophrenic man, a Swedish girl watches as interfamilial tensions come to a boiling point, with deadly results.

Review:
Barbara Vine (the alter ego of best-selling crime novelist Ruth Rendell) has carved out a niche as deft portrayer of tightly interwoven groups of people who are all set to go poof! in spectacular and surprising ways. The Minotaur concerns a family that revolves itself around the supposed schizophrenia of the only son and heir to the family fortune. His four sisters are dowdy spinsters, save the youngest who has her own fortune and therefore the ability to come and go as she pleases. Kerstin, the narrator, is a young Swedish woman hired to care for John, but she ends up functioning as a witness as John takes a stand towards autonomy that causes the deterioration of the family. Continue reading →

The Keeper by Sarah Langan

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Synopsis:
In a rotting-down town in nowheresville Maine, a woman with a broken mind haunts the minds of the inhabitants, tormenting their dreams and leading them to make deadly choices.

Review:
I picked The Keeper up after reading about it on SciFi Wire, but I have to say I was disappointed. The writing is assured, and Langan demonstrates considerable ability in bringing the reader inside the characters’ heads. She’s also not afraid of going for the gore, and some of her imagery will be sticking with me for quite some time. Continue reading →

Diagnosis: Schizophrenia by Rachel Miller & Susan E. Mason

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Synopsis:
A look at schizophrenia through first person accounts by 35 people diagnosed with the disease, along with advice and recommendations from several clinicians and doctors.

Review:
This book is designed primarily to be comforting and encouraging for someone with schizophrenia. The first person accounts in Diagnosis: Schizophrenia demystify the illness and give honest answers to questions like “What if I don’t like my medication?” and “How will my family treat me?” I am writing something about schizophrenia and this book will be incredibly useful.