mental disorders – Michele Lee

Stop Walking on Eggshells by Randi Kreger & Paul Mason

ISBN: 9781572246904

I borrowed this book.

Borderline Personality Disorder is a complex, difficult to deal with and highly undiagnosed mental disease. While the idea of the unstable girlfriend or boyfriend is common enough to be a comedy (and horror) stereotype, this book explores a very real disorder that might be behind the actions. And unlike many books on the topic, it focuses on the supporters, caretakers, or those who have been scarred by the actions of a BPD person.

This book is very clear, easy to read and includes a ton of resources for those struggling to handle the seemingly manipulative and contradictory (and sometimes outright dangerous) behavior of a BPD-afflicted person. Referrals to other books or related topics, online communities and loaded with anecdotes this book is a support itself, and practically screams “We understand. You are not alone.” (Which those struggling sometimes need desperately to hear.)

It’s not perfect, as it focuses more on identifying and explaining behaviors and the anecdotes mostly center on displaying situational BPD behavior, not on the coping side of the book. But it is a handy, comprehensive addition to mental health libraries or a useful guide for those trying to handle the effects of BPD. In fact this is an excellent place to start in a quest to both understand and recover from the damages that this emotionally crippling disease can cause.

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October 7

Fallout by Ellen Hopkins

This review is part of MonsterLibrarian.com’s celebration of Banned Books Week. You can read all our reviews here.

Margaret K. McElderry, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1416950097
Available: New and Used

In Fallout, the third book in the series that started with Crank, centered on meth addict Kristina Snow, Hopkins moves on to show the effect Kristina’s selfish ways still have on her children, and covers a wide spectrum of emotional and psychological problems. Fallout is told through three narrators: Hunter, Kristina’s first child, born of rape and trying to deal with rage; Autumn, who struggles with OCD and turns to alcohol to get her through a major life change; and Summer, who is unaware that she has siblings, and has been raised by a series of abusive foster homes and her own addict father.

Fallout is raw, as can be expected from Hopkins, sharp and yet beautiful as well. Hopkins manages to bring new sympathy to the subject, even to characters readers are already familiar with and have started to hate. While the full scope of the story would be missed if readers started the series here, this is the book that will most call to the loved one or friend struggling to support (or justify not supporting) an addict. Highly recommended.

Contains: drug use, sex, language

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September 28

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

This review is part of MonsterLibrarian.com’s celebration of Banned Books Week. You can read all our reviews here.

McElderry; 1st Simon Pulse edition, 2008
ISBN-13: 978-1416903574
Available: New and Used

Floored, that’s how readers will feel even when they are only part of the way into this breathtaking tale of three teens admitted to a mental care center after each has attempted suicide. While the book is large, 666 pages, it’s written in poetry form, so it’s a fast read. The terrible story of how these three kids, who should be enjoying the last years of high school, ended up where they are, is boiled down to terse, powerful, images that will leave readers feeling scarred.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It puts adults into the head space of serious teen suffering and offers teens a real, honest look at how addiction, parasitic relationships and mental disorders (like depression and bipolar disorder) work, washing it all with a message of sympathy and solidarity. There are an increasing number of books out there designed to help parents and teens understand and cope with the big, very real, problems that they face. But none that I’ve read have been as real as Impulse. It skips the clinical approach altogether and puts the reader directly into the characters’ heads, slowly revealing their lives, even as they themselves face up to the significance of things. Few books are must-reads in the large scope of fiction, but for teens and even parents suffering from or seeking to support someone who struggles with these issues, Impulse is a must-read. Nothing else crosses the barrier between “normal” and not with such strength and odd beauty. Impulse simply should be available in all public collections.

Contains: references to sex, addiction, self mutilation, suicide, language

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