by Brian James
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Published: 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Genre: YA
Hardback: 240 pages
Rating: 5
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.
Brian James calls Life is But a Dream "the most intense book I've written. Bringing this unique character to life and seeing the world through her eyes, with all its beauty and confusion, was an immense challenge that I hope is just as rewarding to read as it was to write." Intense--yes. Unforgettable--definitely.
Zombie sighting:
I shurg as the colored pencil glides easily over the paper. — You know why. They think people spend too much time with stuff like that. — I turn around and roll my eyes up in my head like a zombie and hold my hands up pretending to grab for Kayliegh. — It controls your mind and rots your brains. — I growl and we both crack up laughing.
-chapter 5, page 52
My two-bits:
This was a beautifully told story. It is told from the perspective of a young adult with a mental illness. The protagonist describes surreal scenes juxtaposed against her painful reality that made me empathize with her and her predicament.
* review copy courtesy of author
* part of virtual book event: Night Night
