This week's picks are, of course, psychology-related to fit with Psychtember!
Crazy by Amy Reed
"Connor knows that Izzy will never fall in love with him the way he’s fallen for her. But somehow he’s been let into her crazy, exhilarating world and become her closest confidante. But the closer they get, the more Connor realizes that Izzy’s highs are too high and her lows are too low. And the frenetic energy that makes her shine is starting to push her into a much darker place. As Izzy’s behavior gets increasingly erratic and self-destructive, Connor gets increasingly desperate to stop her from plummeting. He knows he can’t save her from her pain… but what if no one else can?"
This one sounds like it's about bipolar disorder, which is nice to see because it doesn't seem to pop up that much in YA. The author described it as "part research project, part character study, and part love letter" in the interview I recently did with her. I'm interested to see how Izzy's mental health issues affect their relationship!
Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony, illustrated by Rodrigo Corral
"Glory is a young piano prodigy. Frank is the boy who moves in next door. Over the years, their friendship blossoms into an undeniable romance. As Glory descends from stunning piano prodigy into a kind of madness, Frank's love becomes more and more unshakable. They both become hopelessly fixated on the song "Chopsticks".
Part love story, part mystery, part visual collage, this novel is told through images as much as it's told through words. Ultimately the reader must decipher what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along.
Richly imagined by author Jessica Anthony and hauntingly designed by Rodrigo Corral, Chopsticks will rivet teens and adults alike on numerous platforms, including a gorgeous book and paid app for the iPhone and iPad, with many additional features."
This book sounds very different! I'd like to know more about Glory's "madness" and I'm wondering how the combination of images and words will affect the reading experience.
What books are you waiting for?
I *think* I've heard of Chopsticks before but Amy Reed's Crazy is a new one to me. Great contemporary choices!
ReplyDeleteThese both sound really interesting! I love the look at psychological disorders, and the multimedia of Chopsticks! I've seen several pubs going that way lately. I wonder if it will stick.
ReplyDeleteChopsticks definitely sounds interesting, especially because you're left to decide what's real and what's not. Crazy sounds like a good one too! Great picks :).
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of both of these! I want to see how bipolar disorder is portrayed in a book and especially the images in Chopsticks. I'm thinking maybe a sort of visual interpretation of Glory's descent into madness? At first glance I imagine schizophrenia. Really looking forward to them both!
ReplyDeleteI was about to mention that both of these books are about falling into madness but you mentioned that above. I'd heard of the first but not the second. Both books sound incredible. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love both these picks! I'm very eagerly awaiting Chopsticks, it sounds brilliant and I think the addition of images will really add to the novel. Crazy is new to me and sounds really good, I'm definitely adding this to my wishlist!
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of Chopsticks, looks like it's going to be a good one. I am loving this new trend in YA lately with images being used to help tell the story!
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