katreadsalot's review against another edition
3.0
This is an interesting non-fiction book about mental illness and its effects on those around people who are mentally ill, which is a topic society often likes to bury. This was a very difficult read for me due to the subject matter. If you like books that are "heartrending," then it is definitely worth reading.
india_g's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
girl_vampirka's review
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
It was very interesting but sad
miiimmm's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Good as a audiobook! Would have loved to get more information about the scientific progress.
beelzebean's review
This was well written but difficult to read. The many descriptions of physical violence, sexual abuse, and a few instances of violent animal killings were very difficult to stomach.
I was also a little disappointed that the book didn't seem to help dispel stigma around mental illness. It didn't show that much has improved as far as medical help goes either, which isn't exactly the fault of the author. The research Kolker details IS very interesting though.
I read an article that said that Kolker spent some time interviewing every living member of the Galvin family to write this book. It's admirable that they were willing to take part in schizophrenia research and having their story told. I hope the family benefited somehow by the popularity of this book.
I was also a little disappointed that the book didn't seem to help dispel stigma around mental illness. It didn't show that much has improved as far as medical help goes either, which isn't exactly the fault of the author. The research Kolker details IS very interesting though.
I read an article that said that Kolker spent some time interviewing every living member of the Galvin family to write this book. It's admirable that they were willing to take part in schizophrenia research and having their story told. I hope the family benefited somehow by the popularity of this book.