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A review by k0nnie
Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
would not recommend.
while suicide notes does a decent job at getting inside the head of a struggling teenager who is admitted to an inpatient hospital after a suicide attempt, there are many noteworthy issues that need to be addressed. as someone who is a mental health professional & works with children/teens who are inpatient, it's very easy to spot the (many many MANY) inaccuracies in the mental health treatment described in the book, as well as the (again, many many MANY) inaccuracies regarding the inpatient facility in which the characters reside. i had multiple problems with this book & the the way the mental health treatment was handled; one problem being the death of a certain character who is also at the facility. however, the rating most definitely dropped due to the multiple overlooked and unacknowledged sexual assault scenes that happened between the main character and another patient in the clinic. these scenes were repetitive, completely non consensual, and unfortunately also used as a device for character growth & queer self-acceptance. the way all of these scenes were overlooked with absolutely no acknowledgment to the fact that they were assault is inexcusable.
books focused on mental health especially books geared towards middle aged & young adults, are so SO beyond important for kids to have access to, however books such as this have the potential to be incredibly dangerous for young and impressionable readers.
if you're searching for a book focused on a queer character or mental health, i would not recommend this book.
while suicide notes does a decent job at getting inside the head of a struggling teenager who is admitted to an inpatient hospital after a suicide attempt, there are many noteworthy issues that need to be addressed. as someone who is a mental health professional & works with children/teens who are inpatient, it's very easy to spot the (many many MANY) inaccuracies in the mental health treatment described in the book, as well as the (again, many many MANY) inaccuracies regarding the inpatient facility in which the characters reside. i had multiple problems with this book & the the way the mental health treatment was handled; one problem being the death of a certain character who is also at the facility. however, the rating most definitely dropped due to the multiple overlooked and unacknowledged sexual assault scenes that happened between the main character and another patient in the clinic. these scenes were repetitive, completely non consensual, and unfortunately also used as a device for character growth & queer self-acceptance. the way all of these scenes were overlooked with absolutely no acknowledgment to the fact that they were assault is inexcusable.
books focused on mental health especially books geared towards middle aged & young adults, are so SO beyond important for kids to have access to, however books such as this have the potential to be incredibly dangerous for young and impressionable readers.
if you're searching for a book focused on a queer character or mental health, i would not recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment