Review: Turn the World Upside Down by Nyrae Dawn
SYNOPSIS:
They’d have to turn the whole world upside down to understand us…
Hunter Donovan’s temper never used to be a problem. He lived the perfect life with the perfect family before the dark truth came spilling out. Now his dad’s in prison, and after Hunter explodes at school, accidentally hitting a teacher, his mom has him committed.
Hunter doesn’t belong at Better Days. He needs to be stronger, not sent to a well-dressed loony bin. If he’d been better, less selfish, he would have realized something was going on under his own roof. No amount of psychoanalyzing and group therapy can change the past.
But among the bullies, fights, and bad cafeteria food, Hunter meets a group of friends: anxiety-ridden Casey, wild and exciting Rosie, recovering bulimic Bethany, and Stray, a self-harmer who doesn’t think he belongs anywhere. Around this group of misfits, Hunter doesn’t feel so alone and angry anymore.
Still, as he’s making friends and falling in love with Stray, the guilt is always there. If Hunter can’t open up and find a way to deal with what happened, he might fall victim to his mental illness—and he won’t be the only casualty.
REVIEW:
This beautiful, moving, haunting story…I am speechless and not even sure I can articulate how this book was balm for my dark soul. This story is so much more than a young adult novel. It’s a novel for anyone who has ever felt themselves drowning in the sea known as mental illness. This story is the reassurance that you aren’t alone and you are seen.
Poignant, raw, I feel seen, my emotions are frayed, and I just can’t with this story. A rag-tag team of teens, struggling through anxiety, depression, eating-disorders, cutting, anger issues and more, who find solace in their friendship as they work through therapy. To say I was moved would be an understatement. The dynamic characters tackle tough topics in a way that is both brutally honest, but filtered with humor and hope. Nyrae truly captures mental illness in a way that you only know if you have been intimately acquainted with it.
And while friendships and relationships are blooming, these characters are being ripped open and pieced back together in therapy. The story centers around Hunter, who is trying to work through his anger and guilty. Which at times, feels like a tangible, palpable thing. His pain and anguish tore at my heart but his inner strength, determination, and passion had me hugging my Kindle. Then there is his budding relationship with Stray, who stole the show. From his blue hair, to his lost soul, to the marks that cover his body, I wanted to take him into a hug and never let go.
A hug plot twist towards the end of the book turns everything upside down. I wasn’t prepared for that, I don’t think anything could have prepared me for that. It was just a moment of darkness that descended but it also gave these teens the motivation to get their sh*t together. To be better for each other and themselves. As I close the story, I am left feeling so hopeful for these kids future.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
“Sometimes the ones who smile the widest might be the people who need us the most.”
LINKS:
