During her senior year at college, Alice experiences hallucinations and paranoia. She is diagnosed with schizophrenia and placed in a mental hospital, but one of the voices she hears encourages her to escape and live life on the run. This is where the book gets interesting.

The journey of Alice takes the reader into the homeless population, seeing life on the streets through the eyes of the people who live this way on a daily basis. The reader will also experience how the mind of a mentally-ill person views the world around them. It is not always pleasant, but the story of Alice can create a greater understanding and compassion for those who are diagnosed with mental illnesses.

An afternoon read, beach days, or anyone who has ever wondered what life would be like to live with schizophrenia on a daily basis.

The first couple of chapters were a little bizarre for me, and I almost put the book down. I'm glad I didn't, because the plot greatly improves once Alice begins living on the streets and other characters like Faye, Simon, and the homeless boys are introduced.

I could have done without the annoyance of Amelia (one of the voices Alice hears), though I understand why she is such a huge part of the book because of Alice's illness. Still, it seemed as though every time Alice would grasp hope and make some kind of improvement, Amelia would be there to shoot her down with negativity and suicidal thoughts. Realistic, yes, but sometimes frustrating to the reader who was cheering for Alice to recover.

There is a good blend of sadness with hope throughout the book. It made me wish that more people had the compassionate hearts of Faye and Simon, two characters who embrace and accept Alice for who she is, all the while encouraging her recovery.

It is a quick but powerful read with realistic characters, good dialogue, and a fast-paced storyline.

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Created May 29, 2013 at 9:59am • Submit your own review...