i can't even begin to explain how much i relate to this book and is it bad that i can relate so well since it's basically about this rich, spoilt, messed-up kid who doesn't actually have much reason to be messed-up? these days i'm starting to reflect on my thoughts and deeds in secondary school and i find many things disturbing ... and the worst is that creepy stalkin' is the least of it

every time i read books about mental illnesses like wintergirls and forgive me leonard peacock and please ignore vera dietz etc, i start doubting just how helpful these works of fiction are. i mean, the author probably wrote it because they think that their teen readers can relate and realise that there're people out there who can provide you support, be it tangible or intangible, but just writing about some guy / girl going through all this stuff ...... isn't it er you know a teensy bit triggering?

i firmly believe that if you want honest, live book reviews and reactions, you go on tumblr. so i did. and realised that i'm not alone in thinking so (sadly).

when people write stuff they usually follow the storyline curve that we were all taught in pri school - the one that's shaped like a hill and the maxima is what we would label the climax or turning point of the story - right? everything after the climax - that's all right because it encourages and empowers the reader. it shows that there's hope after all, that even if illnesses of the mind and heart can't be cured, life can still be managed effectively. but in the front part of the book when the author is all depressed and shit and he/she keeps mentioning just how worthless they are and how tiring and wholly unnecessary living (or eating) is sometimes the author is a little too persuasive and i'm so afraid that there might be others who'd read all this and do something stupid to themselves because they want to believe all those stuff so badly and - presto! - all the evidence is served on a golden platter in the form of a sicklit book. wowza!

i'm not saying that such books should not be written. i actually enjoy reading these books because there's always a happy turn somewhere and i'm able to distance myself from what the narrator is saying because i don't suffer from any mental illnesses myself. but i just think that it's dangerous material in the hands of a messed up kid :c especially if they only read the front, depressing part and for whatever reasons don't continue through the turning point

ok back to reading hehehe

Labels: books, i belong to the asylum, i'm just weird