Via Goodreads Title: Get Well Soon
Author: Julie Halpern
Genre: Young adult
How I got the book: I bought it
Summary (from Goodreads):
Anna Bloom is depressed — so depressed that her parents have committed her to a mental hospital with a bunch of other messed-up teens. Here she meets a roommate with a secret (and a plastic baby), a doctor who focuses way too much on her weight, and a cute, shy boy who just might like her.
But wait! Being trapped in a loony bin isn’t supposed to be about making friends, losing weight, and having a crush, is it?
My Review:
This book was okay.
I decided to read some books I bought forever ago but never read. This was one of those books.
I enjoyed the characters a lot. The story is told in first-person and I think the main character, Anna, is a great narrator. She’s witty, sarcastic, and funny. She tells the story just like it is.
The other characters in the mental hospital are complex and fun to follow around as well. They each have their own problems, their own background. They all have distinct personalities while makes the story easy to keep up with.
The characters, however, was the only aspect of the book I liked.
The main plot was about Anna trying to get through life in the mental hospital surrounded by boys her age as she tries to pick one to fall in love with. She chooses Justin and I love Justin as well, but that’s all she talked about.
She was locked in a mental hospital surrounded by “gorgeous” guys. That’s about it. Also, if I had a quarter for every time she said “fart” I’d be able to quit my job. That got real old, real fast.
I also didn’t like the way the mental hospital was portrayed. I don’t know how they are in real life as I’ve never had an association with them, but the patients weren’t even allowed to smile. Even Anna mentioned, how can they feel better and overcome depression when they can’t be happy?
There were too many rules. No smiling, no dropping their pillow during relaxation (they needed to place it gently down on the ground), no touching others, no talking except during certain times, etc. They never even went outside either. No fresh air at all.
I kept reading mostly because I liked the voice of the characters, but that was all there was to it. I hoped it would get better, but the ending just made me upset. I won’t say too much due to spoilers, but Anna was just so mean to her parents that it made me sad. Then it ended. Just like that.
There is a sequel, but I don’t think I’ll be reading it.
Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern gets 3 out of 5 stars.
Favorite Quote:
“I could understand that Hallmark probably doesn’t make ‘Get Sane Soon’ cards, but still. Was I not well before? Am I well now? Who decides?” –Julie Halpern, Get Well Soon
