Review: Crazy by Amy Reed

He’s falling in love—and she’s falling over the edge of sanity. From the author of Beautiful and Clean, a heartwrenching exploration of a romance marred by mental illness.

Connor knows that Izzy will never fall in love with him the way he’s fallen for her. But somehow he’s been let into her crazy, exhilarating world and become her closest confidante. But the closer they get, the more Connor realizes that Izzy’s highs are too high and her lows are too low. And the frenetic energy that makes her shine is starting to push her into a much darker place.

As Izzy’s behavior gets increasingly erratic and self-destructive, Connor gets increasingly desperate to stop her from plummeting. He knows he can’t save her from her pain... but what if no one else can?

My Review:

This book is the first Amy Reed book that I've read, and I really enjoyed it.  It is told in a unique format, which is e-mail format.  Towards the end there are also a few journal entries.  The story kept me turning the pages to see what else would happen in Connor's and Izzy's lives.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

Connor is a really great guy, and he is very caring.  Connor wants to help Izzy, but he also doesn't want her to get mad at him.  He is supportive of her, and he lets her know that he's there if she needs help.  He gets annoyed when she skirts around his questions to avoid answering.  He doesn't really have any friends at school, but during the book, he finds a friend named Jeremy.  He's in love with Izzy, and he doesn't want anything bad to happen to her.  He knows that his therapist mom could probably help her, but he also knows Izzy will be angry if he finds help for her.

Izzy has many problems of her own.  She has bipolar disorder, but she doesn't know this yet.  She experiences many highs and lows.  She goes from feeling depressed to feeling almost too energized.  She doesn't want to admit to Connor that she may need professional help.  Her family has problems too.  Her older brother is in jail.  Her sister, on the other hand, is married and will be having a child.  Izzy has a boyfriend named Trevor who is rather distant from her.  He is in a band, and he'll see her when he's around, but he's really just using her physically.  Izzy could find an emotional relationship in Connor if she realizes he's in love with her. 


The format of this book is unique.  It is told in e-mails, a few instant messages, and a few journal entries.  When a book is told in first person POV, the main characters have thoughts that they keep to themselves that the reader knows.  In e-mail format, the characters are sending each other every word on the pages.  They are putting much emotion and honesty into all their e-mails.  This shows that Connor and Izzy really trust and care about each other.


If you like heavier YA contemporary, read this book.


Katie