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Clark’s sensitive depiction ensures that even readers with no personal experience of disorders like Charley’s will find the character and her struggles relatable. The story can have a bit of a whipsaw effect: Charley goes back and forth between the inpatient and outpatient parts of her life, though that technique invites reflection of the often-messy multiple identities we adopt to suit the people around us, sometimes at the cost of our own mental health.
Charley’s story serves as a lesson that we can thrive in spite of our struggles, though it’s not a journey without struggle or sacrifice. The climax, involving a music competition, finds Charley facing her anxiety and even uniting her inside and outside lives. A love of music and the power of friendship help her find happiness and self-worth in this pointedly messy story.
Takeaway: An intimate, touchingly messy story of mental health, anxiety, and a young woman’s love of friends and music.
Great for fans of: Adib Khorram’s Darius the Great is Not Okay, Stephen Chbosky ‘s The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B