I really enjoyed this book. It tells the story of the author's experience in a mental institution for two years during the 1960s. She does a nice job of recalling people and stories and sharing thoughts on mental illness. I decided to start it as a bookring.

Here's to order so far:

Shawnna (Tennessee)
Valerief (NY)
day-zee (Canada)
Mihi (Vienna, Austria)
Annet74 (Netherlands)
nut(Ireland)
Anthonybairdis (UK)<---traveling to here
Vamperstein8782 (UK)
Mochagirl (Australia)
charliana (Australia)

There may be one or two people added to the ring, but I will keep updating here.

Please make sure to do the following:

1) Please journal when you receive the book.
2) Try and pass the book along within 30 days.
3) PM the next bookcrosser in line for her/his addy before you finish reading so the book can be sent as soon as you're done.
4) If you are next in line and will not be able to finish the book in 30 days, let me know and we can most likely change the order of the ray.
5) Journal when you send the book.
6) Enjoy.

This book is on its way to Shawnna to start off the bookring. Enjoy.

This book is on its way to Shawnna to start off the bookring. Enjoy.

Thanks Shawnna. I have a couple to read and pass on ahead of this, but I should get to this by the end of February.

Having seen the movie several years ago before reading the book, I expected more of an account of the goings-on at the mental institution, both for Susanna and her cohorts. It seems that the movie took some license in order to provide more of a cinematographically palatable story. However, I do appreciate her insight into her diagnosis and treatment. It seems that adolescent angst was dismissively treated the same way that today's young children are diagnosed and medicated for ADHD, without much deliberation and consideration for their best interest. Having never experienced this type of hospitalization except through accounts from friends, it does seem that Susanna's experience was relatively calm and uneventful, despite her loss of freedom. As fast of a read as this was, I would not have minded additional exploration of her and others' experience at Belmont and after.

This is travelling to day-zee today.

Woot! I got it I got it!

Just finishing up a short novel, and will get to this one immediately after I'm done. I don't know too much about the story, except that I need to read it, so we'll see how it goes :)

Thanks everyone for keeping it going!

Just finished this one this morning.

I found this book not that great, but I didn't NOT like it. (did that make sense?) I really enjoyed the first three quarters of it, as we meet and get to know her hospital mates, and nurses;

but then all of a sudden without any explaination, the importance ofchronology was lost, we were no longer looking in at the hospital but looking out through Susanna's head, and as a reader you get only two brief summaries of what happened to the others.

I like the writing of the last quarter when she does more explaining than telling, but I think it just came too early. In my opinion, this book isn't finished. There HAS to be so much more to say about a life halting experience like that.

(btw-if there was an option to rate this 6 1/2 instead of 6, that would be more my rating. I liked it; I just couldn't give it a 7.

I'll PM mihi right away to get an address to pass this on to.
Thanks again for sharing everyone!

Arrived in my mailbox today, thanks for sending

Actually I enjoyed this book too. It quite dragged me into the world of a seventeen year old girl with a borderline personality.

Writing Annet74 today to receive her address soon (didn't think i would finish it that quickly).

Woops, forgot to register this book when I received it.
I have already read it.
Excellent book! Really intelligent writing.
I will contact the next person on the list.

A very fast read - I had it read before I'd journalled that I'd got it.

Like valerief, I found it quite different to the film, though you can see where they got the events in the film from. And, like day-zee, I found the sudden jump to recovered disconcerting.

I liked her discussion of her symptoms at the end, especially when she pointed out that her self-image was just fine, it was her parents' and teachers' which were out of whack with reality.

Next address is requested.

Went into the post on Saturday.

Received in the post a few days ago. I have just started another bookring book, so I will start this one as soon as I have finished that.