A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric LindstromMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley, and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom. I really enjoyed debut author, Eric Lindstrom’s first book, Not If I See You First and his second book nails the fear and anxiety one teen, Mel Hannigan suffers as a result of being diagnosed and living with bipolar disorder. Her aunt has it, her brother “had” it and Mel does not want her friends or the world to know about her mental illness as she grapples with memories, taking meds, and dealing with highs and lows that are bipolar disorder. Lindstrom paints an authentic portrait of a teen haunted by secrets. Mel loves working at The Silver Sands Suites, she caters to each senior lovingly and I especially liked her friendship with retired psychiatrist and resident, Dr. Jordan. He is not Mel’s real doctor, except she sees him as “her real doctor.” It is through this friendship/relationship the reader really learns about bipolar disorder through their conversations – since Mel is busy hiding it from everyone but her family. As she navigates her world of high school, the retirement home, and doctor appointments the reader sees Mel as this normal, sincere girl who has suffered and does not want anyone to know about it. Everyone loves her but doesn’t know the real Mel Hannigan. What if they find out? Will they still like her and want to be her friend? This is a must read about teens, mental illness, and the fears of hiding your true self. Mel Hannigan is someone we all need to know, highly recommended!
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