Suicide Notes
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4.2 • 32 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
An unforgettable coming of age novel for fans of 13 Reasons Why, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Don't miss the sequel, Every Star That Falls—available now!
Fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year’s Day to find himself in the hospital—specifically, in the psychiatric ward.
Despite the bandages on his wrists, he’s positive this is all some huge mistake. Jeff is perfectly fine, perfectly normal; not like the other kids in the hospital with him.
But over the course of the next forty-five days, Jeff begins to understand why he ended up here—and realizes he has more in common with the other kids than he thought.
“With a sprinkling of dark humor and a full measure of humanness, Suicide Notes is quirky, surprising, and a riveting read.” —Ellen Hopkins, author of The You I’ve Never Known and Love Lies Beneath
“Like the very best teen novels, Suicide Notes is both classic and edgy, timeless and provocative.” —Brent Hartinger, author of Geography Club
“Makes a powerful emotional impact.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Jeff’s wit and self-discovery are refreshing, poignant, and, at times, laugh-out-loud funny.” —School Library Journal
What do you do when the person you’re lying to most is yourself?
Dark Humor: Jeff's narration is witty, sarcastic, and laugh-out-loud funny, finding absurdity in the darkest of places—like a 45-day stay in the psychiatric ward.An Unforgettable LGBTQ+ Story: A poignant and vital story about coming out and coming to terms with who you are, especially when you feel like you’re the only one.An Honest Look at Teen Depression: A powerful and unflinching exploration of mental health that speaks to the heart of teen angst and the struggle to find your place in the world.Finding Your People: From Alice the arsonist to a boy named Bone, Jeff discovers he has more in common with the other "whack-jobs" in the hospital than he ever could have imagined.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Teens in a psych ward populate a novel that overcomes a predictable beginning to make a powerful emotional impact. Regaining consciousness after an aborted suicide attempt, the 15-year-old narrator thinks his parents have "overreacted" by placing him in a 45-day program in the "nuthouse" ("you know, where they keep the people who have sixteen imaginary friends living in their heads"). Readers might need patience as Jeff, the protagonist, goes through a period of denial, delivering sarcastic answers to his shrink, Dr. Katzrupus (Jeff refers to him as "Cat Poop") and holding himself aloof from the four other patients. But as Jeff begins to form relationships with these teens, Ford's (Alec Baldwin Doesn't Love Me) own strengths emerge: his characterizations run deep, and without too much contrivance the teens' interactions slowly dislodge clues about what triggered Jeff's suicide attempt. That Jeff's recovery depends on realizing and accepting that he's gay isn't explicit until the novel is almost over, that this novel goes beyond gay issues to address broader questions of identity is clear all along. Ages 14 up.
