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Jan 02, 2018SurreyLibraries_Teens rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton, is a great book in which its conflict and characters overshadows its familiar story. This book stars a schizophrenic teen named Adam who goes to St. Agatha’s High School, where he meets a girl named Maya, whom he saved from drowning and starts a relationship with. Adam doesn’t want to reveal his mental illness to Maya, because he’s scared that secret would hurt her relationship with him, and tries to cover it up. First, what I dislike about the book is that its story has been similar to what has been done before, with the protagonist wanting to keep a secret from close ones at all costs. However, I liked the drive behind it: Adam just wants to be known as a normal kid. I like that Adam himself is a complex, but likeable character; he likes making people happy and does noble deeds, but he makes mistakes from time to time as well. The conflict Adam has with himself, over keeping his mental illness a secret is well-written and the people Adam hallucinates and interacts with as a symbol throughout the book represent Adam’s thoughts and feelings, adding to the conflict. The side-conflict Adam and his friends have with the antagonist, Ian, is interesting as well, with his ulterior motives being revealed through actions and hidden meanings in his words. I recommend this book to anyone willing to overlook the formulaic story to be hooked by the character drama. - A.M. -----------------------------------------------------------------