Stop Pretending

Stop Pretending: 

What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy

Poetry

Author: Sonya Sones

Publisher: HarperTeen

Copyright: 2001

Suddenly I'm running, stumbling,

Sister's demons chasing after, 

leering, laughing,

right behind me

lurching at my heels

remind me:

I could have been the one.

Run, sister, run!

This is the poignant, autobiographical story of one young girl's struggle with the realities of her sister's mental illness.  When Cookie's sister suddenly has a nervous breakdown and is committed to a psychiatric hospital, young Cookie is left without her big sister to contemplate the fear of losing her own sanity.  Told in verse, this collection of poems explores the variety of emotions experienced by family members of those who struggle with mental illness.  It faces the ideas of guilt, shame, fear, hopelessness, hope, and more.  Winner of multiple awards, this short book would be a good choice for reluctant readers.  This collection of poems is a great discussion starter for how society sees and deals with mental illness.  It could easily be incorporated into psychology courses or other classes where such issues are addressed.  I recommend this emotional read. 

Related Links:  

• Book Profile on Goodreads.com - This social media site contains more reviews by readers and information on the author.
• Sonya Sones - This is the author's official web page.  It has a lot of different resources, including a video tour of her writing room, narrated by the author herself.  The site gives a good idea of what her reading and writing processes are like.
• An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness -  A riveting adult memoir by Kay Redfield Jamison about her experiences with bi-polar disorder.  This book helped me to have a much better understanding of this mental illness.  It is a worthwhile read.