Heya bookworms!
So I had been in a bit of a reading slump lately, and I had tons of holiday homework to do. But thankfully, an awesome friend and a good book were here to pull me through it.
And that lovely books is Mind Riot by Ken Bagnis.
I was provided an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank You so much to Reuts Publication for giving me this opportunity.
Song Rec- Paralysed by NF
Rating- ✨✨✨✨
Goodreads Description-
Salem Scott has one goal for his post-junior year summer vacation—carefree days spent jamming with his band. Too bad those plans are about to crash and burn, right into the side of his crush’s house. Now, he’s on the hook for the repairs, and instead of playing with his band, he’s stuck volunteering in a private mental institution. Armed with an ugly yellow sweater and BFF Jace, Salem braves his new job. But getting up close and personal with the patients forces him to confront demons he’s not ready to face. And when the band kicks him to the curb for missing rehearsals, he’s left teetering on the brink. Only, he understands this darkness better now, and accepting it as part of him lets him see he’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime. He’ll form a new band, with the hospital’s motley crew of characters. His job just turned into the greatest summer of all time.
Hopeful and fun, Mind Riot explores the angst of being painfully hipster in small-town America, the pain of functional depression, and what happens when kids who are “too cool for feels” are dropped into a reality where emotions are too loud to ignore.
MY REVIEW
Mind Riot is a heartwarming, occasionally disturbing and wholesome read that everyone needs to have on their TBR.
THEMES- Something that I really appreciated about the writing was how it discussed mental health and trauma in a very respectfull and digestible way. They were handled with the right sensitivity and I really appreciated that because it does talk about some triggering topics.
CHARACTERS- The characters have a realness to them. Our main protagonist, Salem Scott, is a clever, (a lot of the times depressed) 17 year old just trying to make the most of his last year's of high school.
He is just a funny, really intuitive and just a likeable, wonderful main character to go along with.
His story arc was really well done, because at the end of this book he had a better understanding of himself and learns to express his emotions.
WRITING- The author does a really good job of balancing really sensitive and touching topics with humour in any places. The perfect mix of loaded humour and highly comical scenes with really insightful exploration of mental health.
Dealing with mental health takes compassion and deep insight into the topic. It also sheds light on the stigma that people have to face when they are struggling, and it is a book just as much for adults as it is for teens.
It is a well-paced novel with a multigenerational appeal, so overall I would like to say that I highly recommend this read, especially for children and their parents to read together.
Let’s Chat!
So that was it for today. Tank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to tell your thoughts in the comments. What are some mental health-rep reads you would recommend?
Hope you have a great rest of your day!
Until next time,
Bye!