Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern

Release Date: Available Now from Square Fish

Source: Personal Collection

Synopsis:

Hello Mental Patients!

I got a better look at some of my fellow patients in this freak hole, and they all look pretty close to my age. They come up to the check-in desk to get pills. After they take them, the desk people look in their mouths to make sure they’ve swallowed. It’s like something out of The Twilight Zone. Are they going to do that to me?

Anna Bloom is depressed—so depressed that her parents have committed her to a mental hospital with a bunch of other messed-up teens. Here, she meets a roommate with a secret (and a plastic baby), a doctor who focuses way too much on her weight, and a cute, shy boy who just might like her. But wait! Being trapped in a loony bin isn’t supposed to be about making friends, losing weight, and having a crush, is it?

What a fantastic read! When I first picked it up, I think I was worried that it would be really depressing, but it was in no way depressing. It was actually a real moving and hopeful read that I couldn't put down once I started it.

I'm a big fan of Girl, Interrupted, both the book and the movie and this had elements of that story. Anna is an amazing character. I think most teens at some time in their lives feel like Anna does. She's depressed, self-conscious, and hates the world. But when she's faced with other kids who are feeling just the same way, she finds some kindred spirits who one way or another give each other hope for the future. Anna goes from hating the hospital to being afraid to leave and the reader gets to experience all of these emotions as if we are feeling them ourselves.

This book was just a joy to read. It's got a wonderful message and it made me feel like I wasn't a total freak when I was in high school. It's always nice to know that other people went through the same emotional roller coaster as you did. There is hope and Get Well Soon offers a big piece of it.