Review: Crazy

Crazy by Han Nolan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fifteen year-old Jason is dealing with the loss of his mother, and taking care of his father, who is mentally unfit to take care of him. In dealing with loss and mental illness, Jason must find a way to deal with his father, school, and nosey friends, without getting separated from his father.

Crazy is not the book that I was expecting to read. I love the idea of a story about the challenges faced by families and friends of those with mental illness; however, this story was not able to captivate me the way it should have. 

Jason's character is unreliable and unreasonable. He knows deep down that his father needs help, and does not try and find it for him. Instead he decides to hide the fact that his father needs help and ignores any help his friends try to give him. Jason is a child, taking care of another child, or so it seems.

This story had so many opportunities to show exactly what families go through in these situations. I have dealt with a similar experience, and this book did not provide the emotions that emanate from those situations. 


There was a moment in the book that I felt was a good representation. Specifically, the moment when Jason finally finds his dad at home after he has disappeared. This was the only moment in the book that I felt was sincere, and did not feel forced. It is difficult to deal with a family member that disappears, but that sense of relief that washes over you once they are found, it leaves you breathless.