Book: Waiting for Fitz by Spencer Hyde
Genre: YA Contemporary
Rating: ★ ★ ★
This is the story of Addie and her struggle with really severe OCD. There's a lot in this book that a person struggling with such an ailment will relate too. It sounds overwhelming and hard, that's for sure.
Just a bit after the story opens, she is put into an inpatient psyche ward for kids. There she meets other kids all struggling with different mental health issues. One of them is a dude named Fitz, who she finds very interesting. One of those things is that he gets her crazy and witty sense of humor, because our Addie is quick with the puns and jokes like no other! And Fitz has a comeback to everyone of them!
That was a very fun thing about this book, all the jokes that reference books and movies and pop culture. It made me wonder if all the readers will even catch them. I probably missed a lot myself. But I did catch a lot too. So fun.
So the story continues in the hospital and Addie learns a bit about Fitz, but not everything. She can tell something more is going on with him. After they get to know each other pretty good, he confesses to her that he needs her help to break out. She decides (fairly easily I might add!) what the heck... and helps him. Actually, all the kids end up helping and their teamwork is pretty impressive. :)
The first part of the book inside the hospital was a little slow for me. There's a lot of talk about her OCD and her frustration with how nothing helps and how sometimes she gets sick of people trying to help, even though she knows they have her best interests in mind. A lot of talk about how it is living with it. Like I said, I figure people who suffer with, or deal with people suffering with, these intense things will totally relate.
But the book picked up quite nicely during the breakout and the adventure they have afterward. Except that part is also very sad when we learn more about Fitz and what caused him to want to breakout in the first place and a little more of his back story. So sad.
So while Addie narrates this story and we learn a lot about her, it's more about Fitz and the things he's gone through and going through. There's a lot of profound thoughts scattered throughout that hit me hard and made me think. If I was a book marker upper, I would have marked a lot of things! But it just makes you appreciate your life and how even though we all have struggles, some of us are pretty blessed with the easiness of our life. Know what I mean? And I think we tend to forget that sometimes. So it also made me understand the plight of kids/people with mental illnesses. Ah, it's so hard!
Anyway. I enjoyed it! Slow a bit at first, but really quite engaging that last while. Things aren't too hunky dory at the end either, but that being said, it's a very hopeful look on mental health issues.
Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the opportunity to read and review this book!
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