Life Is But a Dream [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

Brian James gives us a highly unusual charter: an unreliable narrator who's reliable enough that we understand what's going on around her. James doesn't come off as superior or condescending, despite his heroine's youth and illness. While the readers often see what Sabrina can't, I never once felt like she was stupid or badly written because her view (affected by her illness) was so clearly presented. It's an amazing experience to get lost in her beautiful dreams, only to be shaken when they turn to terror or torment. The other characters were frustrating, fascinating, and full of surprises, good and bad. The end was wrapped up a bit quickly and neatly, but the story was paced so that I always wanted to know what happened next. James does a great job handling schizophrenia in the best way it can be handled in fiction: with characters who make the disease real for the reader by being real themselves. I highly recommend this because Sabrina isn't delinquent, a freak, or a product of outdated Freudian analysis: she's a likable, often outwardly normal girl who has a disease that alone she cannot control, but with treatment, may begin to triumph over

The prosaic plot description currently hosted for this book doesn't even begin to do justice to it. There's nothing prosaic about it all. Told from the perspective of Sabrina, who is only just beginning to understand how she is different from others and why, it's a beautiful, deeply moving story. Well written, it flows effortlessly in spite of the complicated subject.

That doesn't mean it's an easy book. While it was an exciting and constantly engaging read, it isn't what I'd call a fun book. This is a pretty dark story, overall, and in many ways sadly realistic - we're not talking Benny & Joon (though that certainly had dark moments, too). There's not really laughter or many "warm cuddlies" here. There were parts where I was literally filled with dread for Sabrina, whose vulnerability is terrifying to observe. James deserves a lot of credit for making her fear and confusion come alive for readers, but organically, without slowing the story down.

This is a Young Adult novel, and while I am an adult (with an appreciation for the genre stretching back to before that was true), I think it will appeal to its audience. Emotionally, it speaks to the parts of readers that feel isolated and misunderstood, that are exploring the balance between conformity and individualism. It will also fire the imagination, as the world of schizophrenia is dramatically presented, and draw on the mind, with thought-provoking issues such as sexual exploitation of the mentally ill. It presents a nuanced world, in which it is not always our enemies but sometimes our best friends who hurt us, and where the institutions we rely on to protect us (parents, school, hospitals) need our assistance if they are to succeed.

For those parents who might be concerned, I do not think the book will be *too* dark for most readers. It is, ultimately, an empowering story, and the sexual elements are not lurid.

I recommend.

First Impressions: I've always been into stories about mental illnesses, so for me Life is But a Dream was a natural selection that I knew I needed to read. I studied schizophrenia a bit in college while I was taking my required psychology courses and I found the subject fascinating. I know, I'm a dork! But it really is interesting stuff. Plus, I like some of Brian James' other books he had written, so I was hoping for a good read.

First 50 Pages: This wasn't a terribly long book, so I'll try to keep my review short and sweet so I don't reveal too many spoilers. It is also by no means, a light and fluffy read. This book deals with some pretty hefty topics that leave you thinking for a while after you have finished. I felt immediately pulled into the story, even though I felt that the pace was a little slow when it comes to action and the sequence of events. Brian James's writing style is great as usual though, which made me want to keep reading. The main character, Sabrina, kept me hooked and I finished this book in just a few hours.

Characters & Plot: The plot centers around Sabrina, who is checked into a mental wellness center because she is different from other people and she sees everything around her with very different eyes. She doesn't think that there is anything wrong with her and neither does Alec, another patient at the center. When she first meets Alec, they bond over their differences and Alec even convinces Sabrina that the world is messed up and everyone but themselves needs to change and adjust, not them. Alec goes even further, with convincing Sabrina that she doesn't need to take her medication, because it will stump her creativity and will make her more "normal." Then things go from bad to worse, as Sabrina's illness becomes life-threatening.

Seeing inside of the mind of a person with schizophrenia was absolutely fascinating and a little bit scary. Sabrina as a character was just amazing to read about. I could understand her fears about losing herself and her identity by getting better, and how hard it was for her that nobody could really understand what her life was like. Brian James also shows us how a mental illness like Sabrina's affects not only the person with the illness, but everyone around her too. Sabrina wasn't the only person dealing with the pain and confusion, her family was as well.

Sabrina doesn't make the best decisions for herself and the people that she loves when she meets Alec, and I'll admit that he downright ticked me off sometimes because he wasn't helping her at all, even though he thought he was. I loved Alec because he was sweet and his intentions were good, but everything he did backfired. I had to remind myself a few times that Alec was sick himself and that these were just two kids trying to fight for what they thought was best for themselves.

Final Thoughts: This was a great read and I found very little in it that I disliked, plus it took hardly any time at all to read which makes it a good book for on the go. If you enjoy books with tough and heavy themes that are thought provoking, or if you are a little weird like I am and enjoy stories about mental illnesses, I would definitely recommend checking out this book!