Waiting For Fitz


Waiting For Fitz by Spencer Hyde (March 5) Click to Purchase
Overview: Addie is in the hospital for inpatient OCD treatment. She's not thrilled, particularly because her mom might watch The Great British Bake Off without her, but, overall, she's ready to try whatever it takes to get better. And it turns out that most of the orderlies are nice and her fellow patients are great company, especially Fitz, who's been there for two years battling schizophrenia. Inside, she makes major strides toward recovery, but Fitz comes to her and asks for help breaking out. Against her better judgement, she can't refuse to help him. Overall: 4 

Characters: 5 I enjoyed reading from Addie's prospective. I thought that Hyde did an awesome job portraying OCD and the compulsions and obsessions that come with it. Addie is sarcastic and sensible. She has a wonderful, supportive mom and a team behind her that's determined to help. I love how she is both reasonable, and takes time to question her actions, while also being impulsive and adventurous.
Fitz is an interesting character because most stories that feature schizophrenic characters are told from their point of view. Because this is Addie's story, we get a unique view of how his disease improves with medication and takes over when he goes off of them. While Addie doesn't know his experience firsthand, she can empathize, and she does a wonderful job of separating Fitz from the parts of himself he can't control because, in a bit of a different way, she knows what that's like.

Plot: 4 There's a lot of time spent in the hospital recounting normal days and steps toward recovery. I liked seeing that slow evolution and the nuances behind her life, but I know that a lot of readers might feel like get to the point already. But, reflecting back, them running away in the last 60% of the book really doesn't even need to be a part of it. That section is a bit chaotic and sloppy. What I enjoyed most about the book was seeing the formation of friendships and deeper understandings of one another and themselves.

Writing: 4 Addie has a clear voice. She has specific syntax and habits that invite thee reader in to inhabit her mind. I also thought that Hyde did a great job of articulating Addie's compulsions. She has specific rituals and then she has ticks for when she's nervous or excited, and it's written with a familiarity paired with plenty of explanation.

If You Like This Book...
Purchase
A Danger to Herself and Others: Review Here
Made You Up: Review Here

Words On Bathroom Walls: Review Here

Girl In Pieces: Review Here

*This purchase link is an affiliate link. I may receive a small commission at no expense to you.
This is an ARC that I received from the publisher. All opinions are my honest thoughts.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

You'd Be Home By Now by Kathleen Glasgow: YA Book Review

The Woman Destroyed by Simone de Beauvoir: Short Story Collection Review

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar: book review