Review: A Blue so Dark by Holly Schindler

 

A Blue so Dark by Holly Schindler 

Terrified that her mother, a schizophrenic and an artist, is a mirror that reflects her own future, sixteen-year-old Aura struggles with her overwhelming desires to both chase artistic pursuits and keep madness at bay.

As her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet keeps drawing Aura toward the depths of her own imagination—the shadows of make-believe that she finds frighteningly similar to her mother’s hallucinations.

Convinced that creative equals crazy, Aura shuns her art, and her life unravels in the process.

Book links to The Book Depository and photo and teaser from Goodreads
Published in US:  May 1st 2010
Standalone novel


**My rating: 4/5**


*My review*


     A Blue so Dark is a very powerful and emotional book about a teenager caring for her schizophrenic mother.
     Aura, the main character has a wonderful voice that is easy to read even when the subject material is difficult. The quotes at the top of each chapter make me laugh even while giving an insight into the life. It is hard to watch her keep her promise to her mom to keep her off meds, and struggle with her belief that art is a contributing factor to the disease.
     This book does not have the happiest of endings, but it does resolve the plot, and it gives a realistic outcome. It is a wonderfully written ending, and it is brighter than the rest of the book, but when I say happiest- I guess that some people will expect that there is a break-through cure and that everything ends up completely tied up with Aura and her mom. That is not realistic, and neither is Holly's ending. In my opinion though, that is a major plus to this book.
     I devoured this book, and I loved that Aura is a strong main character, the point of view and support that her best friend brought, the character of Nell, and how she fit into their life, that although Aura probably should have gotten outside help for her mom sooner, she tried to keep her promise and she knew her limits. I love the hint of romance with Jeremy in this book, and that though it was there, it did not overshadow the plot, rather it gave Aura something to look forward to and a semblance of a teenager's "normal" life. I enjoyed that Holly put in Aura's poems, and that they were beautifully written.
     This book will not be for everyone, but if you like edgy books, those that realistically address illness, then this book will be for you!


   I would love to hear what you think of my review and/or this book.