Samantha Schutz

After going away to college and finding the independence she desired difficult to handle, the author begins to suffer from incapacitating anxiety attacks that change everything she had planned.

I Don't Want to be Crazy

Jessica 

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | This is a rewrite of a review I had posted on my old book blog in 2007/2008. 

So, I'll be upfront and spill a little truth here: even though everybody says to never judge a book by its cover, I may have judged this one. Just a tiny bit. Only a little bit, I promise! It's just so pretty. And I'm happy I did, because after reading the likes of various anonymous diaries and everything that was, at the time, published by Ellen Hopkins, this was the perfect edition to my then-taste. 

What I loved about this novel is that it was true -- Samantha Schutz lived this and I'm glad she shared it all with us. Her memoir tells us the tale of leaving home and taking that first step towards independence we all crave as young adults. It's brutally honest and reminds us that with freedom, comes a cost.

And it isn't all sunshine and daisies to step into the role of an adult.

We follow her through her college years -- the stress of it all takes a toll on her and we touch base with her struggles with anxiety. Something I can relate to on a very high level. And the thing is, about her writing, is she captures it all so perfectly and those who suffer similarly can connect with her story very easily. 

It is also the perfect novel to give to someone who doesn't quite understand what it's like to live a day in the life of someone who suffers greatly from anxiety. I'd like to think this is something that could help them understand -- even if only for a moment -- what it feels like. I Don't Want To Be Crazy captures the truth of it all and is a very, very important read.

marissa 

Elissa Bowe LeBeau

A harrowing, remarkable poetry memoir about one girl's struggle with anxiety disorder. This is a true story of growing up, breaking down, and coming to grips with a psychological disorder. When Samantha Schutz first left home for college, she was excited by the possibilities -- freedom from parents, freedom from a boyfriend who was reckless with her affections, freedom from the person she was supposed to be. At first, she revelled in the independence. . . but as pressures increased, she began to suffer anxiety attacks that would leave her mentally shaken and physically incapacitated. Thus began a hard road of discovery and coping, powerfully rendered in this poetry memoir.

I Don't Want to be Crazy

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