A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

Title: A Blue So Dark


Author: Holly Schindler


Publisher: Flux

Publication Date: May 1, 2010


Pages: 288

From Goodreads:

Fifteen-year-old Aura Ambrose has been hiding a secret. Her mother, a talented artist and art teacher, is slowly being consumed by schizophrenia, and Aura has been her sole caretaker ever since Aura's dad left them. Convinced that "creative" equals crazy, Aura shuns her own artistic talent. But as her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet draws Aura toward the depths of her imagination. Just as desperation threatens to swallow her whole, Aura discovers that art, love, and family are profoundly linked—and together may offer an escape from her fears.

***

It’s not often I read a book that truly, achingly touches my heart and leaves me thinking about it for days after I finish reading it. However, A Blue So Dark completely fits into this category.

Right from the start I felt Aura’s pain and anguish as she deals with her mom’s condition while still trying to maintain some semblance of a normal life. I can’t imagine being a teenager and having to watch my mom slowly slip away like that. And to think that I could be headed down that same path as well? Completely unimaginable.

I really liked the passages at the beginning of every chapter. At first they were fairly scientific and I thought they were from a medical journal, but then I realized they were Aura’s thoughts and feelings. I think this described Aura’s character even more in depth, and I honestly felt her pain like I was going through the same things as well. For an author to do that is truly incredible. Holly did such a phenomenal job developing Aura’s character and it was so beautifully written.

While I do not have any personal experiences with schizophrenia, my adopted brother is bi-polar and it is a terrible illness to have. He could be laughing and talking one minute and then completely angry and violent the next. While it is hard for me to handle, I can’t imagine the effect it has on my dad and stepmom. Having experience with this, I am so glad that Holly Schindler tackled the topic of mental illness when few others are brave enough to do so. I think it is an extremely important topic to talk about and should not be considered taboo or socially unacceptable. Major kudos to you Holly!

Bonus! At the end of the book was an interview with Holly that I really enjoyed. I loved how she kept pushing to get A Blue So Dark published even after it kept getting denied. This is too powerful of a book to not be out on the shelves!

If you have not read A Blue So Dark yet, you need to immediately. Seriously. Like right now. And with that, I’ll end this with my favorite quote from the book: “Did you know that butterflies carry dreams on their wings?”

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