The Symptoms of My Insanity Blog Tour

The Symptoms of My Insanity

By: Mindy Raf

Publication Date: April 18, 2013

Summary:

A laugh-out-loud, bittersweet debut full of wit, wisdom, heart, and a hilarious, unforgettable heroine.

When you’re a hypochondriac, there are a million different things that could be wrong with you, but for Izzy, focusing on what could be wrong might be keeping her from dealing with what’s really wrong.

I almost raised my hand, but what would I say? “Mr. Bayer, may I please be excused? I’m not totally positive, but I think I might have cancer.” No way. Then everyone at school would know, and they would treat me differently, and I would be known as “Izzy, that poor girl who diagnosed herself with breast cancer during biology.”

But Izzy’s sense of humor can only get her so far when suddenly her best friend appears to have undergone a personality transplant, her mother’s health takes a turn for the worse, and her beautiful maybe-boyfriend is going all hot and cold. Izzy thinks she’s preparing for the worst-case scenario, but when the worst-case scenario actually hits, it’s a different story altogether—and there’s no tidy list of symptoms to help her through the insanity.

Meet Mindy Raf:

Mindy Raf is a writer, comedy performer, and musician based in Brooklyn, NY. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan, and grew up in a Detroit suburb right around here (visualize someone pointing to the inner part of their thumb). She has written for VH1 and CollegeHumor.com. The Symptoms of My Insanity is her first novel.

You can visit Mindy Raf’s website and follow her on Twitter!

The Symptoms of My Insanity is due out 18th April 2013 from Dial Books for Young Readers.

Don’t forget to head over to the YA Book Central blog and enter for a chance to win 1 of 5 signed finished copies of The Symptoms of My Insanity.

My Review

The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars – If you’re looking for a book with a refreshingly funny, sweet, snarky, and slightly awkward heroine then you must pick up Mindy Raf’s debut.

In The Symptoms of My Insanity we meet Izzy who is an incredibly likable character. She’s got a lot on her plate, her mom has been ill, (she’s become a bit of a hypochondriac because of it) she’s got to get her art portfolio prepared for an opportunity of a lifetime, and her best friend has volunteered her to help with the school play. On top of all that, one of the popular boys suddenly takes an interest in her and she’s not quite sure how to deal with it all.

I have to say that this is another book that tackles quite a few ‘issues’ specifically the issues that teen girls face daily. While it does that, I didn’t feel like it bogged the story down at all. Ultimately it’s about Izzy taking back her life. She’s constantly giving of her time and energy, never focusing on herself and we get to see firsthand how that really is impacting her sanity.

I really enjoyed the humor and the way Raf took these serious topics, specifically teen sexuality and used the wonderful character she created in Izzy to lighten them up but still bring them to the forefront.

Izzy was my favorite thing about this story – like I said above, she wasn’t the perfect heroine – she’s a bit of an art nerd, a bit snarky and her voluptuous body makes her a prime target for teasing.

I’m about to ask Svenya if she feels anything suspicious when I look down and notice the cavernous cleavage I have from the monster-size underwire the Russians have strapped onto me. Holy cow! if one of these ladies dropped her pen right now, my breasts would swallow it whole. I’m like a living, breathing, busty Bermuda Triangle.

It did seem to me though, that some of her voice, the lightheartedness, the snarkiness, seemed to get lost midway through the book, and that is what drew me to her initially so I was a bit disappointed in that.

Overall, I think this was a good read… Izzy won me over and by the end I was feeling a bit insane myself, just experiencing everything she had. If you’re looking for something that tackles some serious topics but does it in a funny and touching way, definitely pick up The Symptoms of My Insanity!

Thank you to Penguin & Dial Books for the advance copy for an honest review.