Devante is reeling with grief and hopelessness after the murder of Monica. His parents check him into the Harrison School, a therapeutic school in Chicago. His path crosses with Janina, a girl who has spent four years at Harrison who thinks she'll never be normal or leave. Dr. Gail Thomas goes to Harrison for a second chance after facing a rough road. Dr. Lutkin is trying to keep the school functional.
The four character's life and healing are intertwined as the story unfolds. ( )

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book and it didn't immediately grab me, but by page 20 or so I became hooked. Told through alternating perspectives, this story follows two young patients in a mental illness facility for youth, a promising med student, and the director of the facility. Each of their voices help flesh out this small contained world of confusion, pain, and hope. Devante is admitted after he tries to commit suicide for being unable to deal with the death of his close friend. Janina has been a resident for four years and is extra sensitive and hard on herself. Gail is unsure if she's in the right career, but she knows that she has to help people as a promise to her brother. Finally Dr. Lutkin has to find a way to keep his residents safe from big companies that threaten to take over his home and turn it into a hospital with unsavory methods. The perspectives are told in letters, thoughts, and journal entries, and really offer a fresh look at what it's like to have a mental illness; the stigma, fear, and confusion are hard to bear. A wonderful novel for teens and adults alike.

I received this book for free from the author in return for my honest, unbiased opinion. ( )