Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.
I’m not sure how this book turned out to be a feel good story. Nothing during the reading of it suggested it would be that way except, maybe, for the fact that it’s a Young Adult novel. I find, more often than not, Young Adult goes the feel-good route instead of soul-crushing route.
Now, there was one twist in this book that shook me to my
core and nearly made me cry. I had to put it down and process it for a minute
before I could continue.
The two main characters, Alex and Miles, are very strong and
well developed. Made You Up gives you an interesting take on mental health and
high school. There is a really weird side plot with the principal which ends up
being an important plot point in the end, but I just thought it was really
strange an unnecessary.
Overall, this book was really easy to get through. It doesn’t
take long to read, and the characters are likeable. If you’re looking for a
lighter read (with difficult topics) I would recommend it. Be warned, it will
make you question everything that you know while reading it.
4/5 Stars
