Heartbreaking and raw. This is a book that will stay with me. A true tale of how mental illness can destroy a family. Tim suffers from schizophrenia and stabs his mother to death in a psychotic state. This memoir takes you on a journey of a family trying to recover from such a heart wrenching crime.

Sending a sincere thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a very well written memoir about a most difficult subject. The strength that it took the author to complete this book is amazing. It finally gave him the opportunity to do what his mother thought he could do all along - be an author. Deeply troubling material, but worth the read.

𝑰 𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑻𝒊𝒎’𝒔 𝒑𝒔𝒚𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒔, 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒐 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅.

Vince Granata’s mother was murdered at the hands of his mentally ill brother, this is a brutal fact, but what makes this memoir important for society and keeps it from sensationalizing his family’s tragedy, is the exploration of what brought them to this point. We read the headlines, horrified, make assumptions but most people never go much further than judgement. Claudia Granata was a victim of her son’s psychosis but that doesn’t tell the story of everything that became before and after. That doesn’t inform anyone that Tim, too, was a victim of his own psychosis. Such headlines seem to exist in a manner that erases the dedicated, loving mother who did everything she could to keep her son’s world safe. Yes, Claudia was a highly educated medical doctor, as is her surviving husband Attilio, but even with their means and education their son’s illness couldn’t be managed, and they did try. The day before her death, she spoke to a therapist who warned her to make her son feel safe and ‘be wary’. Their fear was that he would harm himself, as he had threatened to before when the noise in his head became too much to bear. Sadly, she couldn’t have imagined what was coming.

Vince writes about the signs they all neglected to see far earlier than his illness began presenting, and his shame at missed opportunities as a big brother and son. Just as any of us would rake over our own fears of guilt in the aftermath of tragedy, he attempts to pinpoint the pivotal moment when one step in the right direction could have changed the outcome. By sharing his brother Tim’s mental decline, it may well help other families going through similar struggles. The reality is, there is so much we do not understand about mental illness in all its forms, especially schizophrenia, which in Tim’s case went unchecked. What can be done when a patient refuses their meds, because they think they don’t need them, because that’s how the disease presents itself? You think you’re fine, better, cured. What is a person to do who lives each day with a distorted reality? We don’t think about how our perception, yes all of us, creates our world- it’s easier to draw a line from the ‘healthy’ and the ‘ill’ instead of thinking we could ever have any commonalities. All of us base our reality on what our inner voice tells us, what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears, we just happen to have the clear functioning, for the most part, of measuring ourselves against others, which keeps us grounded. How differently would we behave, think, feel if we had voices howling at us that someone has abused us, or were demons? How would we react during hallucinations others don’t see but are real for us? Even if it presents in less threatening ways, the fact remains the such illnesses push the patient further away from others, even distrusting our own devoted, worried mothers. Much of the time others push those coping with mental illness away to the fringes of our world, out of fear or ignorance of the condition. Is it really a shock that isolation feels like the only safe haven? It is often in self isolation that the disease grows stronger, overtaking what grasp on reality still remains. Loved ones best efforts sometimes aren’t enough, it’s truly being between a rock and a hard place if a patient is an adult. You cannot force treatment, and the illness can cause paranoia, distrust of even those who truly have nothing but your best interest at heart. Vince’s memoir is not intended as medical research but aside from the patient themselves, who better than those who have been witness to the slow creep of the disease to give testimony?

Granata knows that mental illness still has a stigma, and that we can’t move forward shaming people who carry the burden of the disease. Why are we kinder to people who have visible illnesses? Why don’t we, as a society, understand that mental illness, though complicated and not fully understood, is not any more shameful than any other disease? Even people with the best resources, medical education are lost at sea in trying to help their loved one learn how to treat and manage their mental illness. With memories and stories of Tim we see him not as the monster his horrific act (while suffering psychosis, we must keep in mind) makes him appear to be but as a beloved son and brother who had athletic gifts and promise of his own. I read this as a mother would, there was never a point Claudia gave up. How do you arrive at justice in such a case, when everyone loses? This is not the future she wanted for her son, nor can anyone imagine she would want to see him demonized for the horrors of that ill fated day. What about the healing, how does Vince’s family and yes, Tim included, move forward from here? How does Vince remember the beautiful woman his mother was without the savagery of her final moments poisoning the past? It’s a question he had to ask himself. He cannot honor his mother’s memory without shedding light on who his brother Tim really is when not in the grips of psychosis because he was her heart as much as Vince and his siblings. I don’t have enough words to describe how much this memoir touched me. I know I drone on in this review, but that’s how moving I found it to be, and very relatable. My own son was diagnosed with autism at a young age and anything that’s ‘different’ changes how people treat you, I saw this first hand, even when people try to fit in. It is a daily struggle for him more than any of us. I also understand the scope of a mother’s love, the reach of her heart, her fears and hopes and that she is willing to sacrifice anything to help her children. I think of how my own grandmother had to navigate her son’s schizophrenia, he never stayed on his meds for long past release from hospitalizations. It affected the entire makeup of the family, it could just as easily be a story that could have happened to them. Today there have been more advances, but not leaps. Family has front row seats to the constant fight, it is a helpless, heartbreaking feeling. Vince’s brother was a collegiate heavyweight wrestler, but his fiercest opponent has been his own mind. Vince’s story does not minimize the enormity of Tim’s act, but it’s not a simple case. This memoir is about family bonds, grief, the realities and struggles of mental health, and tragedy but most of all it about about love and forgiveness. I don’t believe the description of Claudia’s end will be what remains with me, but the vision of a loving mother playing the piano to calm the storm in her son’s mind. Yes read it!

Publication Date: April 27, 2021

Atria Books

Vince Granata's memoir will leave you spellbound when you read it. "Everything is Fine" tells the poignant, painfully, seeringly honest story of what it's like to have a brother diagnosed with schizophrenia and who one day stabs their mother to death because of psychosis which convinced him of the truth of things not real.

Tim was one of a set of triplets who grew to be a champion high school wrestler with a truly normal childhood. But Tim lost his grip on reality during college years, convinced with paranoid delusions that demons were after him. The family did everything imaginable to support their increasingly irrational family member. Vince as the older brother relates the sense of guilt he retains as he details all the signs of madness and the fear of violence. Indeed, his guilt that he was gone out of the country at the critical moment unable to cope with Tim anymore.

Then, the memoir offers us glimpses of Tim's trial and the odd position Vince and the others felt with torn loyalties to mom or the brother who murdered her though not rational enough to be considered responsible. We learn how Vince continues to visit Tim and you hear the frustration at the system which failed to provide for those who suffer from psychosis.

It is near impossible to convey accurately what a powerful piece of writing this memoir is.

This is the author's heartbreaking telling about how his mother was killed by his mentally ill brother. It is very compassionately written and the way he comes to terms dealing with his loss is inspiring.

This is truly the best memoir I have ever read. Heartbreaking and moving story of a family dealing with the devastating aftermath of a son murdering his mother due to schizophrenia. Vince is the oldest of four children in the Granata family and he chronicles the family’s story. While the family knows Tim is suffering from mental illness, they never believed he could commit such a heinous crime against their mother. As Vince tries to survive the aftermath of this tragedy he begins visiting his brother on a regular basis to try to understand how this happened. Moving, emotional memoir that should not be missed.

A deeply gripping memoir of a family struggle with serious mental health issues that ultimately leads to horrific tragedy. It is a difficult read only in content, and you need to read it in parts. A true story of family and what it means to love in the most challenging of circumstances. Grateful for the early read from NetGalley.

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

This is a really powerful book.

Vince Granata’s mother was brutally murdered by her son, Vince’s brother Tim. It happened around 2015.
Tim however was/is schizophrenic and delusional.

This book is the story of how Tim devolved from a fun, sensitive, “normal” child into a man fallen victim to his disease. It’s a scary descent.

I believe this is Vince’s first novel but it is expertly constructed and written in a way that you just can’t put it down. Vince brings himself and his brother to life in the pages. It feels like I’m there - which makes the tragedy even more poignant and scary.

I’m sure the writing of this book was somewhat of a catharsis for Vince, but it’s also one of the best novels I’ve read that humanizes the person and vilifies the disease. It’s heartbreaking, petrifying and downright disturbing in a few parts but, in the end, your left with a sense of compassion for every single person in the book.

#netgalley #everythingisfine

This was a very powerful memoir. It recounts how Vince Granata deals with the murder of his mother by his schizophrenic younger brother. It is well written and very moving. Thanks to the publisher for the digital ARC.

Yes, there will be tears reading this story and what is so special about the sharing of this grief is the poignancy, hope, keen insightfulness and awareness that reminds us of what remains of our humanity. Vince Granata inserts delicate and seemingly forgettable moments that pull the reader into his memories as if you are there sitting at the family’s kitchen table with the dogs sniffing at fallen table scraps. It feels odd to write that it was a beautiful read given this harrowing recounting of Granata’s brother while under psychosis killing their mother, but it did feel like such an honorable and touching tribute to their mother, family, friends and community to still remember the joys and strive for understanding while being true to themselves. For all the pain that occurred, the family is a testament to the capacity of gratitude and love. What an arc Granata takes us through from dissecting what do experiences become before a death to the processing of violence to the work of acceptance to be able to come out of the other side.

Wow. I'm heartbroken. This book is real. I mean I know it's real but it feels so real. I felt like I was there in the kitchen the day of the killing, and felt all of the raw emotions that came with it. It definitely opened my eyes up more about mental illness and schizophrenia.

What an incredibly candid and raw novel! When I read the synopsis for Vince Granata’s memoir Everything is Fine, I knew I had to read it. Vince’s beloved mother was brutally killed by his brother who was schizophrenic. Her death shook Vince and his family to their core and this novel delves into the day it all went wrong, but also all of events that lead to that horrific day. Vince does a great job honoring his mom and her legacy and at the same time shedding light on mental illness and psychosis and how his brothers schizophrenia manifested. I learned a lot about schizophrenia and the difficult decisions families are forced to make. Vince also talks about how the healthcare system is fractured and fails patients and their desperate loved ones. My heart broke for the entire Granata family and I know Vince sharing his own pain will help so many people who have someone close to them that are struggling too. Everything is Fine is a novel that stays with you— I highly recommend everyone read this book.

Everything Is Fine by Vince Granata is one of those books that touched me on so many levels but also one I will likely never reread.

I want to elaborate just a moment on my initial comment. This is a very good book and I am the type of reader that will often reread a book. But the pain that accompanied the reading is one I won't likely revisit. That not only speaks volumes to how powerful the account is but even more to how difficult this had to have been for Granata to write. He not only had to revisit the traumatic event, he had to spend the time with the details to find the right words to convey everything. And he chose very well. While this may have been therapeutic for him that does not mean it was not tremendously painful also.

I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in true, compassionate accounts of mental illness and the effects on both the sufferer and family members. The recovery of Tim's childhood allows both a glimpse at the small things that make up the larger picture and an opportunity to see this tragedy on a very personal level.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

This is a heartbreaking story of a mother killed by one of her sons, Tim who suffers from a mental illness . It is a difficult story to read, especially if you are very close to someone suffering mentally. It shows how difficult it can be for the family who suffer too.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Everything Is Fine by Vince Granata is a very engrossing, raw, real, and vulnerable personal memoir and telling of the author's own experiences that kept me reading well into late evening.

This is the author's own story of his life experiences involving the tragic death of his own mother by his younger brother whom was dealing with paranoid schizophrenia. The events that the author presents is so haunting, stunning, heartbreaking, and eye-opening that it must be told. The author's ability to bring all of these personal experiences into light is an important issue that is needed. Bringing forth more exposure to mental illness as a whole and how it not only affects the person, but their family and loved ones, is an issue that needs more attention and direction.

I am forever changed by reading the author's personal story and am glad that he was able to share it with us.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Atria Books for this arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is heartbreaking, horrifying, and very important. Vince Granata tells his story well. His brother's descent into schizophrenia is fascinating and scary. Its importance is great in today's world of misunderstood mental illness.

Everything is Fine by Vince Granada


This book is heartbreaking! It is about the true story of a loving mother of 4 that is murdered by the hands of one of her own sons. Vince is the oldest son and the author of this book. Tim is the younger son who suffers from a mental illness known as paranoia schizophrenia. This book is so well written and based on memories Vince had from early childhood through the terrible murder of his mother and his brother Tim’s trial.

It’s a vivid look into the lives of those living with someone who suffers from a serious mental health issue. Vince describes with deep emotion and love for each family member the hardship they endured. There is mention of suicide, fear, confusion, frustration, anger, embarrassment, sadness, love and forgiveness throughout. Vince shares his family’s struggles living with a family member who suffers from mental illness. It also reflects on how broken our systems are in treating and guiding such individuals through psychotic episodes.

This memoir will stay with me forever! I feel as though I’ve experienced all the trauma and grief with this family. However I know their pain is so much more. Excellent memoir that I hope brings peace and healing to Vince and the Granada family!

I highly recommend this book!!

Special thanks to @netgalley and @atriabooks for sharing this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is an honest, poignant story describing a journey through mental illness. Vince learns to live with the memory of his mother while learning to forgive his brother.

This was such a heartbreaking story but I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read it. I felt it was so important to read to learn and understand more about mental illness and it’s effects on the individual and their family. You can really see who the brother is apart from his mental illness which I think is so important because so often we only see the illness of someone. This was really such an important story and I’d recommend it to every.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced ebook copy.