There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

I had a hard time with this book, but it is definitely a case of "it's me, not you." I knew it was going to be a hard hitting read from the synopsis, but I wasn't prepared for how hard I was hit. I don't generally enjoy depictions of recreational drug use (particularly among young people) and added with the exploration of mental health, it just hit very close to home for me personally. This made The Form of Things Unknown, Natalie, and Lucas very memorable for me and I will definitely be looking for more from Robin Bridges in the future. 3.5 out of 5 wine glasses.

I'm still conflicted on how I feel about this book. I want to love it because it discusses mental health and mental illness in an open, objective, and normal way.

Pros: I like how schizophrenia and Luca's past were discussed openly. I love anything set in the south. It's a personal bias/preference because it is familiar to me. The setting details were great. I loved all of the descriptions, especially the theatre. Every scene with Caitlyn and all the sweet moments between Nat and Lucas.

Cons: I didn't like the abrupt ending, I don't like the reveal, and I did not like how shitty her friends were.

Would I buy a hard copy of this book for myself ? Probably. For the sole reason that I believe in books that create an open discussion of mental illness and mental health.

Extremely popular book at work. Happy to recommend to patrons.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Although not officially stated anywhere, this is the companion novel to Dreaming of Antigone. Natalie has moved away from Athens to Savannah, GA, and has joined a summer theater program. This story takes place after an incident that put her in a mental institution and her family had to move to take care of Natalie's schizophrenic grandmother.

The story itself isn't too bad, but I feel like there wasn't enough development there. I feel like I blinked my eyes and then suddenly two characters that were barely having any chemistry were groping each other. The paranormal storyline was strange too and then seemed too outlandish to have happened like it did in the first place. I really like Natalie as a character, but feel she deserved better. Her story could have been better.

a fascinating and original collection of ideas and storytelling.

Wow, I really loved everything that this book set about to do, and it did them all very well.

Natalie Roman is our first person PoV character. Very early on, we understand that she has just come out of White Oaks, a psych ward after her disastrous trip on ecstasy, a drug that was given to her by her ex-boyfriend, Caleb, who was then jailed.

In the aftermath of all this, Natalie moves to a new school where she makes new friends, including Starla and Raina. However, she soon sees Lucas there. He is someone who was in White Oaks with her. At the start, she tries to deny any sense of attraction to him, telling herself that it isn't a good idea for either of them to hook up given their recent past. This becomes especially true when Natalie feels like she doesn't have absolute controls on the hallucinations that sent her to White Oaks in the first place.

This is where we get to the gaslighting part of the story. Although real life very rarely ends with such a complete and satisfying tie up as was given in this novel, it's YA and a book, so different rules apply. I actually found it really refreshing and hope inspiring to have the gaslighting plot tied up so nicely by the end of this. The importance of a plot line where someone deliberately sets about to undermine another's sense of sanity is so important given the prevalence of emotional abuse that often doesn't get talked about.