ISBN: 978-0399-550-911
Adam has recently started attending a private Catholic high school after an episode of self-harm related to his struggles with schizophrenia. He navigates academics, extracurricular activities, friendships, and relationships, just like any teenager. However, on top of those daily issues, he also rides the ups and downs of his medication and deals with delusions of a cast of characters only he can see and hear. Framed as a series of letters to his psychiatrist, Words on Bathroom Walls is a powerful novel that takes a refreshingly real and frank look at mental illness.
The wonderful thing about Words on Bathroom Walls is the respect with which Walton treats her characters, particularly Adam. While his hallucinations symptoms of his mental illness are major issues in the book, the character is dynamic and full-bodied. He is not reduced to his condition. Instead, he is sweet, thoughtful, an accomplished chef, and has a gift for memorizing. He is thoroughly authentic, honest, and believable.
The setting of Words on Bathroom Walls is Adam's conservative Catholic high school, which prompts expectations of fitting in and the image of preppy students who participate in rumors and cliques. These factors highlight Adam's challenges with his schizophrenia. In addition, Adam attends regular sessions with his psychiatrist, but he refuses to speak. During those sessions, Adam may seem stubborn and rude, but his musings on paper reveal a tenderness and vulnerability that wins over the reader.
The theme of this young adult novel is tolerance and understanding. The title relates to two messages in graffiti that Adam finds on a stall door: "Jesus loves you." "Don't be a homo." Adam observes the contradictory nature of these phrases, and he sees a connection to his life. For instance, people may grieve the loss of life to gun violence, and then immediately wish for the death of someone with mental illness.
The chapter about Sandy Hook nearly made me cry. Adam finds himself in the difficult territory of feeling some semblance of sympathy for the killer. He understands the feeling of losing control of one's own mind and hearing voices that aren't really there. This chapter was truly heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. It made me think about how society and the media discuss perpetrators of mass shootings and the connections to mental instability.
Adam also confronts the misunderstanding of mental illness, as compared with physical conditions and diseases. We sympathize with and want to help people with cancer, because "cancer is sexy," in Adam's words. While we may sympathize with those dealing with mental illness, and we may feel sorry for them, these good intentions are tempered by a fear of those same people. In turn, many decide to just keep their distance, rather than try to help.
While the content of Words on Bathroom Walls is heavy and serious, Walton masterfully integrates humor, love, and realism. She provides insight into the heart and mind of someone struggling with mental illness, challenging the related stigmas. The tone of the book is touching without being cheesy.
Julia Walton may have some familial connection to someone with mental illness. It seems that she treats her characters, and particularly Adam, with great care and respect. For further reading, see An Interview with Julia Walton. Her book seems to be well-researched and thoughtful. It could likely comfort someone who has been through similar experiences and encourage them to talk to a doctor or therapist.
An ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book and a recipient of a starred review from Publishers Weekly, Words on Bathroom Walls is an accessible and important portrayal of mental illness from the perspective of a relateable teen.
As a connection, students could read Flowers for Algernon and engage in a discussion about the parallels with Words on Bathroom Walls. The format of statistics and lab documentation, the questions of ethics and morality, the use of experimental medications, and the treatment of people with mental illness are present in both texts and could spawn a fascinating conversation. High school students could read both texts and write a blog post or create a book talk video with connections between the books.
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