Photo Credit: Goodreads
I received this book from TLC Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Mind Without a Home
Kristina tells her own story of alcohol addiction and schizophrenia living/diagnosis. It’s disjointed in parts, but it’s supposed to be an echo of how Kristina’s life feels as someone who has schizophrenia.
I could not put this book down. For the first 3/4 of the memoir, I was so hooked. Kristina gives insight into her disorder in a way that I haven’t seen before and she’s very honest. She also describes her family life, her battles with alcohol, and her many visits to mental institutions.
When I reached the 3/4 mark of the book, though, my interest lagged a little. I’m not exactly sure why, but I do have some ideas. Maybe Kristina’s story became more disjointed and harder to keep up with. Maybe I was “over” the way the story was written by that point. I’m not exactly sure.
No matter the reason of why I thought the book lagged at the end, it’s still one I would recommend.
Kristina gives readers an inside look into her life with schizophrenia, in a way that reminds you that individuals with mental illness are human and struggle to maintain a sense of normalcy. It’s hard not to be touched by this book.
Are you a fan of books on psychological issues?
Interested in getting your own copy? Check out the publisher’s website: Hazelden.
Related Post: A fictional tale of mental illness, Leave of Absence by Tanya J. Peterson
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I couldn’t finish this book 😦 The way she kept changing tenses between past and present for no reason and the disjointedness of her storytelling drove me crazy. I get that it’s about living with schizophrenia, but I didn’t feel like I really learned anything about the mental illness, which was disappointing. Her experience was interesting, but there weren’t enough actual facts for me. I gave up on this book around where you started losing interest. Thanks for the balanced review 🙂
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Maybe if the book was written in a less-disjointed way, or had some of the stories excluded, the book would have flowed better throughout.
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sounds very interesting. thanks for the giveaway!
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You’re welcome! Good luck, Emma! 🙂
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Book sounds fascinating.to see into someone’s mind
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It is! It’s a unique book and I like that we get a close insight into how Kristina’s diagnosis progressed.
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This book sounds really interesting. Although the writing style sounds a bit frustrating, I am going to have to give it a try.
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It only frustrated me at the end. I raced through the first 3/4 of the book, and then slowed down near the end.
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I’m always interested in books about mental illness, this one sounds fascinating. Alright. Maybe I like them because they make me feel less crazy… But still.
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Haha! I like them, too, because I think they humanize the person and remind you that there is a PERSON who has a mental illness – not a “crazy person”
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I can tell that this would be an interesting read for me. I do find the topic interesting, and although I studied Business Information Systems, my first choice was always Psychology. Too bad it’s not open for me to enter, but I will keep this book in mind. Maybe I’ll just go and add it onto my goodreads list NOW, so that I won’t forget about it. Thanks Rebecca, for the review.
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Psychology is soooo interesting! I wish the books could be sent your way, too, but it’s just expensive to ship internationally!
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My review posts tomorrow, but I had some trouble pushing forward somewhere in the middle. Kind of picked up for me again at the end, though. I thought this was a much more realistic portrayal of schizophrenia than anything I’d read/seen before.
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You might enjoy Tanya J. Peterson’s Leave of Absence. I reviewed it, too, and so did Leah @ Books Speak Volumes.
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I usually love books like this. I’ve read a few lately that have all been about depression which is fine but it gets a little…depressing. Schizophrenia is such a unique mental illness. I find it fascinating.
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It does seem fascinating! I enjoy reading about mental illness, or anything that is foreign to me. I like when books remind you that the person behind the story is a person.
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I am Bi-Polar and always find reading about mental illness interesting.
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Then you might enjoy this one! I think we all need reminders that a mental illness is only a small piece of a person, but it can still take over someone’s life as they struggle to control it.
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Pingback: Kristina Morgan, author of Mind Without a Home, on tour October 2013 | TLC Book Tours
“individuals with mental illness are human and struggle to maintain a sense of normalcy” – this is a lesson we all need to learn and not forget!
Thanks for being on the tour.
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I think it’s so easy to make a judgment about someone in general and we sometimes completely forget that there is a person there first.
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That stinks that it kind of fell off towards the end of the book. I hate when that happens! You get all excited for nothing 😉
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Yeah, but I RACED through the majority of it, so all in all, it was a good read.
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