Suicide Notes

The first thing I noticed about this book was that it was written very well. I loved the style that Michael Thomas Ford wrote this book. It spans over a time period of 45 days. Those 45 days are the time that fifteen-year-old Jeff spends in the Psychiatric Ward of the hospital. The reason he's there?? He tried to kill himself. The reason he tried to kill himself?? You have no idea. This story sounds like it would be super depressing and sad, but here's the thing, it's NOT!! Not at all!! Jeff is sarcastic, witty guy who thinks the four other patients are the crazy ones, not him. He makes up these silly names for the nurses and his shrink. One is Nurse Goody Two-Shoes, real name Nurse Good, Moonie who's name is Nurse Moon, and my all time favorite. Dr. Cat-Poop. Dr. Katzrupus. (Though I think Cat-Poop sounds a bit better!!) From the very beginning Jeff sucks you into his world. One of the best parts about this book however, was that it felt real. It really felt like this was a real person living through all the things he had to do. You follow Jeff from his first day in group therapy with Julie who is in love with Bone, Alice who's the nuttiest of all, and Sadie, the girl who tried to drown herself but was saved by a man named Sam that she now idolizes in a very strange way. As some of the patients end their 45 days or just go crazier then before, you meet a few new people. Some who have a more serious impact on Jeff, like Rankin, the creepy football player, and Martha who never talks except for one time to Jeff. Then there is Squirrel, who is just some weird guy. You do eventually figure out/find out why Jeff tried to kill himself, but before you do you discover so much about him, and about everyone else too. This book was just so good, and so my overall grade has to be an A+!! Anything less just wouldn't do for this particular book!!