*****
To
say that this story of a bipolar man, the people he loves and the
people who love him, resonated with me would be an understatement. When
R. Cooper wrote this story she created something so beautiful and
poetically, painfully, accurate.
As someone who is bipolar, I understood Alex. The author captured with such clarity the shame that comes with not being able to control yourself. The feelings of self-loathing and unworthiness. The guilt of feeling like a burden. The way that death seems like the only way to free not only yourself but the people you feel would be better off without you.
The most poignant aspect of this story was the way Alex learns to have faith in the fact that he is loved by Everett and his family. This is something that does not come easily. That faith is something that is fought for and for Alex and every bipolar person the battle is quite literally life and death.
The author painted a gorgeous and hopeful portrait of a love and mental illness. Everett's love for Alex was patient and strong. I appreciated the honest way that the author also portrayed the pain that does comes with loving someone who's mentally ill. It's not easy. Everett's pain at having been pushed away romantically time and time again by Alex was visceral and so very real. But what was also real was how Everett loved every part of Alex; the good, the bad, the beautiful and the not-so-beautiful.
The love that Alex had for Everett was just as strong because it was that love that helped Alex strive to be well. He loved Everett enough to face his fear. Alex's fear was that if he took his medication, ridding himself of his mania, that it would rid him of the creativity that was such an integral part of who he was. Alex asked himself the question that so many bipolar people ask themselves: "If I take these pills will I still be me?"
The way this story ended was like a beacon of light to me. It gave me hope. There is always a fear that comes with mental illness, a fear that no one will ever want you because you think you're damaged. This story gave me hope that there is someone for everyone, that there are people out there who can see past the stigma to the beautiful and brilliant people that are deserving of love. There are people out there who know that even though someone may be mentally ill they still have a wealth of love to give in return.
Please, please read this story because it is a story that rarely gets told, and R. Cooper has told it so perfectly, so exquisitely that it had me in tears. To say I recommend would be putting it lightly.
As someone who is bipolar, I understood Alex. The author captured with such clarity the shame that comes with not being able to control yourself. The feelings of self-loathing and unworthiness. The guilt of feeling like a burden. The way that death seems like the only way to free not only yourself but the people you feel would be better off without you.
The most poignant aspect of this story was the way Alex learns to have faith in the fact that he is loved by Everett and his family. This is something that does not come easily. That faith is something that is fought for and for Alex and every bipolar person the battle is quite literally life and death.
The author painted a gorgeous and hopeful portrait of a love and mental illness. Everett's love for Alex was patient and strong. I appreciated the honest way that the author also portrayed the pain that does comes with loving someone who's mentally ill. It's not easy. Everett's pain at having been pushed away romantically time and time again by Alex was visceral and so very real. But what was also real was how Everett loved every part of Alex; the good, the bad, the beautiful and the not-so-beautiful.
The love that Alex had for Everett was just as strong because it was that love that helped Alex strive to be well. He loved Everett enough to face his fear. Alex's fear was that if he took his medication, ridding himself of his mania, that it would rid him of the creativity that was such an integral part of who he was. Alex asked himself the question that so many bipolar people ask themselves: "If I take these pills will I still be me?"
The way this story ended was like a beacon of light to me. It gave me hope. There is always a fear that comes with mental illness, a fear that no one will ever want you because you think you're damaged. This story gave me hope that there is someone for everyone, that there are people out there who can see past the stigma to the beautiful and brilliant people that are deserving of love. There are people out there who know that even though someone may be mentally ill they still have a wealth of love to give in return.
Please, please read this story because it is a story that rarely gets told, and R. Cooper has told it so perfectly, so exquisitely that it had me in tears. To say I recommend would be putting it lightly.
One of my favorite reads of last year. Just absolutely beautifully written. Brava to R. Cooper.
ReplyDeleteSo amazing. :)
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