Gr 9 Up–This sequel to Get Well Soon (Feiwel & Friends, 2007) begins minutes after the first book ends. Anna Bloom has just returned home after spending three weeks at a mental hospital for depression. The first book detailed her time in the hospital and was written as letters from Anna to her best friend, Tracy. This book is narrated by Anna. She tells what happens as she returns to school and discusses the family dynamics as her parents’ marriage falls apart. Readers finally get to meet Tracy as well as Anna’s other school friends. Anna is nervous about how everyone will treat her now that she has a history. Her return to school ends up being a nonevent. She has lost weight during her hospitalization, and as the story unfolds, her worry and panic attacks begin to subside. She really does heal and learn to accept herself and the flaws of her family members and friends. This book stands alone as the many references to Anna’s stay in the psych ward and the people she met there are well explained. The teen is honest about her feelings and uses strong and raw language to express herself. Her voice can be annoying with her constant complaining about her condition and the way her parents handle her problems and theirs, so this novel is not for everyone. However, there will be an audience of teen girls who clamor for stories about characters with issues like Anna’s.–Elizabeth Kahn, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Jefferson, LA
Anna, who spent three weeks in a mental hospital being treated for depression in Get Well Soon, is headed back to her "real" life of high school, friendships, and an increasingly uneasy family situation. Negotiating her pre- and post-treatment selves proves to be a challenge Anna is entirely up to. Anna's snarky voice offsets serious subject matter in this humorous recovery tale.
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