These aspects of the novel, woven so deftly into the story, drive home the little-discussed fact that mental illness affects all of our lives, whether directly or at a remove. The tender moments with his gran are a pertinent reminder that Alzheimer’s doesn’t just extinguish memories but can also submerge your sense of self and capacity of independence. This is not an ‘issues’ book, although the gritty, emotionally raw descriptions of Mike finding himself trapped in ‘loops’ in which he washes his hands until he bleeds, and worrying that one day the only way to escape would be to kill himself, certainly put paid to the idea that OCD is a gentle, quirky fetish for neatness (I’m sure you know plenty of people like this). One of the wonders of Patrick Ness’s tight writing is that none of the disparate strands of the story felt superfluous, in the sense that nothing in real life is ever superfluous – they are simply things which happen. His difficult relationship with a mother who aspires to high office felt honest and subtle I found his anxiety that he is the least wanted member of his friendship group sympathetic and universally relatable.
I loved his wry sense of humour (he says some of his neighbours find Fox News a bit “too liberal”) and fierce sense of protection for both Melinda and his younger sister, Meredith. Mike himself suffers from crippling anxiety and OCD. Mike’s dad is an alcoholic Mel is anorexic and almost died when the illness was at its worst.
Mike has a lot more on his plate than most people, as we swiftly learn: his mum is planning to run for state governor – against Jared’s likeable dad. The story opens with graduation prom just three weeks away, the four friends revising for their finals, and Mike wrestling with his complex and ambiguous feelings for Henna (and Jared).
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