I had very high expectations for My Kind of Crazy… Probably because the blurb marked it as a book that was great for fans of contemporary YA by the likes of John Green, Jennifer Niven, and Rainbow Rowell (three of my favorite YA novelists).
Unfortunately I didn’t love this one as much as I had hoped I would. I think that’s mostly due to the fact that it’s very crass – there’s plenty of coarse language, and some imagery I could definitely have done without (think “Boobie Barn” and you’ll be on the right track). I, personally, just can’t really abide books that contain those sorts of things. I don’t think a narrator needs to cuss and have semi-explicit thoughts in order to be an accurate caricature of an average american teenager. Maybe that’s me being naive, but it’s just something I could do without in my YA books. After all, YA is written for Young Adults, and I know I wouldn’t want my teen reading something that justifies or glorifies bad language or indecent thoughts/actions in young people.
The reason this book is getting 3.5 stars from me is because I think the story itself was very well-thought-out. I liked the characters, enjoyed the twists and turns, and was wholly sucked into the delusions and illusions hidden away in every chapter. This book deals fairly well with a variety of hot-button and delicate topics – from physical abuse, mental instability, pyromania, and fractured families. I think those are all issues that teens should learn more about, and that would resonate well with an audience that doesn’t see themselves portrayed accurately in literature (especially YA lit) often enough.
But I just couldn’t look past the crassness, and therefore feel uncomfortable giving this a four or five star rating. I am sure, without a doubt, that many will disagree with me and rave over this book, and I would not be surprised to see it on many “Best of 2016” lists at the end of the year, but for me, this book fell short of the mark just enough to make it one I probably won’t be revisiting.
This book will be released on April 5th, 2016. I was given an Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars