MixedThe Boston GlobeThe novel contains familiar pleasures — a scavenger-hunt like mystery that unfolds around a sweet-but-possibly doomed romance; clever banter; a binding friendship that only two oddballs can find with one another; and fascinating facts that become potent metaphors. In addition, he creates an arresting portrait of mental illness that could, earnestly, change lives. But the novel’s balance is off. While the portions of the book devoted to the lived experience of mental illness feel vibrant and vital, the surrounding John Greeny pleasures of plot and character are left underdeveloped ... Relating the tale from Aza’s point of view allows Green to show us how it feels to be at the mercy of unbidden thoughts...Green’s writing is uncomfortably, gut-clenchingly transporting ... Unfortunately, the book fails to depict anything else with equivalent depth. Sometimes it feels as if this is a byproduct of having a protagonist as obsessively self-reflective as Aza ... Green’s muddy plotting could easily be overlooked if Aza’s relationships were as vivid and believable as her illness. Sadly, all the characters other than Aza are underdeveloped.
