Running for My Life

Gonzalez, Ann. 2009. Running for My Life. Westside Books. 237 pages.

My body knows which days I meet with my therapist even when my head tries to forget.

There is so much more to Running for My Life than I was expecting. I think the fault was mine. Our heroine, our narrator, is a young teen girl Andrea McKane (14) suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Her mother is currently hospitalized for her schizophrenia. Andrea is seeing a therapist--though she's unable to speak or communicate most of the time--and she's trying to move on with her life. But the nightmares aren't going away, and her fears are only increasing as she learns that her mother may be released soon. True, the medication is supposed to be helping her mother. They don't feel she is a threat to herself or to others. But Andrea has a feeling that isn't quite right. In her visits with her mother, she is overwhelmed by the past. And her mother's words...aren't reassuring. Andrea isn't face this all alone. She's got a good support system--her father who is consistent and kind, her best friend who is encouraging her to try a new hobby: running, her new boyfriend who is understanding and sensitive. Running for My Life is intense in places. I like the complexity of it. I like the narrative structure how the reader has to assemble some of the pieces for themselves. It's a book I'd definitely recommend to those wanting to understand more about mental health.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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