A Madness So Discreet

“These are your friends now, Grace Mae. A madman who eats cancer in the dark and another who searches for a different kind of killer, the kind who smiles at you in the light of day.”

4 STARS

First off, let me say that I love psychology. It's what I hope to pursue after college and beyond, and criminal psychology is a subsection that I find all the more fascinating. And to see it written out not only beautifully, but accurately, and with such an interesting and original take made my week. This is dark. Damn is it dark. But it shows the plight of so many young women and simply people in general who were thrown into dark holes with no light ever to be seen again because they no longer upheld that perfect social facade. It is a historical problem that many care to ignore, or are ignorant about because it is one of the many things that has been swept under the rug of historical ashes. But anyway, the story. The characters of this were not only believable, but they were captivating. Grace was a strong protagonist, one of the strongest I've seen in YA in a while. She was eloquent and elegant, but violent and shattered, too. I loved that her story unfolded gradually, her backstory told in little pieces that the reader could chew on for while. It made it far more of a mystery than what would have been a simple exposition summed up in a few sentences. The more you learn about Grace and the wildness that grew out of fear and oppression within her own home, the more you care and identify pieces of her in yourself and in other situations you've encountered. Thornhollow was a slightly different story. He was the shadow to Grace, yet also her light. It took me some time to really like him at all because of his arrogance, but once his walls were broken and once we began to understand his backstory and why he acts as he does, he becomes a fascinating character. This is a stand alone novel, but I still have many theories about Thornhollow, and many questions about his personality, but these questions are enough to keep the story alive, but not leave you unsatisfied. The minor characters of this story also played very well with the major ones. They weren't cookie cutter. They were far, far from it. They all had their own issues, personalities, and images that were printed into my mind and never forgotten. But you know what the real amazing part of this book was that lifted it from three stars to four? Acceptance. McGinnis took a subject that can be quite tricky to work with with PC issues-mental illness-and worked it in the most accepting, honorable, and original way. Her characters were not defined by their illnesses. They were people. They were human. And I think that this story was one of the most beautiful novels of mental illness I've read so far because of that treatment. So many people today feel branded by their illness, and many people only see that cloak, but there is more than that, and McGinnis showed that dichotomy perfectly and wonderfully and I will be forever thankful. Now, the plot was a bit slow. It was beautiful and the writing was gorgeous, but it was slow. Now, that isn't a bad thing, but I do wish there was more action, especially once the killer was introduced and the murder mystery established. It seemed a bit stilted and stalled compared to what I was expecting, but again, this was because it was focusing far more on the characters and their emotions rather than the plot itself and the murders. I think all around this was a highly enjoyable read, especially for anyone interested in the field of psychology, and I won't tell you anything more because I don't want to spoil you! Share your thoughts!