Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

Amy    
Lynnie 

fiction, young adult

What do you believe when your narrator is paranoid & schizophrenic? Is anything real? Is it all a delusion? Those are the questions you must confront when reading Made You Up by Francesca Zappia.  Alex is a high school senior at a new school.  She was forced to go there after getting in trouble at her prior school.  This is the story of her senior year as she attempts to prepare for a life beyond high school.


Amy's Review

I enjoyed the book but, due to the summary and reviews, had expected something more shocking to be revealed as a non-reality. All the “surprises” were either already obvious to me by the time they were revealed in the story or were really not terribly surprising. It was an interesting tale with more than its fair share of quirky characters but what I enjoyed most was getting a glimpse into schizophrenia to which I had not previously been exposed. It was thought-provoking and educational.

Lynnie's Review

Alex is a compelling character who is never sure if what she's seeing is real or in her head- which means you never know either and to be sure, there are some gut punches along the way as delusions are confronted and reality is exposed.

I was absolutely absorbed in this story while reading it. The characters are written with beauty and compassion and the story flows along, never forgetting the problems confronting Alex and her family. In the light of morning I find myself wondering about the end of the story- was it real? Was it yet another delusion? I don't know the answer, but I know that this book has left an impression on me that won't soon be forgotten.