A Really Awesome Mess

"We all smiled because it's the truth: Living did take a lot more guts than giving up."

After I got through the first chapters of both Justin's POV and Emmy's, I couldn't help but take a deep breath and wonder what I'd gotten myself in to. They were just so angry and so resistent.

But, quickly, I got into the routine of Heartland, the system of classes and kids and how each of them worked together. I got to know the support group and some of their quirks. And before I knew it, I was more than half way done and giggling, snorting and gaffawing at all their jokes and funny banter.

I was also getting teary-eyed from all their stories. Their struggles and issues...they were all so real and so right-on. What hand one person is dealt is not the show more same as another. And just because a situation doesn't derail me doesn't mean it won't derail you.

The struggles of each kid in this story were handled so well and with so much respect, that it made me love the book (and author) even more. Totally worth the time to read - I absolutely loved it! show less

Basically, this book is about an angry girl and a depressed boy, both sixteen, who are sent to a therapeutic boarding school to address their issues. Emmy has an eating disorder and was busted for online bullying, and Justin attempted suicide and was caught in a sexually compromising position with a girl he just met while staying with his dad, but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to why they are at Heartland Academy.

I thought this book had a lot of things going for it, especially when it came to the real problems the teens at the school were dealing with, and the compassion and patience the staff showed them. They acted and reacted like you would expect teens to, especially those with anger disorders. There was a lot of show more humor in the book, as well as heartfelt moments when the teens connected with each other.

All in all, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, and give it my recommendation.

4/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Egmont USA, Trish Cook, and Brendan Halpin for the opportunity to read and review this book. show less

This is a funny, often hilarious look at real teens with real problems stuck in a recovery center, isolated from family and friends, forced to face that they have issues and then what their issues are. As I read this novel, waiting for my sons to get out of math camp (!!), I had to cover my mouth and hide I was laughing out loud. I have never had that problem before. But some of the lines early on had me just crying from laughter.

The two main characters Emmy and Justin have funny, sarcastic teenage voices that ring true. Emmy is the Chinese American adopted daughter in a family where she doesn't "look" like she belongs. She lets her ideas about how things look influence her beliefs about how her family feels about her. Then a boy, of show more course, diminishes her self worth even more. She develops anger issues and an eating disorder that lands her at Heartland Academy. Justin is there for getting caught doing something totally embarrassing and then taking an overdose of Tylenol. But he does have anger issues and supposed sexual issues. Each chapter is told from one of their points of view.

Here's why I think the book works so well. It's funny, laugh out loud moments are interspersed with snarky teenage sarcasm and comments. A cast of characters that separately are just a mess, but in a group, in Anger Management, working together, they rock! Each one has a unique problem from sexual abuse to compulsive lying, but their very smart group leader makes them work together to earn privileges. They work together, learn together, threaten, force, lie, cheat, steal and do just about anything to make sure they get those privileges. It is a beautiful thing to see!

The authors of A Really Awesome Mess have taken some really dark and scary issues and without belittling them or making them seem any less serious, they've brought some levity and laughter to the situation. Teens suffering from anxiety, depression, eating disorders or any type of mental health issue should appreciate a little laughter as some medicine. I take mental health very serious yet found this novel a refreshing break from other "issue" books. I encourage you to read it and see if it doesn't make you smile!

Recommended for older teens due to sexual references, language and adult situations. This is a contemporary YA novel for 16 and up.

I received a review copy of this novel from MM publicity for this review. This in no way influenced my review. The opinions expressed are my own. show less

I have to admit. Before I even knew what this book was about, I put it on my TBR list because of the interesting looking cover. Now, after reading it, I am so glad I gave it a chance. This book opened my eyes to so many things and I mean that in the most un-cliche' way possible.
Before I read this, I looked down on anyone with an addiction. Well anything unhealthy. But after reading this, I realized two things. One, who am I to judge what's healthy and what's not? And two, most people with addictions don't even know they even have one. Take for example, the characters in this novel. All of them are addicted to something but yet none of them want to admit it. They all keep blaming the fact that they are there on everyone else. No one show more wants to be responsible for their actions. This is turn, puts them still in denial. My heart broke so many times as I read about them not understanding that they were hurting (themselves and everyone around them) and I wanted to squeeze them in hugs when they finally started making break throughs. This book is definitely an emotional roller-coaster. I found myself laughing, crying, and sometimes laughing so hard I cried.
"One day at a time, you know. [...] tomorrow's gonna have to take care of itself."
-pg. 197 (ARC)
I also loved the writing style. For it to be about such important issues, it wasn't done in a heavily preachy way. As teens (and adults alike) read this, they will be fully rooted to the story and connect with the characters. And even more so because it is written in a dual POV and because of that you get to take an in depth look into the head of Justin and Emmy. This gives you the chance to see how both of them viewed certain events. And trust me, looking through the eyes of someone anorexic and someone with a sex addiction, you will start to look at things differently.
"Families are based on love, not looks."
-pg. 243 (ARC)
But the number one main thing I loved about this book was the way they treated the kids. They showed them that no one issue was bigger than the other and that they all needed to be helped in some kind of way. Everyone was treated equal. Unless they were up a level that is. It made them learn to be more comfortable and not to feel victimized. This is really what the teens wanted. Just to feel loved.

"What kind of a mess thinks being in therapy school is better than living? "A really awesome mess," I tell him."
-pg. 228 (ARC)
And for this reason alone, I wasn't surprised to see romance blossom between more than one couple in this book. I was a little surprised at WHO it was though. If you read it, you will understand why too. Considering it wasn't super swoony and like "OMG I love him!", I was ok with that. It wasn't that type of story. There were obviously so many other things that the teens were thinking about and trying to overcome.
This book will have you thinking of things you would usually not think twice about. It will leave you thankful for all the things you love and the fact that they haven't been taken away from you. If you don't leave this novel with a new found outlook on life, you did it wrong. I recommend everyone to read this book. I guarantee you, you will find something that you loved! show less

I didn't go in to A Really Awesome Mess with high expectations, since the reviews I had seen weren't giving it much praise. But I did hope I would be able to at least finish it. What I couldn't have predicted was how much I would enjoy the story! I really love when that happens because I had a hard time putting the book down.

The chapters alternated between the point-of-views of Emmy and Justin. Both of them were hilarious and had me cracking up so many times! They also sounded like real teenagers with real, serious issues. The relationships they built and the adventures they shared with their new friends seemed genuine and had me grinning. Because those much needed friendships clearly had a hand in helping each of them deal with their show more problems, even if some of their issues would never entirely go away. Overall, I thought Emmy and Justin and their group of misfit friends were great and relatable characters, and I know they were the reason why I was glued to the book and why I was having so much fun reading their story.

A Really Awesome Mess kept me entertained from beginning to end. The plot and the characters were touching and humorous. It was such a fun read! While not everything was resolved for Emmy and Justin, the ending was still fitting and satisfying. I'm so glad I gave this book a chance. show less

Usually YA books manage to focus on one issue or another, but in this book by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin, they manage to touch on just about every issue teens face today. The alternating chapters are narrated by two teens, Justin and Emmy.

Emmy is an adopted Chinese girl who is dealing with the idea that she was given up by her parents simply because she was born a girl. Soon after the adoption was approved, her mother became pregnant so her adoptive sister was a tall, athletic girl - nothing like Emmy. Emmy feels that she needs to lose more weight to get to the goal of a size 00.

Justin tried to commit suicide by overdosing on Tylenol after his father caught him with a girl in his swanky dude apartment. He and Emmy meet at a boarding show more school for kids with desperate issues. He admits that he could have taken something stronger but was just trying to get attention rather than seriously try to kill himself.

It's a little hard to feel any sympathy for these kids. Yes, their home lives aren't perfect but things could be far worse. I did warm up to them when they all started to come to this realization and really started making progress, surprising themselves.

I liked the references to 4-H made in the book (many years did I spend as a leader) when the group of kids worked together to be allowed a trip to the fair. Prompted by the fate that the pigs were facing, they orchestrated a release and even tried to rescue one piglet. (Fact is, they only have full grown pigs at fairs.)

The back of the book promised a "wickedly funny" story but I guess my sense of humor was off since I didn't find anything amusing. Even the misguided attempt to save Willy (spin on Wilbur) was more gross than laughable. Imagine a girl trying to recover from anorexia diverting food to feed the baby pig without the counselors figuring that one out! And no one can mistake the smells created by even the smallest pig. show less

It had it's moments, but overall I really didn't like it. Unrealistic and filled with flaws.

Let me start by saying that focus on mental illness and problems among young people are very important and I support it highly. But it has to be done rightfully. It has to be serious without being boring and it must be realistic. A Really Awesome Mess is neither.

Both Justin and Emmy are horrible main characters. They’re selfish, naïve and obnoxious. The story changes between the two of them, but their narrative voices were completely alike and I had so much trouble separating them.

I had some difficulties with the way the school was run. Justin wasn’t admitted because he ate a lot of painkillers to get attention – he got admitted because show more his dad caught him getting a little too cozy with a girl. At the school he has to be part of a group to talk about his relationship with sex. Admittedly, it may be because I’m not from the States, but to me it’s not that bad for a 16 year-old to be interested in sex and porn – to me it’s a natural part of growing up and exploring your sexuality. The book makes it seem so wrong and I just don’t get it.

Emmy is admitted because she has bullied a boy from school on Facebook and because she lost a lot of weight due to anorexia. And once again I don’t get the story; if she has anorexia, why isn’t she regularly weighed and why aren’t they watching what she eats? She obviously can’t control it herself. I just don’t get it! Besides, her entire approach toward food is no way realistic and where does she get all that energy if she doesn’t eat? If you want to read a great book about anorexia, read Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.

It seems to me that the authors wanted to write a book about young people with problems, but didn’t really care for it anyway and ended up writing a book about young love and friendship – and that’s just not good enough when the premise promises more. I was outraged and shocked more than once, shook my head over and over and I was so angry at the way the school is run – nobody seems to notice anything! If you want a realistic, well told and interesting story, this is NOT the one you want!

Just for the fun of it, let’s take some examples of this lousy school:

- The group counselor begs the management and the parents to take the group to a market and is granted the wish, if she promises to keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t get into trouble. When they arrive, the kids get to run around as they please and when they return to the bus, the group counselor is on the roof of the car, making out with some dude!!! Who does that when they are in charge of a group of mentally unstable kids?!
- It’s possible for the kids to keep a pig hidden in their room and sneak food up to it. They never get caught, despite the smell and noise.
- The kids are allowed physical violence against each other in group therapy because it helps them open up and reach a common goal. What? Seriously, how is this school running?! show less