Just as good as I remember. ( )

Read this some years back...before I joined Goodreads (was there even a goodreads then?)

I remember liking it even if it dealt with a mother neglecting her children.One of its best points that it wasnt preachy. ( )

Suffers in comparison to Small as an Elephant which I just read and which is very similar, and is not much richer than Stop Pretending... which is the same theme of how does a child cope with a family member who's bipolar, but in that case it's the big sister, not the mother.

This is lighter, and longer, until near the end when it gets really intense... and then the wrapping up is basically implausible HEA. I recommend you read at least one of these if you're interested in, or naive about, mental illness. But I recommend Small as an Elephant most highly.

Not sure how three such similar books got on my list and I acquired them all at once... if I see any others on my list I'll skip 'em, take them off. None of these help me understand better, or better cope with, the family member I know who won't take his meds.

I think, maybe, part of the reason I read this is because of who the author is... but I'll have to check. I might read more from her, depending.

Oh, and even though the MC in this is ten (maybe 11), I would recommend it only for kids at least that old - I don't think it's a good fit for younger kids even if they do 'read up' to a higher level. ( )

A sad story for younger readers dealing with mental illness. ( )

A YA novel that gives a surprisingly honest portrayal of a woman's mental illness and its effects on her two daughters. The novel is narrated her youngest daughter, 10-year-old Dolphin. High school student Star is a practical, angry teen. Their mother, Marigold, is covered in tattoos and alternating between manic and depressive behavior. The family is constantly on the brink of being homeless and the girls essentially have to take care of themselves and their mother. After Star's father turns up and she goes to live with him, Marigold mental illness becomes more acute and she suffers a complete breakdown. The novel gives a very good description of the trauma families, especially children, go through when experiencing mental illness in the family. Scary, sad and gritty—not a book for every young reader. 4 out of 5 stars. ( )