Customer Reviews

Suicide Notes

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I think some of the people reviewing this book are missing the point entirely. Two reviewers point out that in the early days of YA literature about the gay experience gay characters were often "punished" for discovering their sexuality. Being suicidal and/or actually attempting suicide was a common theme. The suggestion is that today's authors have a responsibility to write only positive, happy books about gay teens.

But writing isn't about pleasing people. It's about telling the truth. And the fact is that what happens to Jeff (the protagonist of the novel) happens to a lot of young people, gay and straight. To pretend that it doesn't is to ignore the reality of their experience and suggests that feeling this way is somehow shameful.

Rather than return to a depressing theme, Ford takes that early theme of the suicidal gay teen and turns it on its head. Jeff is a funny, sarcastic character. He isn't overly dramatic and gloomy. He's being forced to look at his life, and the lives of others, in a new way because of what happened to him.

As for the suggestion that Jeff's reason for attempting suicide seems unbelievable and forced, I again think readers are missing the point. Jeff doesn't try to kill himself because he's gay -- he does it because he's lost his best friend because he feels he's betrayed her. It may not seem "realistic" to some readers, but for those who experienced such a loss of friendship and feelings of guilt over it, it rings all too true.

I understand why some readers -- particularly older gay readers -- might respond negatively to this book. For them it probably stirs up uncomfortable feelings. But for readers who have gone through what Jeff goes through, this is a breath of fresh air. Give it a chance. I think you'll be surprised.

Oh, and for those who suggest that Ford should stick to writing for adults, you should look at his website. He's been writing YA novels for years, and has published something like 30 of them.

At fifteen, Jeff suffers from the same teen angst and insecurities as many others his age, unsure about some of his feelings and insecure about his sexuality. In his case, he kept these emotions bottled up until he attempted suicide, which resulted in his being assigned to forty-five days in a small adolescent psychiatric treatment facility, the setting for this book. Initially, Jeff avoids dealing with his own issues, and concentrates on his curiosity about his four fellow patients, with whom he must interact on a daily basis as part of his therapy. Then there are the daily group and private sessions with Dr. Katzrupus, not-so-affectionately referred to as "Cat Poop" by his young charges, who has little success initially in getting Jeff to speak about his feelings or why he tried to take his life. The forty-five days starts off seeming like an eternity, but, by the time it is all over, Jeff is stronger, more self-assured, but still somewhat insecure about returning to his "real life" on the outside.

Michael Thomas Ford manages to create a well-written teen self-help book in a story format that will entertain his readers, through characters and feelings with whom they can identify. Family dynamics are shown in a realistic and unapologetic style, and the book is careful not to get heavy-handed or preachy. Excellent read for young people dealing with family, social or coming-out issues. Five blue pills out of five.

This book was wonderful. I have a best friend who cuts and I picked it up thinking it might be a good read and maybe help me understand a thing or two... without all the text book mumbo jumbo. If I'd had the time I would have easily finished it in one sitting. I was laughing, gasping, squeaking with joy and surprise and anger, and coming so close to crying on many occations.
The main character, Jeff, reminded me so much of my friend. When people questioned her she threw up defensive walls and became sarcastic, not wanting anyone to be helped. In a way it helped me see some reasons as to why she did what she did.
I loved every second of every page and wished that I could just keep reading about him after I finished the final page. I've reccomended it to all my friends who are willing to want to think consider the concepts faced in this book.
In short, it's a wonderful read that I highly reccomend!

I started reading this novel yesterday and I finished it yesterday. That usually means I loved the novel and that is true in this case. Suicide Notes is an easy and entertaining read. It's a mix of all kinds of different things: it's funny, sad, entertaining, and maybe a little disturbing. But I think it paints a picture of troubled youth that is probably more realistic than not.

As far as the issue of suicide goes, it's a very complex issue. A lot of people think about it in terms of black and white, but I think it's the very definition of gray. There are those who try to commit suicide out of momentary despair (like Jeff, the main character in the book), but there are also those who have severe depression, and then there are those that choose to end their lives for rational reasons. People who are terminally ill, people who feel that they've lived a good life and are ready to die, and then there are those who are just disillusioned with life (nothing brings any joy to them no matter how hard they try, so why stick around?).

This novel did not deal with the complex issue of suicide in our society, but instead it focused on one teen's personal experience. Jeff's experience is not a universal example of why people try to kill themselves, but within the context of the novel, I think that's a good thing. While to some of us the reason for why he attempted suicide might seem a bit lukewarm, it is a fact that it does happen, especially among the teen population.

Overall, I liked this novel. It was the story of one teen, and the whole book was from his point-of-view. Having said that, I also liked learning about some of the other characters that were in the psych ward with Jeff. I found Sadie to be an especially interesting character, and I wonder what kind of novel would this be if she had been the main character.

All in all, a pretty good read. Recommended.

What struck me most about this book - and unsettled me, to be honest - is the brutality of it, sugarcoated by Jeff's self-deprecating irony, witticism and sarcastic outlook on adolescence. He is one of those characters I particularly appreciate in teen lit for their no-nonsense attitude, for just telling things how they are. An honest, non-emo voice.

The themes approached in this book are not light, despite seemingly narrated in a light-hearted way: teen suicide, familial dysfunctions, personal identity. The story starts with Jeff waking up in the psych ward of an hospital, after having attempted suicide. He's supposed to spend 6 weeks being treated there and to understand the reasons why he hurt himself.
Despite being told in 1st person POV, Jeff is in self-denial and does not want to acknowledge the origin of his problems or what really happened that led to him taking such a definitive and desperate action. So we, the readers, are completely left in the dark about pretty much everything that took place before him being hospitalized.
But slowly, as Jeff gradually comes around and faces the bitter consequences of what he's done, we discover bits and pieces of the puzzle that eventually will give him, and consequently us, realization of his real problem. I know this sounds really vague but it's better to discover Jeff's motives by reading this book. I really liked this narrative strategy, it spurs the reader to go on keeping the interest high and makes the discoveries all the more dramatic.

Aside from the heavy theme of the book, be warned that there are some sex scenes which put this book in the more adult section of the YA genre. Pretty graphic and raw, too. Yet, I wish this book were read by all teens and I hope by the time my kids will grow up I will still remember this book, so that I can give it to them to read.
Highly recommended.

This was a very engaging enciteful book. A good look into the mind of a young adult. There was wit, sadness,sponteneity, and twists. As in real life just when you think you understand something you dont unless someone trusts and is willing to open up. I have shared this book with young adults and adults. Thank the author for his courage to delve into a taboo subject.

3.5/5

[Contains possible spoilers.]
I was quite surprise by this book, and wasn't expecting how it turned out. I'm also kind of surprised that I haven't heard more about it, because of the sexual scenes and gay character. Because of this, it did keep me surprised by how it turned out, though.
First of all, I liked the writing, and the main character. And how the book was done, with each chapter being a different day that he's in the hospital, although I did want more of the story, like what happens when he talks to his best friend after he gets out; I wanted to see that conversation. I found it interesting how he thought about things, and how he went off on thoughts sometimes. It was entertaining. The premise, I guess, doesn't make it sound like a funny book and more like a depressing one, but I had guessed that it would be entertaining, so I was hoping for that and wasn't disappointed. And the other characters were good, too. Sadie was interesting, and sad, and I wanted to see more of Martha and his sister.
The reason that he was there, that he tried to commit suicide, I wasn't expecting. I like that they didn't let much of it on for a lot of the book, so I wasn't expecting that the reason was that he was gay and didn't know how to deal with. Personally, I hate that he thought that was a good solution, and that actual people think it is. I realize, now, that there were several clues, and I was wondering, but didn't actually think that he was gay for most of it, until around the time he actually told of the story before he cut himself.
How he thought of the suicide for most of the book, that he was interrupted and not saved, was an interesting thought. And one that I can understand for the most part; like I understood why he just wanted to be left alone. That made sense to me, while still a little sad.
Mostly, I enjoyed the book. It's kind of got a bittersweet affect on me, because of why he did it, probably because of the whole suicide thing in the first place, because I'm unsure how I feel about it. I liked most of it, though.

Believe it or not, this is actually a really funny book. You wouldn't think so based on the title and the subject, but 15-year-old Jeff will have you laughing out loud throughout his story. He's in a mental hospital because he tried to slit his wrists on New Year's Eve, he's surrounded by kids who are clearly crazier than he is, and his doctor (nicknamed "Cat Poop") doesn't seem to understand that there's nothing wrong with him and won't leave him alone. Neither will the various patients who come and go who keep wanting to fool around with him in the wee hours of the night.

All Jeff wants to do is to do his time and to get home--partly because his sister Amanda might call dibs on his vacant room. And he does not want to talk about what happened with his best friend Allie, and how their relationship changed after she started dating her boyfriend Burke.

The novel is set up so that each chapter follows a single day in Jeff's 45-day treatment program. As the narrator, Jeff is hilariously dead-pan, self-deprecating, and easy to listen to. He is also kind, curious, confused, and sad beneath the typical teenage guy "I'm fine" attitude, but this takes a little while to come out. What's really interesting about the book being from Jeff's point of view is that the author reveals Jeff's avoidance and self-delusion without our main character really being aware of it, which is a pretty neat trick. And it's all all done with a deft hand and an unerring eye for genuine emotion.

I'm still undecided as to whether I should go into detail about what this book is actually about, but I will say that it's pretty important that readers who go into this story are fairly open-minded. In the middle of the drama involving the various patients at the hospital, there are frank discussions about (and depictions of) suicide, abuse, identity, sexuality, and self-loathing that are realistically and honestly portrayed. I did, however, appreciate the author's choice to make Jeff's secret both more complex and less of an extreme situation (view spoiler), as I think it's important that we see more stories from this standpoint. The confusion and embarrassment and hurt and fear can sometimes be enough.

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Excerpts:

Maybe I can convince my parents to move to France. No one in France cares if you tried to kill yourself. In fact, I think they like you better because you're all tragic.

It's not like I've never jacked off. I'm fifteen years old. Of course I do it. Any guy who says he doesn't is lying. That would be like having the coolest video game ever and never playing it. No one's that stupid.

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The humor and the depth in this exceptionally well-written novel felt incredibly true to life and poignant. I worried about this boy and his denial about himself and I was anxious about whether the people in his life would accept him. We don't get to read stories like this nearly often enough, but they are such an important part of the human experience and I hope we'll see more of them.

I also really appreciated the hopeful and optimistic tone that this novel takes, however. It's nice to be reminded not only that there are kids out there who are hurting, but also that there are people out there who care.

The main character was definitely funny! Super interesting read :) couldn't put it down. I almost felt like I was there experiencing it myself (although the character is a guy and I'm a girl) and I was sucked into it.

I read a lot of books, including much fiction, but I rarely write reviews of fictional books because much of the time I quickly forget about them after I've finished. Simply put, most of the time the plot and characters in fictional books do not matter to me.

That being said, Suicide Notes has been very different for me. Even though I read Suicide Notes four months ago the mood of it, its pacing and the struggle of the central character have stuck in my mind. In essence the boy's struggle to understand and accept himself touched me. There is a seriousness and sincerity to the novel which I appreciate. I highly encourage others to read this book.

Like good jazz music some things cannot be rushed. I think the author was wise to keep the pace of the book slow because that makes the story seem honest and believable. The kid has a huge mental ocean to cross and often there are no shortcuts to self discovery - things take time. I really enjoyed this book and I'm very tempted to read more of Michael Thomas Ford's books.

By the way, after I finished the book I donated it to the library of the very small town that I was visiting at the time. Probably this library would not have purchased it. I wonder (and hope) that it helps some kid.