Review by Rashida Saify -- Unhinged by Steve Galley

[Rashida Saify]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Unhinged" by Steve Galley.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Unhinged by Steve Galley is a novel based on mental illness. The protagonist, Eddie, a senior in high school in Montreal. On the outside, Eddie is all that a person wishes to be. He is handsome, good at sports, has many friends, popular among girls. The boy seems perfect to everyone, but no one knows what he is suffering on the inside. The everyday battle he is going through in his mind with "Hunter." The Hunter tortures him every day, saying negative things to him. He makes Eddie question his life, letting him drown in the pool of insecurity.

Eddie loses his senses and goes insane sometimes when the Hunter speaks in his mind throughout the day. He hasn't told anyone about this big chaos of his life. He doesn't even understand the purpose of the disorder. He is confused if whether this is normal or an illness. I am afraid that the Hunter will eat him up one day. Will this illness ruin his life and his relationships? Will he be able to seek help to overcome this illness?

The story would have been better for me if there were some major plot twists. I felt the story dragging. Some parts were repetitive too. The ending was unclear to me as I couldn't understand whether Eddie healed or not. The conclusion could have been much better. There is some minor abuse 2 to 3 times. Otherwise, the story does not contain any severe abuse.

I felt the story was strong in the area of emotions. The way the author described it was mesmerizing. I could feel the anxiety and the pain that Eddie was suffering, which made me feel tears in my eyes for him. The story makes us realize the importance of mental health. The story is well edited, as I didn't find any spelling and grammatical errors.

I would rate this book 3 out of 4 because the mental awareness conveyed by the novel was very well. People need to know about mental disorders and seek help from certified psychologists. Share the problems of your mental health with the people you trust. I didn't give the story a full 4 out of 4 as the story could have been more interesting with some shocking plot twists, which would make the reader more curious and wanting to read.

I would recommend this book to those who want to experience mental health in detail, as the story will make you understand the symptoms of a mental disorder and how to get help for it. Teenagers and Young adults should definitely read this book. This story would be difficult to understand for small children. Hence, it would be appropriate for 16+.

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Unhinged
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[MsH2k]

This sounds like an unfiltered view of what someone goes through when they suffer the type of mental illness Eddie has. Awareness is so important.
Thank you for your thoughtful review!

[DyanaFl]

I'm glad the author could express the illness accurately. Yes people should know its alright to ask for help. Thanks for the review!

[Tarie07]

Mental illness has resulted in a lot of suicides. People are embarrassed to admit they are mentally ill and need help. I'm glad the author addressed this sensitive issue. Thanks for the review.