Book Review: Between the Bliss and Me

Between the Bliss and Me

Author: Lizzy Mason

Publish Date: April 6, 2021

Publisher: Soho Press

Review: 3.5/5 Stars

Between the Bliss and Me is a work of fiction that attempts to bring to light the difficult topic of schizophrenia and the impact of mental illness on families and society. The book follows Sydney Holman in the summer before she goes to college. As her story goes along, she learns that her family has been hiding that her father is not only an addict, but also been battling schizophrenia and is homeless. This revelation leads Sydney through several events, including trying to find her father and learning about the implications of his mental illness. 

I struggled with this book and this review. I finished the book in just over a day, which shows my amount of interest in the story. I really want to applaud this book for presenting the topic of mental illness and schizophrenia, especially to a YA audience. It is incredibly important and needs to continue to be told. I felt that the overall presentation of mental illness, while well done, was often very surface level and at times information was presented like an educational pamphlet. Also, the romance aspect of the book, though sweet at times, did not necessarily help Sydney's likeability as a character, especially with her relentless pursuit of a taken Grayson. 

Between the Bliss and Me has really great bones, it just could have gone deeper with the plot and emotions of the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and Soho Press for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.