Review: Everything is Fine

Title:  Everything is Fine
Author:  Ann Dee Ellis

About the Book:  Stuck at home caring for her severely depressed mother and abandoned by her father, Mazzy has only the day-to-day dramas of her neighborhood to keep her busy. But between flirting with the boy next door and worrying about the fact that she's flat-chested, Mazzy has to face the fact that her mom is emotionally paralyzed by a family tragedy. As readers delve into the story, they'll eventually discover what it was that tore Mazzy's family apart, and they'll see what it takes to put it back together. 

My Review:  Wow! This one hits ya' in the emotions. I love the feeling that obviously went into this book because it shows through in the words that Ellis wrote.

Mazzy is basically on her own.  What is she supposed to do when people come to the house asking to speak to her mom? Who's taking care of her?  Where is her father?  What a load for a young girl to carry, but she does it, by herself, in spite of outside forces trying to help her.  She is strong, or is she?

I always love a first-person narrative.  I feel it really lets me know the character, when it's done well, and this one is.  I also liked how Ellis took a different spin with the chapters.  When one ends, albeit in the middle of the page, a new one starts.  I enjoyed that.  The book just flowed from one chapter to another without any feeling of interruption.  Many of the chapters are just a few sentences too.

This book deals with very serious content: mental illness.  It's prevalent, and needs to be brought up, not hidden.  Teens need to know about it and I'm glad Ellis chose this to write about in Everything is Fine.  The title itself lets you know a lot about the book, because as much as Mazzy makes it appear, everything is not fine.  Will her family be able to recover from the tragedy that has caused all of this?

This is a quick read, with only 154 pages.  5/5 stars for Everything is Fine.