I'm glad to see teen mental illness getting more coverage in YA and MG fiction. A big draw for me is that the author is writing from a place of experience, having gone through the in-patient process himself throughout high school.

Maybe Injust wasn't in the right mindset when Inwqs reading this book but, it started out so amazing and I was flying through it. The MC was just so different, her OCD, when in describing it was very scary to me.
The second Fitz was introduced, the book started to go downhill for me. I didnt like him as a character. I couldnt get into the book.
I will try to read it again soon and hopefully get into it a little more.

Many thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.

I wasn't sure what to expect when picking up this title. I was intrigued by the premise of an author writing about his struggles with OCD and appreciated how his author's note dealt with the reality that OCD, Schizophrenia, Autism, mental illness, etc all manifest themselves differently in different people. He was very open with the fact that his "version" might not be another's, and that's OK.

Addie has lived a low-key life, preferring to watch British cooking shows at home with her dog, struggling with her routines and rituals that come along with her OCD. But, things have gotten worse. She can't leave the house in the morning in under three hours, she can't sleep at night, and she can't stop. So, she gets referred to an inpatient treatment center, where she begins treatment (that is working) and meets Fitz. He is struggling with a traumatic event in his past that stems from his Schizophrenia. He is convinced that breaking out of the hospital and going to San Juan Island will help him recover and move on. And now he has convinced Addie to help. But once they are on the outside, things start to go wrong. And Addie doesn't know how far to let Fitz go before trying to bring him back.

I liked this book. It was hard to read at times because you get so caught up in the characters and worry about the decisions that they are making. Recommended for grades 9 and up.

DNF - the depictions of Addie's OCD and Fritz' schizophrenia felt so off, more as a "meet cute" than real disease diagnoses, and that hospital ward? Nope. Didn't buy it at all.

ARC provided by publisher.

Waiting For Fitz follows the story of Addie, a 17 year old with a clinical case of obsessive Compulsive Disorder. In Addie’s case, her rituals have become so pervasive and consuming that her mother feels she had no choice but to put her into an institution where she can receive inpatient treatment, in hopes that the doctors can find a perfect cocktail of medications that will make Addie functional.

Soon after Addie arrives she meets a whole cast of characters who are suffering from various forms of mental illness. Among the cast of problem children is a witty, attractive young man named Fitzgerald Whitman IV. Addie is immediately drawn into Fritz’s warm, sarcastic personality. Fitz hears voices and is diagnosed as an early onset schizophrenic. Addie finds herself falling for Fitz, as she discovers that he is the only person she’s ever met who can keep pace with her own level of intelligence and humor. So, when Fitz asks Addie to help him escape from the hospital because he has something important that he must do on the outside, Addie is a willing participant. After staging a coup with the help of their friends, Addie and Fitz make their way into the real world to allow Fitz to fulfill a promise he made to someone.

The characters of Addie and Fritz are well developed and as a fellow Obsessive Compulsive sufferer, I did find Addie relatable. Both Addie and Fritz and high functioning intelligent beings and the inner monologue of Addie is a lot of fun to read. A worthwhile read.

I'm struggling with how to rate this book. There were so many wonderful things about this book, but there were some areas that I struggled with.

The good
The author really brought an authenticity to The characters. And I fell a little in love with Fitz myself.
It was a beautiful story, and the relationships felt so genuine. And I just thought The ending was perfect.

The bad
It started off slow. Really slow. It picked up, and I loved the second half, but I had to push through the beginning. And the dialogue felt a little too cerebral for the YA audience that's the target of this.

All that being said, i think this is a story should be shared.

This was an awesome book! I know someone with OCD and the descriptions of what the character went through with her rituals brought tears to my eyes. This is so well written. The character of Fritz was great, too. I highly recommend this book. It shows that mental illness can really effect a persons life.

Addie suffers with OCD while Fitz suffers with schizophrenia.



Meeting as they now live on the psych ward, the pair become close after both become involved in group therapy where they have to open up, obviously about their separate issues they deal with.



After Fitz tells Addie his plan to escape she become wrapped up in it too and the pair hatch their plan along with fellow ward stayers and as the pair plan ahead neither of them is prepared for just what happens and how much they rely on each other and can't always control their conditions especially without their medication...



This book started slowly but as soon as the action came it was full force we see the characters at their worst and best as they try to help and rely on each other to be free in the world again however when things didn't go to plan i didn't expect the drama that ensues at all. It was a great young adult mental health read and one that raises awareness of a lesser written about condition too.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

I'm struck, in this book, by a pervasive sens of unreality. There's no emotional connection to the characters, no sense of living along with them.
Notably, each character is mostly defined by diagnosis. THey are little more than their mental illness.

Addie, whose OCD has gotten so severe that it takes her 3 hours to get ready for school, must postpone her senior year when she is admitted to an inpatient adolescent psych ward. Her fellow patients include Didi who suffers from Tourette’s and pathological lying, Leah who is depressed after brain tumor surgery, Wolf who is in search of his “horse” and whose diagnosis isn’t revealed, Junior who has anger issues and seizures, and Fitz who has spent the last two years at the hospital for schizophrenia (or, more accurately, multiple personality disorder). Their days are full of both individual and group therapy, exercise, eating meals, playing Boggle, and watching movies. During the times they have to socialize, Addie and Fitz form a strong connection, bonding over literature and punny jokes. The humor is the coping mechanism they use to keep their illnesses from totally overwhelming them. When Fitz asks Addie to break out with him and travel to San Juan Island so he can make amends for the tragedy that landed him in the psych ward, she agrees and even smuggles in money she’s saved in a book by asking her mother to bring her more reading material. Unfortunately, once outside the safe confines of the hospital and without their proper medication, their walls come down and circumstances spiral out of control. The big question posed to Addie by one of her teachers, which is a thread running through much of the book, is what the characters in Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” were waiting for. Will either Fitz or Addie find the answer after their ill-advised trip?

Author Hyde spent three of his high school years at Johns Hopkins for severe OCD like Addie’s, and many of the other characters are based on his fellow patients. The authenticity he brings to his writing as a result of his own experiences helps create a vivid and heart-breaking story, but also highlights the humor and humanity found in adolescent psych wards. In this respect, the book would be a great vehicle for bibliotherapy. Unfortunately, Hyde uses literary references from authors generally studied at the college level to sculpt most of the conversation between Fitz and Addie. Although liberally sprinkled with humor, the dialogue is ultimately too cerebral and theoretical for most teenagers, especially Fitz who doesn’t seem to have had much proper schooling and has very limited resources with no internet access and no library at his disposal. Unfortunately, most adolescents wouldn’t have the patience to sift through the dialogue to finish the book. So, although deserving of a large audience, it will be hard-pressed to find one.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Shadow Mountain Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Are fictional books about real problems like OCD and Schizophrenia just your type? Do you love heartwarming first love tales about teenagers in an inpatient program? Or are you just looking for something sweet and silly to pass the time that deals with real hardships in life? Than "Waiting for Fitz" is a book you may want to check out next.

Following Addie, a seventeen year old girl, it shows her day to day life in first person, with OCD. Though it didn't used to be this extreme, after her last birthday, she began taking almost four hours to get out of the house, washing her hands over a hundred times a day until they cracked and bled, because of her rituals. Her fears are, that if she doesn't do everything exactly right, that something horrible will happen to her mom, and dog. It explores her life as she takes a semester off school to join an inpatient program, with other teens battling situations just like hers. That's where she meets Fitz, a young man trying to work through his Schizophrenia, who seems like a perfect match.

I loved how funny this book was, even when they were dealing with serious topics. There were hardships that the characters went through that I couldn't even imagine dealing with, but they came out stronger on the other side because of them. The characters were really real, and relatable because of it. I feel like I could know these people in real life and not even know it. I couldn't put this down once I started it, and I couldn't ask for more from it. It's everything I hoped for it to be, and more. Of course, my favourite character was Fitz.

Overall, I definitely think you should pick up this book if any of this jumps out to you, or if you're just someone looking for your next book to read.

Thanks for reading!
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

As a special educator, I am always interested in reading books that have individuals with disabilities as the main character. This book had an accurate representation of OCD and how it can affect one's life. There were many ideas in this book that I have also experienced which made the book seem that much more like real life.
This is a book that I would recommend to middle school or high school students.

Thanks to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the advance Kindle copy of this 3.5.19 release. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️/5, but definitely going in my school’s collection. When Addie’s OCD reaches an all-time high, she goes into inpatient treatment. There she meets Fitz, whose schizophrenia causes him to be accompanied by a gaggle of voices, all named after famous country singers. Addie is immediately attracted to Fitz, so she agrees to help him break out for a day. Only then does she realize why he is seeking but may never find closure for his brother’s death. Equal parts emotional and funny.

Addie suffers from OCD, and it is severe enough that it requires her to be hospitalized. While undergoing inpatient treatment she meets Fitz, a schizophrenic young man with a penchant for naming the voices in his head after country singers. As the young couple bond over wordplay , they come up with a cunning escape plan, but are they really ready for the world outside?
I really wanted to like this book, the idea sounded fascinating, and the knowledge that the author had himself undergone treatment for OCD led me to believe that the book would have a very realistic perspective. Unfortunately I struggled to engage with any of the characters, and the setting seemed implausible to the point that I almost considered giving up on the book. The secondary characters were barely fleshed out beyond the details of their illnesses, and the hospital setting with its mixed gender wards and incompetent staff just doesn't live up to scrutiny.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

“An OCD patient fell in love with a mess. It was a tragedy, if you will. And you will,”

Just. Wow. I read this book in one sitting. As a marriage and family therapist I'm always intrigued by stories of people who have mental health challenges. This debut book is stunning. The writing is beautiful, the hook intriguing, and the story compelling. The writing, the references to literature, the wit, and the character development make for an engaging read. Addie has OCD and goes to the psych ward where she falls in love with a boy who has schizophrenia. They share witty banter, a love of words, and the ability to love despite imperfections. The book delicately covers themes like OCD, depression, schizophrenia, loss, grief, forgiveness, family, and loyalty.

This started with good story idea about two teens dealing with mental health issues. However, I never felt like I was able to connect to the characters. Addie has OCD and Fitz is schizophrenic. He wants to sneak out of their inpatient hospital for some unknown reason and despite her concerns and interest in getting better, Addie agrees with him. I just didn't get her motivation. I think it was because she had a crush on him, but the draw was never fleshed out. And, while I am not a mental health expert, and maybe her problem was solved almost immediately by the drugs, but it seemed like Addie's issues all but disappeared once Fitz entered the picture. While the story might have been a good one to tell, I think it failed it being communicated.

This was a very quick and fun read. Loved the humour. Loved the characters, even though they fell a bit flat for me. Just couldn’t stop reading this.

I picked this one up for the mental health/illness rep. and while I can’t personally speak to the accuracy, I can say this story was heartfelt and beautiful and emotional. (- worth mentioning though, that Hyde does mention that he drew inspiration from his own experiences with mental illness and interactions he has had with family and friends). While some aspects of the book seemed a little unlikely, overall, I still really enjoyed my time reading. The characters’ struggles and conflicts had me hooked and Addie’s sarcastic voice definitely made her a relatable character, even if you don’t personally share her battles. Definitely would suggest this to anyone who is looking for some OCD and/or schizophrenia rep.

One of the best mental health books i have read. The conditions were portrayed realistically and i enjoyed the fact i could relate in many ways to some characters.

An emotional and engaging read. I loved all the characters I met and really wanted to fall into the world and help them. It's a relatable read for teens and adults alike.