3.75 stars!

13+
Genres: Realistic fiction (mental health), romance

I received this as an ARC, and these are all my own opinions and are not biased in any way.

This follows Natalie, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Her mother is very insistent in keeping it a secret, and this book follows her and her journey. She's an aspiring artist, and the pressure of everything is building up. An inspiring story of passion, journey with mental health, and a tinge of romance.

I definitely had a different reading preference when I requested this one, and now that I'm finally getting to it, it's a bummer that it's not for me. I love the bipolar disorder representation, and if I had read this at a different time in my life, I think it would have really spoken to me. I think this will help a lot of teens in my life though, so I'll have to remember this one.

Thank you net galley for providing me with a copy of rye art of insanity in exchange for a honest review.
The portayal of mental illness in this is done really well. The main character is extremely relatable and likable and you can't help but root for her.

The side characters are what I actually have an issue with along with the writing. I understand wanting to add comedic elements but most of these characters read like cartoon stereotypes of high Schoolers and I really couldn't help but roll my eyes on certain parts.

However these are very small in comparison to the beautiful way in which mental illness is written in this. Highly recommend if you don't mind a more ya contemporary

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

The Art of Insanity is a decent, albeit somewhat formulaic and stereotypical book. The novel features a lot of intersecting storylines with a substantial number of secondary characters. Webb's writing is approachable, allowing for an easily followed narrative that is resolved neatly -- likely a fitting choice for a younger audience.

There is some depth in the writing about the impacts and experiences of bipolar disorder, which I imagine comes from the author's own experience, a valuable addition.

While the storyline may be somewhat predictable, I think this book will resonate with younger readers, particularly those with their own mental health differences, or other divergences, seeking relatable characters.

This was going to be a 3 star right up until around the 75% mark. I found this story, while dealing with important themes, was a bit slow. Then at that % it really stepped up and I liked how we got to see more inside Nat’s mind and her acceptance with herself and standing up to others.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

TW's: suicide attempt, panic attacks, delusions/paranoia, ableism.

I have read quite a few books that discuss bipolar disorder, and they usually shy away from or sometimes even completely ignore the symptoms outside of depression and (hypo)mania. A lot of the time they don't do a good job of discussing those two either.

The Art of Insanity was not guilty of this at all.

Christine Webb has done an incredible job of showcasing the paranoia, delusions, and panic attacks that can sometimes come along with BD. The shame and confusion that comes with any diagnosis, but especially stigmatised ones, was handled brilliantly as well. There were so many important mental health discussions throughout this book that we really don't see discussed very often,.

My favourite part of this book was the friendship the main character formed with an autistic class mate throughout the story. Seeing an autistic person be described as a good friend and our differences being celebrated is unfortunately very rare. I know that autistic teens that read this book will come away feeling better about themselves.

I am very excited to read more books written by Christine Webb!

I will 100% be buying a copy of this book for the youth work organisation I work at. These are the sort of mental health books teens need access to.

I struggled with this one. I don't love the approach to mental illness and the "keep your diagnosis a secret" plot is pretty played out. Secondary characters are stronger than the primary.

Natalie is excited about starting her senior year but can she keep the secret of her recent bipolar diagnosis from getting out? After confiding in her two best friends, and not getting the support she was hoping for, she decides to handle her diagnosis without her medication, but will that help or hurt her as she prepares to showcase her art and attempt to secure a scholarship to her desired art school. This YA novel offers the reader a look at what it’s like to live with a mental illness and the sigma that often accompanies it. The story is based on the author’s personal experience with a similar diagnosis which definitely gives it an authentic feel. It was a quick, enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed the depiction of mental health in this book and how raw and authentic it was. Natalie was a very likable and refreshing protagonist, and I learned a lot about bipolar disorder through her experience. I also really enjoyed how the author navigated Natalie's relationships with her family, crush, and friends. Also, that plot twist completely shocked me! But it added a lot to the whole of the story without making it seem too dramatic or out of the blue. Overall, this was a fantastic read and I'm looking forward to reading more of Christine Webb's work!

So this book was definitely different then the usual YA books that I pick up but I'm glad that I got to read this book. I really enjoyed Natalie's story. Another amazing story about self discovery but with a twist. Natalie suffers from bipolar disorder, and she's a senior in high school who has a reputation to uphold despite having been in a major accident the summer prior. She's doing everything that she can to keep her composure and not let her secret be found out. But she's in high school and in high school secrets, never stay secrets for long.

Natalie's passion for her art shines through alongside her fight for stability in her world now flipped upside down by this diagnosis. She finds the light in life, but also experiences more manic episodes. This book was just really well done and I think it really shows truth in what young people experience when they're diagnosed with such a difficult disorder. I look forward to reading more from Christine !

I.. have no idea how to put my feelings for this book into words. It's totally amazing! The storyline, and the main idea about bipolar disorder. This book reveals the life of a high school artist 18 years-old Natalie who has grown up with her only brother, Brent, and a single Mother, Maggie who has convinced her children of the fact about the death of their dad when they were young. Natalia with such an illness and her struggles in dealing with it. That affects the way she behaves toward her folks, losing trust in herself, and the way her mind works. Until someday, her life changed, the day when She found out the truth about her dead dad.

I adored this book a lot, I haven't seen any of my friends or someone who deals with Bipolar Disorder in my life and I'm glad that I read this book. With that, I discovered so many new facts about how it feels to be a person with this illness, and it is obviously complicated to handle.

There are some scenes of cute romance but as it wasn't the main topic, the book didn't go a lot to that point which makes me more curious about it. But I am definitely in love with this book no matter what.

Big thanks to the author and NetGalley for this free copy, and this review is on my own.

TW: Mental Illness, Suicide Attempt.

One of the best books I've read regarding mental health.

Absolutely loved how Christine depicted Natalie having panic attack, being unable to think clearly. Also really enjoyed Ella's and Natalie's friendship. While some parts were predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Overall, I think this story would be well-received by teenagers.

Thank you @netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Thank you for giving me a chance to read this book. When I have finished I will give a more detailed review.


I am loving the book so far, I will be having my daughter read it also. Honestly I think it should be in every school and public library as it destigmatizes mental illness and gives hope to people like me.

Amazing book loved the ending, loved the characters, i dont have bipolar disorder so i cant talk about how accurate it is, but the bipolar stuff is well written

Mental health stigma is unfortunately still a thing, so I appreciated how honest and open Webb was with her writing. While not a perfect book, the strong support system Natalie forges and the bittersweet ending were nice to see.

I was especially impressed with how Webb portrayed being in the middle of a manic episode and overwhelming panic attacks; I have OCD and I immediately picked up on how difficult it was for Natalie to think clearly. A metaphor my therapist uses for being in the thick of a mental health spike is having a TV screen in your face, flooding your senses and being the only thing you’re able to focus on. Natalie had her own TV screen shutting her into her own thoughts several times, and it was easy to see why she couldn’t just “snap out of it”.

We need more books like this in general coming from authors who have authentic mental health experiences, especially in YA. I know I needed something like that when I was younger, and having that validation is so powerful and can be a huge help to someone who might be struggling.

Sadly, I was not able to read this title. The book would not download. I will definitely keep this in my list of books to order and I will be happy to come back once I finish it and give an honest review !

Recently diagnosed with bipolar, high school senior Natalie grapples with whether or not share her secret.

When I first saw this premise, I was very excited to try it and was expecting a powerful and emotional story. Unfortunately, it was very much "Young Adult." Yes, I'm aware that it was intended to be but just because it was written for young adults doesn't mean it couldn't evoked more emotion. In my opinion, the portrayal (except for one pivotal scene) felt very flat and simple. The last 25-30% was much better and included the scene referenced above in which Natalie's bipolar finally felt real and raw.

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC of "The Art of Insanity" by Christine Webb!
TWs: suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts, manic episode, bipolar disorder.

The main character, Natalie Cordova, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Too bad it's her senior year of high school, and her mom wants their family to be perfect.
Natalie has to keep her mental illness a secret so her mom won't be disappointed in her.
But while she does this, she meets Ty, a cute college boy from her art class, who so happens to befriend her.
While Natalie tries to get into her dream college, problems start to pile up and threaten to come crashing down.
She must find a way to solve them all, but what if telling the truth might be her only solution?

"The Art of Insanity" is a story about a girl who learns to accept herself and her mental illness while also having fun with her friends.

Unfortunately, this just wasn’t for me. Besides the mental illness representation itself, everything else was hollow and dull. As if everyone was just there to be there and not for any real character progression. The story as a whole just felt unfinished.




Thanks to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for this copy for an honest review.