Suicide Notes

Suicide Notes was a read forced upon me for a YA lit course I'm taking this semester at NCSU. I have never been so happy about an assigned reading in my life. This read was sooo fast, I read all 300 pages in two nights, but had I not had an early morning class the next day, I could have easily done it in one night. Four hours is my total investment in the book, I forced myself to quit reading on day one just so I could have something to look forward to the next day. It is a must read!This book first off is not intended for super young kids (I'd recommend anyone in high school or college is probably the best audience). There is a bit of language (5+ uses of "f" and a few "gd" and a few others). Another thing to keep in mind is the subject matter is dark, being about a kid who attempted to commit suicide. The basic storyline is kid wakes up in a hospital's psyc ward, but doesn't think he belongs (despite having wrist slashes to say otherwise). Every chapter is another day of his 45 day sentence as he has daily sessions in therapy and begins to develop relationships with the four or five kids with him. Through these kids, Jeff is able to learn from his mistake and begin thinking about making some healthy changes in his life and working through some feelings that every teen has from time to time. This read is so important, and should be required for students 9th grade or above, simply because Michael somehow manages to get in almost every theme you can think of in reference to dealing with life as a growing teen. He talks about substance abuse, suicidal tendencies, sexual awakenings and trying to find one's identity, all major issues in today's teens. This book is powerful and hits home especially if you have a friend who is facing suicidal thoughts, or trying to find themselves. Heck, maybe you're trying to find yourself, and this book will help you see that things have a way to work out in the end with a little perseverance. It is a book that starts off sort of dark, but then develops into something very emotional and witty. Ford did a fantastic job, because even if you don't identify with Jeff, you will find some theme somewhere in this book that hits home, there are so many, heck I could easily name 10 right here but some may be spoilers so I won't. Anyway, if you're going through a hard time, read it, it will pick you up. If you have a friend going through something, read it, it will help shed light on things. Also, if your a teenager in general, read it to understand that there are other people going through the same phase you are and find themselves completely lost like every teen feels at some point. Or maybe you're like myself and are a 21 year old kid who just loves a easy read that you actually walk away from feeling inspired. No matter who you are, there is something in this book you can get out.READ THIS BOOK! I didn't want to read it but after I did, I'm putting it in my top 10 :) (this is significant considering I read at least one novel a week)

I love reading this book for entertainment. It is very interesting and it persuade me to figure out what happens next and so I never stop reading. I’ve read this whole book in 3 days because I was so excited to look more into it and figure out why he was confused where he was! 10/10 I love it so much I would 100% recommend.

I want to know what happened when he got home. I feel like this book would be a great series.

Michael Thomas Ford captures the thoughts of a 15-year old survivor of a suicide attempt like an expert. To call "Jeff" a survivor almost betrays what Jeff is feeling, at least in the beginning. Ford communicates the ambivalence a young person, or anyone, in Jeff's position feels. "I didn't ask to be saved."During his 6-week hospital stint, Jeff recalls meeting his best fried, Allie. The first thing she said to him was, "I really don't need any friends, okay? I have enough problems." It's been decades since I was in high school but this reflects so much of my experience. Lines like this let me know I'm reading a book by a pro.A turning point for Jeff during a later visit with his parents when they bring his sister, Amanda. With her in the room, we begin to see the spark of life that might allow Jeff to recover when he gets out of the hospital. While not using words like purpose or meaning, Jeff simply realizes, "I want her to know she can trust me. One day she might really need me for something, and I don't want her to be afraid to ask."The stories I enjoy the most are those based in reality that offer the reader some hope. Ford does that beautifully with Suicide Notes.

I started reading this novel yesterday and I finished it yesterday. That usually means I loved the novel and that is true in this case. Suicide Notes is an easy and entertaining read. It's a mix of all kinds of different things: it's funny, sad, entertaining, and maybe a little disturbing. But I think it paints a picture of troubled youth that is probably more realistic than not.As far as the issue of suicide goes, it's a very complex issue. A lot of people think about it in terms of black and white, but I think it's the very definition of gray. There are those who try to commit suicide out of momentary despair (like Jeff, the main character in the book), but there are also those who have severe depression, and then there are those that choose to end their lives for rational reasons. People who are terminally ill, people who feel that they've lived a good life and are ready to die, and then there are those who are just disillusioned with life (nothing brings any joy to them no matter how hard they try, so why stick around?).This novel did not deal with the complex issue of suicide in our society, but instead it focused on one teen's personal experience. Jeff's experience is not a universal example of why people try to kill themselves, but within the context of the novel, I think that's a good thing. While to some of us the reason for why he attempted suicide might seem a bit lukewarm, it is a fact that it does happen, especially among the teen population.Overall, I liked this novel. It was the story of one teen, and the whole book was from his point-of-view. Having said that, I also liked learning about some of the other characters that were in the psych ward with Jeff. I found Sadie to be an especially interesting character, and I wonder what kind of novel would this be if she had been the main character.All in all, a pretty good read. Recommended.

Definitely not the book I was anticipating.. finished it but the twists of the book really left me lost for words.

My Teenage Daughter Was Super Excited to Get/Read this Book!!

Overall this book has changed my life, it made me feel less alone in my struggles with bipolar and having to go to a physc-ward and I found it funny how he called the physiatrist cat poop

This book was just AMAZING. I’m straight but I loved the book and yea it was really fun to read Jeff’s jokingly talking to “cat poop” 😂😂 but it was sad that Sadie died from overdose. But I totally recommend reading the book!

a short relatable but good book

This novel was so good, definitely my favourite one.I found it really good and liked how the main character started to accept himself and all that. After all, I was confused because of the title, thinking it might be like a suicide book before committing it but it wasn’t, it actually was the opposite, telling you to not do it and to accept yourself.It really was amazing.

Que livro, meus amigos! A gente vai descobrindo as paradas junto com o protagonista... Muito bom quando um livro não entrega muito na sinopse e te surpreende positivamente assim.