The Words We Keep - Book Review

 

Only two months ago, Lily came home from a nighttime run to find what becomes her worst nightmare.  She finds her older sister, Alice, on the bathroom floor, scared and bloodied by self-inflicted wounds to her wrists. Now, Alice is coming home from the treatment center and Lily is grappling with her fears and anxieties.  Feeling like her life consists of two separate Lilys, one who makes straight As and wins races and the other who feels like her brain is breaking, day after day, losing herself, fearing that she is becoming like her sister.  Determined not to upset the delicate balance in her home, silence bonding the family, Lily turns inward and against herself. 

When a new student shows up in class, the rumors about him have already begun.  Micah Mendez has been labeled “Manic Micah” and stories about his temper and his mental health are whispered among his classmates.  When Lily and Micah are paired for a school project exploring what happens when words and art collide, Lily learns that Micah was in treatment with her sister, and she knows this partnership will cause her world to implode.  As Micah leads her into finding art all around her and she shows him how to work with words, The Guerrilla Poet Project is born.

Shining a bright light on the reality of mental illness versus the perception of mental illness, “The Words We Keep” is a raw and deep exploration into the many ways mental illness presents itself, the struggles of those both diagnosed and non-diagnosed and the trials and pain associated with the disease.  At a time when mental health is beginning to come to the forefront of so many lives, this book gives an exceptional glimpse into the real and tangible lives of those who struggle, those who love them, and those who drive them to madness.