Award-winning author Francisco X. Stork revisits some of the themes and ideas that made Marcelo in the Real World such an unforgettable novel.
Alberto’s life isn't easy: He's an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who lives with his sister's abusive boyfriend—but he'd always accepted his place in the world. Until he starts hearing the voice of a man called Captain America, a voice that wants him to achieve more, no matter the cost.
Grace has it all: She has a supportive boyfriend, she’s on track to be valedictorian, and she’s sure to go to the college of her dreams. Still, nothing feels right to her any more after the divorce of her parents, and feels she needs something more.
When Alberto and Grace meet, they have an immediate and electric connection. But when Alberto is present at the scene of a terrible crime, he becomes a suspect. And with his developing schizophrenia, he’s not even sure he believes in his own innocence.
Can Grace find a way to prove Alberto’s innocence to himself and the world?
This is a suspenseful thriller and a sensitive story about mental health, love, and community that will appeal to anyone who has struggled with their place in the world, from award-winning author Francisco X. Stork.---from the publisher
320 pages 978-1338736267 13 and up
Keywords: suspense thriller, schizophrenia, mental health, mental illness, love, crime, detective, 13 year old, 14 year old, 15 year old
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“All night hearing voices telling me that I should get some sleep
Because tomorrow might be good for something
Hold on, feeling like I’m heading for a breakdown
And I don’t know why”
– Matchbox 20 “Unwell”
“Auditory hallucinations can be caused by a variety of neurobiological and psychological factors, including schizophrenia. My own experience with them came during some of the most intense manic episodes of bipolar disorder. During those times, I fought, sometimes unsuccessfully, against false images of myself presented by the voice. I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by a loving family and a caring community who believed and reminded me I was a good, ordinary, unique person regardless of what the voice said. Because of them and because I have been able to access the right medical help, I can now live a meaningful, useful life despite my mental illness.”
– from the Author’s Note
“Grace swallowed. She tried to speak, but the feeling that invaded her made it impossible.
‘Are you all right? Your face is red, like you have a fever.’ Alberto tried to touch her forehead, but Grace involuntarily stepped away from him.
‘This is unexpected.’ Grace said to herself. She placed her hand over her heart as if to keep it from jumping out.
‘What is unexpected?’
Grace took a deep breath. ‘I…didn’t expect to be…so interested…in…this process.’
Alberto smiled. A knowing smile. Grace was sure he could see what she was feeling. ‘Do what I do,’ Alberto said, and began pressing on the ball of clay, rolling it, making spheres of different sizes. Grace tried to imitate the motion of Alberto’s fingers, but her fingers were not strong enough. She pounded her ball of clay with her fist. Alberto placed his hand on hers. He opened her fingers one by one and then wrapped her hand around the clay. There was a moment when Grace thought about moving her hand, but there was something so intense and soothing about his touch and all she could do was try to catch her breath.”
Stories radically expand our respective worlds and worldviews. They provide perspective, engender empathy and understanding, and make the world a better place for all, by connecting us to characters of different countries, colors, religions, ages, orientations, pursuits, and beliefs.
I have to admit that I’m always a little nervous walking through the Civic Center neighborhood where, in addition to street people on drugs, there are perfectly sober men and women having passionate, fearful, sometimes angry conversations with themselves. Thanks to the author’s personal courage, and his extraordinary talent as a writer, the mind-blowing I AM NOT ALONE has provided me with a new perspective regarding mental illness. A breathtaking love story and a chilling thriller of a read, I AM NOT ALONE is a really big deal.
Alberto is an undocumented Mexican-born teen living in Brooklyn. He is struggling with the onset of mental illness. He is experiencing auditory hallucinations–a savage, unrelenting voice in his head that he names Captain America. He is already stressed to the max, dealing with his drug-addicted sister-with-a-baby. Plus, he is trying to live on next to nothing in order to send most of the money he earns to his widowed mother and young siblings back in their Mexican village. That’s where Alberto learned to work with clay, his true calling. He is a stunningly talented artist.
Meanwhile, Grace is a star student, potentially her class valedictorian. She has been thrown for a loop by her parents’ divorce. Her father got the family home, while she and her mom have had to move into an apartment. The transition is affecting her current studies and her college plans, making her question who she is, who she is hanging with, and where she is going.
Alberto and Grace cross paths when Alberto’s sister’s abusive boyfriend, who is also Alberto’s boss, dispatches Alberto to clean paint specks off of the windows in the apartment inhabited by Grace and her mom. While their meeting one another doesn’t solve any of their respective, pressing problems, Alberto and Grace have found one another, and things will never be the same.
But when Alberto is subsequently accused of murder, we have no idea what the truth is, because Alberto, himself, isn’t sure what the truth is. Talk about unreliable narrators!
Trust me. You don’t want to miss this one. A can’t-put-it-down for tweens and teens, and one I won’t soon forget, there’s no question that I AM NOT ALONE will be in the hunt for numerous awards. Thanks to Francisco Stork, I have gained perspective about mental illness to a degree that no other book has ever provided me. For that, I owe the author big time.
Recommended by: Richie Partington, MLIS, California USA
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