I don’t want to be crazy by Samantha Schutz

I don’t want to be crazy by Samantha Schutz 

Reviewed by Suzanne Dlugolonski, YA Librarian 

I don’t want to be crazy is a memoir written in free verse.  It follows author Samantha Schutz for a period of five years as she struggles with anxiety disorder.  The book begins as she is about to graduate high school and concludes a year after college.  Samantha’s story is very relatable and swiftly draws in the reader.  Her foremost battle is with anxiety disorder, but Samantha faces the typical conflicts of a teen transitioning to adulthood.  Issues concerning boyfriends, parents, friends, popularity, and loneliness are all present.   

Because it is written in free verse, Samantha’s emotions of panic and fear are captured by short, erratic lines.  Likewise, at times Samantha is feeling well—her disorder in remission—the lines are longer and fluid.  This technique truly helped the reader to experience the author’s highs and lows.  There were times I found myself holding my breath while I hurriedly read, while other times the words and experiences were read leisurely and savored. 

I don’t want to be crazy was published in 2006 and is a new addition to the Lewiston Public Library’s YA non-fiction collection.  It can be reserved through NIOGA.  To learn more about Samantha Schutz visit her website or on MySpace.  To learn more about anxiety disorder, you can visit the National Institute of Mental Health or The Anxiety Disorders Association of America.