Crazy by Han Nolan

Nolan, Han. 2010. Crazy. Harcourt Children's Books: New York.
ISBN: 9780152051099
Release date: September, 2010
Ages: 12 andup
Grades: 8 and up

Jason’s life is awful but he thinks he has managed to keep things a secret. His mother has died and his father has once again succumbed to mental illness. With no money, no food, and no family, it is up to Jason to care for his father. For support, he relies on a small group of imaginary friends for guidance and companionship, preferring these friends over real ones. Unfortunately he begins to have sudden impulses at school that get him sent to the school’s counselor. There he meets three other students who have problems of their own and he gradually opens up. Yet still he maintains a certain distance, protecting his father and their life. It isn’t until his father disappears that Jason calls on his friends for help and they see first hand his life of hunger and poverty. Feeling it necessary, his friends report what they find to the counselor who in turns, calls upon family services who hospitalize Jason’s father and place Jason in a foster home. While there Jason slowly comes to realize that he does not have to be responsible for everything and that he needs to focus on himself. More importantly, he realizes what true friends are and the imaginary friends slowly disappear.

This brief summary of the story in no way conveys the emotional turmoil and conflict that take place in this novel. There is a lot of materials in this book to illicit thoughtful contemplation by the reader: personal responsibility, reliance on others, role of child versus adult, caring for others, and more. The emotional isolation of Jason is strongly realistic and will definitely apply to today’s young adults who deal with peers on a daily basis, from pressure to harassment to support. Plus it is possible that many of today’s YAs will relate to Jason’s love of his father and the turmoil he faces as he worries about his own sanity while trying to care for his father.

The writing is fairly smooth and initially heavily interspersed with the dialogue of the imaginary friends. These dialogues are unique and appealing and provide other viewpoints of what is going on. Plus they also support the movement in the story as they slowly fade away as Jason becomes more settled both physically and mentally. This is an excellent novel and should be at the head of the list for collection acquisitions for the coming school year. It would also be an excellent resource for books clubs as there is much in this novel to illicit conversation and develop opinions.