Girl, Interrupted

"And it is easy to slip into a parallel universe. There are so many of them: worlds of the insane, the criminal, the crippled, the dying, perhaps of the dead as well. These worlds exist alongside this world and resemble it, but are not in it"(pg 5). Susanna Kaysen tells her true story of falling in and out the realm of insanity in her book Girl, Interrupted. As a senior in high school, and only seventeen, the pressures of family and big life decisions pull at her from all directions. When she has a pounding headache to top it off, she swallows a bottle of aspirin and lands herself in the women's ward at McLean Hospital for a year. Here she befriends other troubled girls such as Lisa, Georgina, and Daisy.
Lisa, in particular, provides a profound example of what Susanna could become --stuck at McLean forever. Lisa has resided at McLean for over six years and has made no effort to regain sanity. She constantly escapes and accepts her life as is. At first, Susanna's anger drives her to rebel and join Lisa's antics. However, in time, Susanna realizes the extraordinary power she holds of being in control of her life. She realizes she can determine whether to get better or to stay at McLean forever. The more she begins to learn from Lisa's mistakes and reform, the closer she gets to regain her life back.
Girl, Interrupted accurately demonstrates the pressures and outcomes of the delicate teenaged years. It provides the reader with characters to believe in, and unfavorable circumstances to overcome. Girl, Interrupted, is full of triumph, tears, and inspiration. This national bestseller will leave you with a lot to think about.