Insanely Sane

Trauma is messy; healing is messier.

Sometimes the hardest battles are the ones unseen until it’s too late. Or, in the case of the Pleasant Valley Treatment Center residents, almost too late.

After a suicide attempt makes Tobias the newest resident, he’s faced with the prospect of healing but finds he’s not alone.

The one everyone calls Bullfrog is recovering from severe burns, and no one knows why.

Matthew, former star of the school football team, struggles with expectation.

Darla, used to getting whatever she wants, faces an unexpected turn in her recovery.

Bookish Renee is more at home in worlds of fiction rather than facing reality.

Derek enters a last ditch effort to treat his apparent schizophrenia.

A brutal reunion with Kate’s ex leaves her mistrusting everyone, including herself.

Beautiful and wild, Liz’s bipolar disorder threatens to destroy her.

As the group begins to open up, they each try to find a way forward. But when Derek regresses, Tobias must get the others to band together to help him. And maybe help themselves along the way.

★★★★★
This is one of those books where you learn and gain empathy for others. You’re drawn into the characters’ lives—in and out of treatment. Prepare to feel feelings.

Amazon review

An insightful, hard-hitting, and tender tale of converging mental health journeys.

kirkus review

★★★★★
The story is rich in feeling and detail and reminds us we are each uniquely different and yet universally the same.

Parris Afton Bonds, New York Times Bestselling Author