Losing Adam

Adam and Jenny have great plans for the freshman year at Cornell away from their family dramas. Unfortunately, their plans quickly disintegrate as Adam begins losing focus, suffering from headaches, and seeing and hearing things that aren’t there. Torn between the rigors of school, and the boy she’s loved for years, Jenny desperately tries to help her long-time boyfriend get back to his old self, but she finds herself just as lost and desperate for answers. When Adam drifts further away into the imaginary world of the Snow Queen, their relationship and plans for the future are put to the test and lead where neither of them ever expected. 

An excellently crafted contemporary tale, “Losing Adam” presents the crisis faced by those with mental illnesses developed later in life and the costs and challenges that accompany these illnesses for the person suffering them and the people around them. The character building in this tale is engrossing, with vivid emotions, and poignant confusion and frustration felt by Adam, Jenny, and their families. The plot touches on many different reactions and needs associated with developing a mental illness and on ways readers can understand those reactions. Utilizing the “Snow Queen” fairy tale, “Losing Adam” takes a classic and gives it a modern spin and manages to highlight an increasing relevant topic. This is a must read for anyone dealing with mental illness or who wishes to learn more.

Sarah E Bradley