Get Well Soon

Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern

EDU 541
 Due March 5, 2016
Laura A. Kenders

Tags: Young Adult Literature, Fiction, Mental Illness, Psychiatric Hospitals, Eating Disorders, Depression, Anxiety, Self-Esteem, Romance, Friendship

Halpern, Julie. Get Well Soon. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2007. Print. 

            "I never wanted to kill myself; I just want to die some kind of quick, painless death to put me out of my misery." (19) Get Well Soon, by Julie Halpern, is a young adult novel based on the true experiences of the author in her adolescent years. The novel is staged as a series of letters in first person perspective from Anna Bloom, the protagonist, to her best friend. The novel journals Anna's 22 days spent in a psychiatric hospital as she struggles to overcome internalizing disorders such as anxiety, depression, body dysmorphic disorder, and more. 

            Anna Bloom has been skipping school. She doesn't want to get out of bed, she doesn't want to see anybody from school, and she most certainly doesn't want her classmates to know that she has irritable bowel syndrome and a social anxiety disorder. Her weight repulses her, and her looks disgust her. Anna's mother, a passive-indulgent parent, allows Anna's truancy to go on for weeks. Finally, at the behest of Anna's father, a more authoritative parent, Anna is placed in a psychiatric hospital. Her time at the hospital is divided between community activities and spending time with her pregnant roommate Sandy. All the while, she becomes close friends with Justin, a formerly suicidal patient who finds Anna just as intriguing as she finds him. Their adolescent romance blooms with a kiss, and they negotiate the social and mental turmoil of the hospital together. Ironically, in a place of extremes and mental illnesses, Anna Bloom discovers friendship, love, and ultimately, through self-actualization, her own identity. 

            Although the novel's intent is seemingly to allow young adult readers a chance to understand and empathize with mental illness, Halpern crafts Anna Bloom's character with an inappropriately jovial personality. In her letters, she mentions her anxieties frequently, but is more concerned with what boy is cutest, or how her first kiss will feel.  The subject material is mature, but the characters and their troubles act and talk like middle school aged children

           The main character acts with a level of understanding that is immature for her age. Even her roommate, who is apparently dealing with a pregnancy crisis seems to be no more developed.  The result is a strange combination that leaves the reader feeling as though the book has been "dumbed down," or even altered to make the topic  seem less serious. Anna Bloom's serious problems are resolved within a few days, by making a new friend and getting her first kiss. Although talking about mental health issues in adolescent young literature is very important, treating the subject blithely is not what should be introduced to young students. 

            In conclusion, while Get Well Soon is a good read, with some great humor, it should not be used in a classroom as an introduction to a discussion on mental health. However, the letter format helps the reader empathize with Anna, so it would be a good independent book to suggest to students who enjoy dramatic first person narratives.

Other Works by Julie Halpern:

• Toby and the Snowflakes, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2004
• Get Well Soon, Feiwel & Friends, 2007
• Into the Wild Nerd Yonder, Feiwel & Friends, 2009
• Don’t Stop Now, Feiwel & Friends, 2011
• Have a Nice Day, Feiwel & Friends, 2012
• The F- It List, Feiwel & Friends, 2013
• Maternity Leave Thomas Dunne Books, 2015