Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton

Words on Bathroom Walls is a YA realistic fiction novel. Adam has schizophrenia; he sees and hears things that aren't there. Some of the illusions are obvious, but others are believable, making for a very confusing, stressful life. He only finds relief and comfort in cooking. As Adam starts at a new private school, he participates in a trial for a medication that helps him ignore his visions. His world opens up, including love for an intelligent girl named Maya. When the miracle drug fails, Adam is determined to be the guy she thinks he is, fearful that Maya won't love him anymore if she finds out that he has schizophrenia.

The cover is amazing! All that detail must have taken forever! It looks like scribble, but if you look really close you can see that it is drawings and real words. (Spoiler: he does not draw graffiti in the bathroom. The title is deeper than that.) I also love the fact that the book is written through deep and emotional letters. (Not that it matters, but I also love that the author and I share the same first name!)

I also loved Adam's parents. They are defending of Adam and supportive through thick and thin. The only school they could get to accept Adam was a Catholic school, and it is very interesting to see how Adam deals with going to a Catholic school when he doesn't believe in God. Dwight is Adam's first friend at the school, and he is an extremely loyal, well-developed secondary character. It is really awesome that Adam loves to cook; normally books about cooking feature a female protagonist, so it's amazing that this book defies traditional gender roles.

Adam is so sweet! He cooked for Maya's entire family lasagna and brownies to surprise her on a bad day. He is also brutally honest about his condition, and he knows when he is losing control. Words on Bathroom Walls is not a pity party about schizophrenia; the majority of the book is his life at school and his love for cooking. This book is also about how people react to mental illness, and I love how it reveals that many people are afraid of what they don't understand.

Walton is an author to keep an eye on, and I hope she writes more books! This was her debut novel. I highly recommend that you read this book!

Title: Words on Bathroom Walls
Author: Julia Walton
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 304
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads