Walking on Eggshells - by Jennifer Phillips (Paperback)

About the Book

In this compelling and accessible novel for teen readers, a sixteen-year-old aspiring chef must learn how to accept help from his community after he experiences a first episode of psychosis.

Book Synopsis

After a first episode of psychosis lands him a stay in a psychiatric hospital, all sixteen-year-old Kai Lum wants to do is reclaim his life. But now that he's back home, everything is different. He has medications to take, his dad is always hovering, and everyone at school keeps staring at him. Kai's determined not to let any of that distract him from proving he can make it as a chef, though. He has his culinary arts program to focus on, and he won't let his diagnosis change his plans. But finding his new normal is harder than Kai expects. His medications have side effects that he doesn't know how to control. His dad pushes him to accept more clinical help, even though Kai's not sure he wants--or needs--it. And Kai's best friends are ghosting him. On top of all of that, Kai isn't sure if the voices he's hearing are real or in his head. Kai's life begins to spin out of control as he struggles to know who he can trust. With his health and dreams on the line, he has to decide whether he's willing to accept help in order to manage his newly diagnosed mental illness. Characterized by exciting, fast-paced plots and themes that are relevant for high school students, Horizon's Hi-Lo books are both engaging and easy to read. Short chapters, simple sentence structures, and an accessible format make these books perfect for teen reluctant readers. Horizon books are written at a 2nd- to 3rd-grade reading level with an interest level of ages 14 and up.

Review Quotes

"Walking on Eggshells is a sympathetic, honest portrayal of a teen who is newly diagnosed with bipolar disorder. . . . Social topics like bullying, sportsmanship, and chronic illness are presented in an empathetic light that may help bring understanding to teen readers. Fast-paced, appealing, realistic stories featuring underrepresented topics make this set a solid buy." --School Library Journal

"A compassionate, heart-wrenching depiction of teenage mental illness." --Kirkus Reviews