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Turn the World Upside Down
Hunter Donovan’s life always seemed perfect, but there was something rotten beneath the shiny surface. When the truth comes out and his dad is sent to prison, Hunter can only react with anger. His rage boils out of control, leading to a violent incident at school, and then to Hunter being sent to a mental health facility—Better Days.
Hunter doesn’t see how therapy can help him. If it can’t change the past, what good is it? It’s not like he can go back in time, see the horrible things going on right under his nose, and put a stop to them. No, he should have found that strength when he had the chance, and now it’s too late.
There is a ray of light at Better Days, though, in the friendships Hunter forges. Anxiety-ridden Casey, uninhibited Rosie, recovering bulimic Bethany, and Stray, a self-harmer who’s never had a home, lighten Hunter’s feelings of isolation.
Despite the connections he’s forming—and even the love blossoming between him and Stray—Hunter can’t escape his shame and remorse. If Hunter can’t open up and find a way to deal with what happened, he might end up another casualty of mental illness, just like one of the friends he’s grown to love.
Hunter doesn’t see how therapy can help him. If it can’t change the past, what good is it? It’s not like he can go back in time, see the horrible things going on right under his nose, and put a stop to them. No, he should have found that strength when he had the chance, and now it’s too late.
There is a ray of light at Better Days, though, in the friendships Hunter forges. Anxiety-ridden Casey, uninhibited Rosie, recovering bulimic Bethany, and Stray, a self-harmer who’s never had a home, lighten Hunter’s feelings of isolation.
Despite the connections he’s forming—and even the love blossoming between him and Stray—Hunter can’t escape his shame and remorse. If Hunter can’t open up and find a way to deal with what happened, he might end up another casualty of mental illness, just like one of the friends he’s grown to love.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2016
30 people are currently reading
583 people want to read
About the author
Nyrae Dawn
33 books3,912 followersI am a compulsive reader and writer who loves YA fiction.
I love nothing more than writing about young adults. There is something so fresh and fun about it. You can pretty much always find me with a book in my hand or open document in front of me.
I live in Southern California with my husband and two children.
I love nothing more than writing about young adults. There is something so fresh and fun about it. You can pretty much always find me with a book in my hand or open document in front of me.
I live in Southern California with my husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
May 30, 2018
3.25 Stars
This is about some teenage guys’ story who are in the Better Days Academy (a mental institution). About what're their problems and how they cope with it or sometimes struggle with their issues. So there isn’t one MC and the story focused on all of them but the whole story told in a single POV and that bothered me because I wanted to know what’s in their minds from their own selves. And I should say that it doesn’t end with an HEA, it’s more like an HFN and that was not what I liked. But I want to say that I like the cover, it’s beautiful and that’s why I decided to read this book! Overal, it was an okay read and hope you like it!
This is about some teenage guys’ story who are in the Better Days Academy (a mental institution). About what're their problems and how they cope with it or sometimes struggle with their issues. So there isn’t one MC and the story focused on all of them but the whole story told in a single POV and that bothered me because I wanted to know what’s in their minds from their own selves. And I should say that it doesn’t end with an HEA, it’s more like an HFN and that was not what I liked. But I want to say that I like the cover, it’s beautiful and that’s why I decided to read this book! Overal, it was an okay read and hope you like it!
April 21, 2017
No sé qué decir de este libro, es un YA, pero no lo definiría como literatura romántica. El dolor de un grupo de adolescentes se siente a través de las páginas. Una lectura complicada, aunque al final haya esperanza.
I cried a river.
Voy a ver si encuentro ahora algo superficial y tonto para leer.
I cried a river.
Voy a ver si encuentro ahora algo superficial y tonto para leer.
October 19, 2016
Turn the World Upside Down by Nyrae Down is the story of a young man named Hunter who is admitted into Better Days. Hunter is carrying around anger and misplaced guilt after finding out a horrific family secret his sister was hiding. The subject matter is dark and sometimes difficult to read, but I felt Nyrae Dawn handled it expertly.
My highlights:
-The plot. Although I wouldn't categorize this under romance, there is a lovely romance that blossoms on the way towards healing for Hunter. What this story is about is family, friendships, healing, and trust. It's a story that will make you think about how mental illness affects not only the person living it but those around them.
-Hunter. I can't imagine learning what he did. Despite everything he was going through his strength and heart shone through.
-Stray. So much love for him, and if I'm honest he took stole the book from Hunter a teensy bit. There were parts of him that I identified with, and there was something about his quiet strength that I found comfort in.
-The supporting cast. Their little group of friends was great. They way that they supported each other was equal parts inspiring and heartbreaking.
The end of the story. I won't lie and say I didn't want a little more. While the end alludes to a happy ending, we are also left knowing that more healing is left to come because- well- life isn't easy. For me- I like knowing for sure my characters will live HEA. I wanted an epilogue with a glimpse into Hunter and Stray's future. BUT- on the other hand, I do have to point out the way the story finished stayed true to the characters and their story. I'm PRAYING to the book gods we get a follow up for Hunter and Stray.
I'm going to give this moving book 4.5 Stars because it's beautifully written, and a story that needs to be told.
June 29, 2023
4.75 stars
Exceptionally well-written and touching YA story. Hunter feels almost unbearable grief and anger when he finds out something terrible has been happening in his family. After an incident at his school, he's sent to a residential treatment centre where he, at first reluctantly, engages with a few of the residents, each of whom has their own struggles with mental illness. While this story was in large part about these various struggles with mental illness, it was also very strongly about the developing friendships between the five and the beautiful and sweet romance between Hunter and Stray.
Exceptionally well-written and touching YA story. Hunter feels almost unbearable grief and anger when he finds out something terrible has been happening in his family. After an incident at his school, he's sent to a residential treatment centre where he, at first reluctantly, engages with a few of the residents, each of whom has their own struggles with mental illness. While this story was in large part about these various struggles with mental illness, it was also very strongly about the developing friendships between the five and the beautiful and sweet romance between Hunter and Stray.
October 16, 2016
4.5 Stars
“Turn the World Upside Down” is an extremely difficult and emotional book to read. It’s about a group of teenagers suffering from various mental problems and trying to cope, with support from one another. Hunter is the teenager through whose POV we get the story. After a tragic and life-altering incident in his family, Hunter is admitted at “Better Days”. What we get is a heart breaking as well as a healing story about the trying circumstances that brings the kids to Better Days and their struggle to accept life and move on.
This book is about those kids who may not have been the direct victim of a tragedy but who get affected just as badly. Hunter’s little sister is the victim in the story and the culprit is a family member whom Hunter has loved and respected. So in the aftermath, Hunter is left with a completely shredded heart and an endless pit of anger towards himself for not being able to put a stop to it. He feels guilty for not protecting his sister and letting her down when the foul crime had been going on under his nose for years. He is angry at the world, at his shit of a father and especially at himself.
Hunter’s entire family is devastated and his mother and sister are suffering in their own way whereas Hunter expresses his anger and suffering through violence. When he hits a teacher at school, his mom has no choice but to get him the help he so badly requires.
Hunter feels abandoned when he gets left behind at the facility. He is angry at his mom but also understands the pain which she herself is going through. We can clearly see the depth of hurt the tragic incident has left on him and his family.
At Better Days Hunter meets other kids who are all suffering from their own problems. Hunter makes friends and after he learns the root behind their sufferings, he even believes that his problems are really insignificant compared to the others. He helps them out and protects them from the bullies in the facility. The tentative friendship among Hunter and his friends grows as he learns to deal with his problems and try to help out his friends struggling with their own.
We get the entire story in Hunter’s POV and through bits and pieces we learn about his friends and their problems. Everyone had problems born out of different circumstances but trying and difficult nonetheless. They form an unlikely group and become close-knit and protective and loving of each other.
All of the characters were innocent, heartbreakingly beautiful and tragic figures with a wide range of issues ailing them. Among the five the story of Rosie, the always cheerful and bold girl, is the most tragic. I could not stop crying at the end when she gets crushed under the weight of her problems. All the others did not quite heal completely but Hunter and Stray’s romance gives them the strength to look forward to a new future together.
This book is not primarily a romance but the sweet and budding romance was like the first step in the healing process for both Hunter and Stray. Stray’s insecurities with his foster parents are shown to be on the mend, whereas Hunter finally accepts that it was not his fault that his sister got abused.
This story is not something you can expect an HEA from at the end. The ending is a promise that the Hunter and Stray are on the right track towards their recovery but they still have a long way to go to completely move on. This book has a lot of triggers and it is dark and depressing but it was touching and powerful too. I would recommend this book for those who can handle raw honesty and brutal truth and simply not just looking for an HEA.
I would like to applaud the author for writing such a powerful and emotional story. You will be helping a lot of people in coping with their problems and relate with their depression in a very moving way. I recommended this book to a friend who is suffering from a depressing episode herself and hopefully it will help her too. Thank You, Ms. Dawn for writing such a touching and a heartbreakingly beautiful story. KUDOS!!!
*This review has been cross posted at GayBookReviews*
“Turn the World Upside Down” is an extremely difficult and emotional book to read. It’s about a group of teenagers suffering from various mental problems and trying to cope, with support from one another. Hunter is the teenager through whose POV we get the story. After a tragic and life-altering incident in his family, Hunter is admitted at “Better Days”. What we get is a heart breaking as well as a healing story about the trying circumstances that brings the kids to Better Days and their struggle to accept life and move on.
This book is about those kids who may not have been the direct victim of a tragedy but who get affected just as badly. Hunter’s little sister is the victim in the story and the culprit is a family member whom Hunter has loved and respected. So in the aftermath, Hunter is left with a completely shredded heart and an endless pit of anger towards himself for not being able to put a stop to it. He feels guilty for not protecting his sister and letting her down when the foul crime had been going on under his nose for years. He is angry at the world, at his shit of a father and especially at himself.
Hunter’s entire family is devastated and his mother and sister are suffering in their own way whereas Hunter expresses his anger and suffering through violence. When he hits a teacher at school, his mom has no choice but to get him the help he so badly requires.
Hunter feels abandoned when he gets left behind at the facility. He is angry at his mom but also understands the pain which she herself is going through. We can clearly see the depth of hurt the tragic incident has left on him and his family.
At Better Days Hunter meets other kids who are all suffering from their own problems. Hunter makes friends and after he learns the root behind their sufferings, he even believes that his problems are really insignificant compared to the others. He helps them out and protects them from the bullies in the facility. The tentative friendship among Hunter and his friends grows as he learns to deal with his problems and try to help out his friends struggling with their own.
We get the entire story in Hunter’s POV and through bits and pieces we learn about his friends and their problems. Everyone had problems born out of different circumstances but trying and difficult nonetheless. They form an unlikely group and become close-knit and protective and loving of each other.
All of the characters were innocent, heartbreakingly beautiful and tragic figures with a wide range of issues ailing them. Among the five the story of Rosie, the always cheerful and bold girl, is the most tragic. I could not stop crying at the end when she gets crushed under the weight of her problems. All the others did not quite heal completely but Hunter and Stray’s romance gives them the strength to look forward to a new future together.
This book is not primarily a romance but the sweet and budding romance was like the first step in the healing process for both Hunter and Stray. Stray’s insecurities with his foster parents are shown to be on the mend, whereas Hunter finally accepts that it was not his fault that his sister got abused.
This story is not something you can expect an HEA from at the end. The ending is a promise that the Hunter and Stray are on the right track towards their recovery but they still have a long way to go to completely move on. This book has a lot of triggers and it is dark and depressing but it was touching and powerful too. I would recommend this book for those who can handle raw honesty and brutal truth and simply not just looking for an HEA.
I would like to applaud the author for writing such a powerful and emotional story. You will be helping a lot of people in coping with their problems and relate with their depression in a very moving way. I recommended this book to a friend who is suffering from a depressing episode herself and hopefully it will help her too. Thank You, Ms. Dawn for writing such a touching and a heartbreakingly beautiful story. KUDOS!!!
*This review has been cross posted at GayBookReviews*
October 1, 2019
3.5 stars
I love books about mental illnesses. I love to read about people overcoming whatever is bothering them, or at least find some way to live with it.
That being said, this book is hard. Don’t expect this book to be uplifting, because it was mostly depressing. Yes, we do get a HEA, and it felt good. But the road these guys had to take (and are still taking) is a long and hard one.
Hunter is 16 years old and feels guilty. So guilty that he gets aggressive. When he hits a teacher at school, his mom sends him away to get help. For 6 weeks he is to spend time at the facility Better Days with other troubled kids.
Hunter has no idea how to deal with the fact he couldn’t save his sister from being abused by their father for years. He thought his father was one of the good guys, but he turned out to be the bad guy instead.
Hunter doesn’t really want to get better if better means talking about his feelings. He just wants everything to go away. He just wants to stay quiet for 6 weeks an go home, he’s not there to talk or to make friends. But when he meets 4 other kids who for some reason want to be his friend, he can’t help but to start caring for them.
There is cheerful Rosie, who’s family just doesn’t know how to deal with her, there is bulimic Bethany, anxiety ridden Casey, and blue haired, self-cutter Stray.
He grows especially close to Stray, who simply tells him he thinks Hunter is hot. The 5 of them they together cope with everyday life at Better Days by doing little rebellious stuff. Nothing too serious, just having fun.
But even though Hunter has friends now, and even a boyfriend, he will have to face his demons someday, or he will never truly get better..
I loved getting more insight in Hunter’s anger with himself and his doubts. And how they manifested themselves so all he could do is lash out. As a mother of an angry (younger) child, I sometimes am puzzled what kind of emotions lie underneath the angry exterior. I have often read about kids and teenagers in books all behaving so rationally, it’s annoying. Kids and teens aren’t always rational. They are scared, feel angry, and lash out. So this felt very authentic.
But that being said, this was not a happy book. Hunter feels pretty depressed, and if that wasn’t enough, all kinds of tough shit happens to make it worse.
The relationship is not the center of this story, but it was a sweet one nonetheless. There were no real hiccups along the way of these boys except both their mental states.
So overall this was insightful and very interesting, but it did make me feel sad.
(Since this is YA, we only get kissing in this)
I love books about mental illnesses. I love to read about people overcoming whatever is bothering them, or at least find some way to live with it.
That being said, this book is hard. Don’t expect this book to be uplifting, because it was mostly depressing. Yes, we do get a HEA, and it felt good. But the road these guys had to take (and are still taking) is a long and hard one.
Hunter is 16 years old and feels guilty. So guilty that he gets aggressive. When he hits a teacher at school, his mom sends him away to get help. For 6 weeks he is to spend time at the facility Better Days with other troubled kids.
Hunter has no idea how to deal with the fact he couldn’t save his sister from being abused by their father for years. He thought his father was one of the good guys, but he turned out to be the bad guy instead.
Hunter doesn’t really want to get better if better means talking about his feelings. He just wants everything to go away. He just wants to stay quiet for 6 weeks an go home, he’s not there to talk or to make friends. But when he meets 4 other kids who for some reason want to be his friend, he can’t help but to start caring for them.
There is cheerful Rosie, who’s family just doesn’t know how to deal with her, there is bulimic Bethany, anxiety ridden Casey, and blue haired, self-cutter Stray.
He grows especially close to Stray, who simply tells him he thinks Hunter is hot. The 5 of them they together cope with everyday life at Better Days by doing little rebellious stuff. Nothing too serious, just having fun.
But even though Hunter has friends now, and even a boyfriend, he will have to face his demons someday, or he will never truly get better..
I loved getting more insight in Hunter’s anger with himself and his doubts. And how they manifested themselves so all he could do is lash out. As a mother of an angry (younger) child, I sometimes am puzzled what kind of emotions lie underneath the angry exterior. I have often read about kids and teenagers in books all behaving so rationally, it’s annoying. Kids and teens aren’t always rational. They are scared, feel angry, and lash out. So this felt very authentic.
But that being said, this was not a happy book. Hunter feels pretty depressed, and if that wasn’t enough, all kinds of tough shit happens to make it worse.
The relationship is not the center of this story, but it was a sweet one nonetheless. There were no real hiccups along the way of these boys except both their mental states.
So overall this was insightful and very interesting, but it did make me feel sad.
(Since this is YA, we only get kissing in this)
October 20, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.75 stars
Turn the World Upside Down is an exceptional young adult novel that takes on difficult topics and makes them accessible. It is with true talent that the author takes on so many issues in one book, but keeps them appropriate to the genre and also incorporates some of these issues in subtle ways.
The book is told from Hunter’s POV and while it’s truly his story, he meets a cast of characters along the way and they all bring along their own stories. Hunter carries a tremendous amount of guilt that he didn’t know how to diffuse. While it’s discovered in chapter one what happened in his home life, the blurb for the book doesn’t specify this so I’m not going to divulge it here. So Hunter is filled with rage and the author gets his reactions age appropriate as Hunter takes on blame, guilt, and shame.
The author also shows both sides of Hunter’s issue. She shows how Hunter views himself and the situation, but then also at the end brings in the view of one other family member. Reading this as an adult, I was able to see both sides early on, but for the young adult audience there could be teachable moments as well as fabulous insight offered. The secondary characters play an important role in the story and they all shine brightly and they all leave their mark. There are serious, real world issues handled such as eating disorders, extreme social anxiety, and bullying to name a few. All of these characters have a purpose as they propel the story forward. There was a portion well into the story that lagged some for me, but the last section more than made up for it and offers a climax that shakes every character (and possibly some readers) to their core.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
4.75 stars
Turn the World Upside Down is an exceptional young adult novel that takes on difficult topics and makes them accessible. It is with true talent that the author takes on so many issues in one book, but keeps them appropriate to the genre and also incorporates some of these issues in subtle ways.
The book is told from Hunter’s POV and while it’s truly his story, he meets a cast of characters along the way and they all bring along their own stories. Hunter carries a tremendous amount of guilt that he didn’t know how to diffuse. While it’s discovered in chapter one what happened in his home life, the blurb for the book doesn’t specify this so I’m not going to divulge it here. So Hunter is filled with rage and the author gets his reactions age appropriate as Hunter takes on blame, guilt, and shame.
The author also shows both sides of Hunter’s issue. She shows how Hunter views himself and the situation, but then also at the end brings in the view of one other family member. Reading this as an adult, I was able to see both sides early on, but for the young adult audience there could be teachable moments as well as fabulous insight offered. The secondary characters play an important role in the story and they all shine brightly and they all leave their mark. There are serious, real world issues handled such as eating disorders, extreme social anxiety, and bullying to name a few. All of these characters have a purpose as they propel the story forward. There was a portion well into the story that lagged some for me, but the last section more than made up for it and offers a climax that shakes every character (and possibly some readers) to their core.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
October 28, 2016
I knew I would love this story even though I also knew it would break my heart. I was right. It was lovely, sad, heartbreaking but also left me feeling hopeful. YA kills me because I just want to mother these kids but its a lovely gentle reminder when I see kids ( even adults ) acting out...everyone has a story to tell.
October 12, 2016
I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
4 Emotionally compelling Stars.
Young adult age-range: 14+ due to bullying/violence, abusive subject matter, mental illness and the effects, and kissing.
Turn the World Upside Down was a difficult book to read, as well as review. The dark subject matter was handled with compassion and from a different point-of-view meant to open minds and widen perceptions. I applaud the author for tackling such subject matter in the manner in which it was handled.
When bad things happen in a family to a singular person by another family member, usually everyone rallies around the victim, leaving the rest of the family to be in the supportive role. But, the problem with this, while the victim needs the attention and compassion, the entire family was the victim as well, leaving other siblings in the dark- forgotten.
Turn the World Upside Down was the voice of those usually forgotten in the shuffle- not the direct victim, but still someone affected by the events, but nonetheless forgotten. I appreciate this differing viewpoint, and it was refreshing to read how the author enlightened readers on how this devastates an entire family, each member in a different way.
Hunter is the older brother of a little sister who was abused. He feels responsible because he was the brother, and it's his job to take care of his sister. He feels responsible for not hearing his sister when she asked for his attention as a buffer, even if the only way to interpret her words were afterward because Hunter was not a mind-reader. His guilt is eating him alive because he loved the abuser- idolized him -instead of seeing what was subtly hiding beneath the surface. The truth.
Angry at the world, but mostly himself due to misplaced guilt, Hunter rages, unable to release the tension on the only person it belongs. I understood Hunter, because I, too, don't believe in burdening others with my feelings, as their feelings are more important and I feel my emotions are private- none of their business unless I feel like sharing.
This rage built until Hunter could no longer contain it, causing his mother to send him to a camp for children with mental illness. Not only is he raging, he feels abandoned, but also understands how his behavior is taking away from the attention his sister needs. But Hunter needs attention too, because he's hurting in a different way.
On the pages of the novel, the reader is taken on a 6-week journey as Hunter comes to terms with his emotions, learning he has no fault in what happened, and makes friends with other teens who are struggling.
Even with his new friends, Hunter feels as if he needs help the least, worrying about their issues more than his own, in a place where the teens all have an equal voice and need for help.
The difficulty with the novel is the tough subject matter involving not only Hunter's past and present, but the friends he makes. All have tragic mental illnesses. I couldn't help but feel that the last thing these kids needed to be around are more tragedies they would internalize and devour as if it were their own pain- it didn't feel healthy to me that Hunter would have to be in a place to heal with other children who were hellbent on making his wounds worse, while he dealt with everyone else's issues instead of his own.
While I understood the why of it, and applaud the author for showing this side, the entire situation didn't feel healthy to me. Forging connections and helping one another is fantastic, knowing you're not alone with your mental illness is a comfort, but making and losing friends due to their mental illness, while their illness writes its signature on you psyche is not healthy, especially with the bullying behind the scenes by other teens. Hunter shouldn't have had to deal with everyone's issues when he should have been dealing with his own, compounded by the devastation of losing new friends and being bullied/beaten, all of which were new stressers added on top of 'his' issues. It felt worse, not better.
It just felt as if the child didn't have the fortitude and family Hunter had, they didn't have a snowball's chance of healing due to the influences and pressures from the people in the very place they were placed in order to heal. Counterproductive, trying to find positivity in a negative environment.
The saying 'misery loves company' doesn't mean they ban together and find happiness- it means they dwell together in their misery, making it worse. I understand it, appreciate the angle the author provided, but I don't believe this type of environment is healthy for anyone- anywhere, even if it's reality for so many.
All of the characters were compelling, heart-breaking, and innocent in their mental illness, yet also manipulative and toxic as they tried to keep their issues alive. The friendships forged were inspiring, yet sometimes enabling and destructive to one another. The romantic relationship between Hunter and Stray was innocent and sweet, filled with hope for the future for those who made an attempt at getting better.
All-in-all, Nyrae Dawn created a novel which will make the reader think for a long time after they finish the book, but I can't say I 'enjoyed' it.
I do recommend it to those who won't be triggered by the subject matter, and to those in the right emotional mindset to tackle the story. However, I don't think it's a book for everyone- not that any book truly is. I particularly recommend to those who need the comfort of knowing others are going through similar situations they may be in, and to see a differing viewpoint via the victim who wasn't the direct victim of the assailant.
Hunter had a voice, and I'm glad I got to hear it.
4 Emotionally compelling Stars.
Young adult age-range: 14+ due to bullying/violence, abusive subject matter, mental illness and the effects, and kissing.
Turn the World Upside Down was a difficult book to read, as well as review. The dark subject matter was handled with compassion and from a different point-of-view meant to open minds and widen perceptions. I applaud the author for tackling such subject matter in the manner in which it was handled.
When bad things happen in a family to a singular person by another family member, usually everyone rallies around the victim, leaving the rest of the family to be in the supportive role. But, the problem with this, while the victim needs the attention and compassion, the entire family was the victim as well, leaving other siblings in the dark- forgotten.
Turn the World Upside Down was the voice of those usually forgotten in the shuffle- not the direct victim, but still someone affected by the events, but nonetheless forgotten. I appreciate this differing viewpoint, and it was refreshing to read how the author enlightened readers on how this devastates an entire family, each member in a different way.
Hunter is the older brother of a little sister who was abused. He feels responsible because he was the brother, and it's his job to take care of his sister. He feels responsible for not hearing his sister when she asked for his attention as a buffer, even if the only way to interpret her words were afterward because Hunter was not a mind-reader. His guilt is eating him alive because he loved the abuser- idolized him -instead of seeing what was subtly hiding beneath the surface. The truth.
Angry at the world, but mostly himself due to misplaced guilt, Hunter rages, unable to release the tension on the only person it belongs. I understood Hunter, because I, too, don't believe in burdening others with my feelings, as their feelings are more important and I feel my emotions are private- none of their business unless I feel like sharing.
This rage built until Hunter could no longer contain it, causing his mother to send him to a camp for children with mental illness. Not only is he raging, he feels abandoned, but also understands how his behavior is taking away from the attention his sister needs. But Hunter needs attention too, because he's hurting in a different way.
On the pages of the novel, the reader is taken on a 6-week journey as Hunter comes to terms with his emotions, learning he has no fault in what happened, and makes friends with other teens who are struggling.
Even with his new friends, Hunter feels as if he needs help the least, worrying about their issues more than his own, in a place where the teens all have an equal voice and need for help.
The difficulty with the novel is the tough subject matter involving not only Hunter's past and present, but the friends he makes. All have tragic mental illnesses. I couldn't help but feel that the last thing these kids needed to be around are more tragedies they would internalize and devour as if it were their own pain- it didn't feel healthy to me that Hunter would have to be in a place to heal with other children who were hellbent on making his wounds worse, while he dealt with everyone else's issues instead of his own.
While I understood the why of it, and applaud the author for showing this side, the entire situation didn't feel healthy to me. Forging connections and helping one another is fantastic, knowing you're not alone with your mental illness is a comfort, but making and losing friends due to their mental illness, while their illness writes its signature on you psyche is not healthy, especially with the bullying behind the scenes by other teens. Hunter shouldn't have had to deal with everyone's issues when he should have been dealing with his own, compounded by the devastation of losing new friends and being bullied/beaten, all of which were new stressers added on top of 'his' issues. It felt worse, not better.
It just felt as if the child didn't have the fortitude and family Hunter had, they didn't have a snowball's chance of healing due to the influences and pressures from the people in the very place they were placed in order to heal. Counterproductive, trying to find positivity in a negative environment.
The saying 'misery loves company' doesn't mean they ban together and find happiness- it means they dwell together in their misery, making it worse. I understand it, appreciate the angle the author provided, but I don't believe this type of environment is healthy for anyone- anywhere, even if it's reality for so many.
All of the characters were compelling, heart-breaking, and innocent in their mental illness, yet also manipulative and toxic as they tried to keep their issues alive. The friendships forged were inspiring, yet sometimes enabling and destructive to one another. The romantic relationship between Hunter and Stray was innocent and sweet, filled with hope for the future for those who made an attempt at getting better.
All-in-all, Nyrae Dawn created a novel which will make the reader think for a long time after they finish the book, but I can't say I 'enjoyed' it.
I do recommend it to those who won't be triggered by the subject matter, and to those in the right emotional mindset to tackle the story. However, I don't think it's a book for everyone- not that any book truly is. I particularly recommend to those who need the comfort of knowing others are going through similar situations they may be in, and to see a differing viewpoint via the victim who wasn't the direct victim of the assailant.
Hunter had a voice, and I'm glad I got to hear it.
November 29, 2016
Oh lordy. I have a lot to say about this book.
Let me start with this-- The book had me hooked from the beginning. I fell in love with each and every character. Nyrae Dawn does an amazing job at capturing how mental-illness can look, feel, and take over you entirely (having experienced it). But really, from what I got out of this book, is that friendship and family will help you through your troubles. Yeah, there are bad times in life. but still, there is always going to be at least one person who loves you and cares about you.
Stray and Hunter's relationship is beautiful. You can really see how much they care and love for each other through out the book (as well as Hunter and Stray's other friends, except not romantically).
Well. I can say that this book did crush my soul, but in the end, things worked out for the main characters and it left me happy rather than feeling that it was missing something. It was kind of short, and I think it maybe could have been a little longer, but other than that, I think it is totally worth reading.
Let me start with this-- The book had me hooked from the beginning. I fell in love with each and every character. Nyrae Dawn does an amazing job at capturing how mental-illness can look, feel, and take over you entirely (having experienced it). But really, from what I got out of this book, is that friendship and family will help you through your troubles. Yeah, there are bad times in life. but still, there is always going to be at least one person who loves you and cares about you.
Stray and Hunter's relationship is beautiful. You can really see how much they care and love for each other through out the book (as well as Hunter and Stray's other friends, except not romantically).
Well. I can say that this book did crush my soul, but in the end, things worked out for the main characters and it left me happy rather than feeling that it was missing something. It was kind of short, and I think it maybe could have been a little longer, but other than that, I think it is totally worth reading.
October 30, 2016
Люблю я книги про друзей-подростков в психиатрической больнице. Вот только Nyrae Dawn, насколько мне известно, это псевдоним Riley Hart, под которым она пишет young adult. От Riley Hart я не в восторге, поэтому и от Turn the World Upside Down многого не ждала. Многого и не получила. Довольно интересное начало и эмоциональный конец, но середина безбожно провисает причем настолько, что я начала пролистывать. Да и романтическая линия еле ощущается. В целом неплохо, но местами скучно и до Spectacularly Broken Sage C. Holloway явно не дотягивает.
October 26, 2016
This was very sad, and shows just how damaged some kids are. We have to keep them safe, and give them a chance to heal.
Really sad book. Still good though. And ultimately hopeful.
Really sad book. Still good though. And ultimately hopeful.
October 21, 2016
“Maybe I like the idea of someone to hide in the dark with. Maybe that’ll make it easier to find the light.”
There is so much dark in Hunter’s life. Running from the realization that he failed to see what was happening to his little sister at the hands of the man who should have been her fiercest protector leaves him so shaken, so angry, so very, very lost he cannot find his way back from the deep dark abyss his life has fallen into over the last few months. When his mother decides to send him to Better Days, he remains determined to get his time there done without really revealing all the pain inside—that is, until he meets the small gang of equally struggling teens who become his second family.
From Rosie, whose bright spark defies any logical reason she should be in the facility at all, to the bulimic Bethany and the fragile Casey, Hunter slowly begins to see there are people who are just as lost as he feels. But it is Stray, a foster teen who self-mutilates, that really manages to pierce the darkest place inside Hunter and slowly help him find the light. As their relationship deepens, and one devastating episode after another occurs, Hunter must finally come to terms with the fact that the only person he can truly save in the end is himself—but that revelation comes at a great price, and more loss must happen before true healing can begin.
I am going to freely admit the above summary for the novel Turn the World Upside Down is the weakest I have ever written. There is good reason for that: this story is so incredibly rich and multi-layered, intense and just emotionally stunning that to describe it further would be to give too much away—and, dear reader, this is one you must experience for yourself. It is just gorgeous. It is also full of multiple triggering events for those who cannot read about suicide, cutting, depression, and sexual abuse/incest. While I wish I would not have to have put this warning in my review, it is important for those who are sensitive to those issues to realize that all of these elements are dealt with in the story. BUT—and this is big—they are written about with incredible compassion, understanding and most occur off the page, referenced but not described, and when they are included, it is fashioned in such a way that your heart weeps for the victims and subsequently soars as hope accompanies each moment of pain that has been endured.
Author Nyrae Dawn has written the most beautiful story—an important novel that brings into light circumstances that teens deal with every day of their lives. She writes with tenderness for the families who must make the wrenching decision to hand their children over to mental health facilities in the hopes that somehow they can fix the brokenness that holds their child captive and threatens to destroy them. She crawls inside the heads and hearts of teens who have been handed a life that has pushed them far beyond their ability to cope, and reveals how lost and broken they feel. This story—this gorgeous, heart-wrenching story—grabs you by the hand and leads you unflinchingly into a place of utter despair, and promises that some will be helped and, sadly, terribly, some will falter and fall before they can find their way back to the light. This novel is honest, beautifully written and so very important on so many levels.
I encourage you to pick up this book and experience its beauty for yourself. I cannot recommend it highly enough, no more than to say that it has made a lasting impact on me. Of that I can assure you.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews
There is so much dark in Hunter’s life. Running from the realization that he failed to see what was happening to his little sister at the hands of the man who should have been her fiercest protector leaves him so shaken, so angry, so very, very lost he cannot find his way back from the deep dark abyss his life has fallen into over the last few months. When his mother decides to send him to Better Days, he remains determined to get his time there done without really revealing all the pain inside—that is, until he meets the small gang of equally struggling teens who become his second family.
From Rosie, whose bright spark defies any logical reason she should be in the facility at all, to the bulimic Bethany and the fragile Casey, Hunter slowly begins to see there are people who are just as lost as he feels. But it is Stray, a foster teen who self-mutilates, that really manages to pierce the darkest place inside Hunter and slowly help him find the light. As their relationship deepens, and one devastating episode after another occurs, Hunter must finally come to terms with the fact that the only person he can truly save in the end is himself—but that revelation comes at a great price, and more loss must happen before true healing can begin.
I am going to freely admit the above summary for the novel Turn the World Upside Down is the weakest I have ever written. There is good reason for that: this story is so incredibly rich and multi-layered, intense and just emotionally stunning that to describe it further would be to give too much away—and, dear reader, this is one you must experience for yourself. It is just gorgeous. It is also full of multiple triggering events for those who cannot read about suicide, cutting, depression, and sexual abuse/incest. While I wish I would not have to have put this warning in my review, it is important for those who are sensitive to those issues to realize that all of these elements are dealt with in the story. BUT—and this is big—they are written about with incredible compassion, understanding and most occur off the page, referenced but not described, and when they are included, it is fashioned in such a way that your heart weeps for the victims and subsequently soars as hope accompanies each moment of pain that has been endured.
Author Nyrae Dawn has written the most beautiful story—an important novel that brings into light circumstances that teens deal with every day of their lives. She writes with tenderness for the families who must make the wrenching decision to hand their children over to mental health facilities in the hopes that somehow they can fix the brokenness that holds their child captive and threatens to destroy them. She crawls inside the heads and hearts of teens who have been handed a life that has pushed them far beyond their ability to cope, and reveals how lost and broken they feel. This story—this gorgeous, heart-wrenching story—grabs you by the hand and leads you unflinchingly into a place of utter despair, and promises that some will be helped and, sadly, terribly, some will falter and fall before they can find their way back to the light. This novel is honest, beautifully written and so very important on so many levels.
I encourage you to pick up this book and experience its beauty for yourself. I cannot recommend it highly enough, no more than to say that it has made a lasting impact on me. Of that I can assure you.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews
May 31, 2021
Oh my god, this book was everything. Equal parts sad and touching and moving and a little happy, it was one of the first books that actually got me crying a little in a long time. Hunter and Stray and their little group of friends were all so real and raw, I was rooting for them the whole time. They're messy and make mistakes and it HURTS, but I loved them all the same. I loved Hunter and Stray's relationship, and I found it very refreshing how none of Hunter's anger was due to him being gay and he didn't struggle with that part of him, I feel like that's not something I see a lot in books, especially with characters like him.
This is a VERY heavy book so heed the trigger warnings seriously if you decide to check it out, but I felt like it handled the subject matter very well and respectfully, and if you can handle it, I definitely recommend reading it. It'll probably make you cry but it's worth it. This book made me want to check out all of Nyrae Dawn's other work, and I think I might just do that next.
This is a VERY heavy book so heed the trigger warnings seriously if you decide to check it out, but I felt like it handled the subject matter very well and respectfully, and if you can handle it, I definitely recommend reading it. It'll probably make you cry but it's worth it. This book made me want to check out all of Nyrae Dawn's other work, and I think I might just do that next.
October 20, 2016
REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE
4.5 Stars
Young Adult is something I tend to avoid when it comes to my books but I can’t seem to resist anything that Nyrae puts out there. Turn the World Upside Down covers a lot of emotional topics and I think this is probably the biggest reason I tend not to read them – I have my own young adults still living at home and I can’t even begin to imagine my boys having to go through half this stuff – I am lucky they never have and I keep my fingers crossed that they never will.
When we meet Hunter Donovan he is not in a good place. Guilt ridden over events that involve his sister his temper is getting the better of him and putting others in danger. His mother makes the decision to get him help before he is completely out of control but having him committed only adds to Hunters hurt and confusion and doesn’t leave him open to accepting the help that is offered.
As Hunter begins his healing journey he makes friends with a group of people who are all clinging to the hope that they can get better. Their problems and illnesses cover a pretty varied and wide spectrum but every single one of them becomes relevant to the story and not all of them get the happy ending they are fighting for. His best friend, the one that makes his heart beat a bit faster and finally kisses him is Stray, a young man with his own sadness and demons to beat, this pair help each other, understand each other and maybe by the end want to heal for each other.
I liked that this story wasn’t a fix for everyone involved and that their problems were made believable. It’s a sad story and one that doesn’t give everyone a HEA. There was no easy way out for any of the kids involved and the author didn’t take the easy route by fixing them all – in fact she did quite the opposite. A thought provoking read with a HFN ending.
4.5 Stars
Young Adult is something I tend to avoid when it comes to my books but I can’t seem to resist anything that Nyrae puts out there. Turn the World Upside Down covers a lot of emotional topics and I think this is probably the biggest reason I tend not to read them – I have my own young adults still living at home and I can’t even begin to imagine my boys having to go through half this stuff – I am lucky they never have and I keep my fingers crossed that they never will.
When we meet Hunter Donovan he is not in a good place. Guilt ridden over events that involve his sister his temper is getting the better of him and putting others in danger. His mother makes the decision to get him help before he is completely out of control but having him committed only adds to Hunters hurt and confusion and doesn’t leave him open to accepting the help that is offered.
As Hunter begins his healing journey he makes friends with a group of people who are all clinging to the hope that they can get better. Their problems and illnesses cover a pretty varied and wide spectrum but every single one of them becomes relevant to the story and not all of them get the happy ending they are fighting for. His best friend, the one that makes his heart beat a bit faster and finally kisses him is Stray, a young man with his own sadness and demons to beat, this pair help each other, understand each other and maybe by the end want to heal for each other.
I liked that this story wasn’t a fix for everyone involved and that their problems were made believable. It’s a sad story and one that doesn’t give everyone a HEA. There was no easy way out for any of the kids involved and the author didn’t take the easy route by fixing them all – in fact she did quite the opposite. A thought provoking read with a HFN ending.
November 2, 2024
This beautiful, moving, haunting story...I am speechless and not even sure I can articulate how this book was balm for my dark soul. This story is so much more than a young adult novel. It's a novel for anyone who has ever felt themselves drowning in the sea known as mental illness. This story is the reassurance that you aren't alone and you are seen.
Poignant, raw, I feel seen, my emotions are frayed, and I just can't with this story. A rag-tag team of teens, struggling through anxiety, depression, eating-disorders, cutting, anger issues and more, who find solace in their friendship as they work through therapy. To say I was moved would be an understatement. The dynamic characters tackle tough topics in a way that is both brutally honest, but filtered with humor and hope. Nyrae truly captures mental illness in a way that you only know if you have been intimately acquainted with it.
And while friendships and relationships are blooming, these characters are being ripped open and pieced back together in therapy. The story centers around Hunter, who is trying to work through his anger and guilty. Which at times, feels like a tangible, palpable thing. His pain and anguish tore at my heart but his inner strength, determination, and passion had me hugging my Kindle. Then there is his budding relationship with Stray, who stole the show. From his blue hair, to his lost soul, to the marks that cover his body, I wanted to take him into a hug and never let go.
A hug plot twist towards the end of the book turns everything upside down. I wasn't prepared for that, I don't think anything could have prepared me for that. It was just a moment of darkness that descended but it also gave these teens the motivation to get their sh*t together. To be better for each other and themselves. As I close the story, I am left feeling so hopeful for these kids future.
Poignant, raw, I feel seen, my emotions are frayed, and I just can't with this story. A rag-tag team of teens, struggling through anxiety, depression, eating-disorders, cutting, anger issues and more, who find solace in their friendship as they work through therapy. To say I was moved would be an understatement. The dynamic characters tackle tough topics in a way that is both brutally honest, but filtered with humor and hope. Nyrae truly captures mental illness in a way that you only know if you have been intimately acquainted with it.
And while friendships and relationships are blooming, these characters are being ripped open and pieced back together in therapy. The story centers around Hunter, who is trying to work through his anger and guilty. Which at times, feels like a tangible, palpable thing. His pain and anguish tore at my heart but his inner strength, determination, and passion had me hugging my Kindle. Then there is his budding relationship with Stray, who stole the show. From his blue hair, to his lost soul, to the marks that cover his body, I wanted to take him into a hug and never let go.
A hug plot twist towards the end of the book turns everything upside down. I wasn't prepared for that, I don't think anything could have prepared me for that. It was just a moment of darkness that descended but it also gave these teens the motivation to get their sh*t together. To be better for each other and themselves. As I close the story, I am left feeling so hopeful for these kids future.
October 13, 2016
I was given a copy of this to read and review for Wicked Reads.
This is a powerful and difficult story about a group of teenagers with a range of mental health problems. The story is told from the perspective of Hunter, a boy who has not been able to deal with a horrific family crisis.
Hunter is a flawed, often self-centred narrator and his observations of his friends and peers in a rehabilitation centre give readers glimpses of each character in the centre without ever fully revealing their problems, emotions and experiences. Hunter is crippled by guilt and his temper is focused inwards. I found it impossible not to care for him but his destructive behaviour made him very difficult to like.
Hunter’s small group of friends become real characters once Hunter starts to take interest in the world around him. I found it fascinating to piece together each character through Hunter’s observations, even when Hunter himself doesn’t understand what he is observing.
This is more of a young adult story with gay main characters than a gay romance. The romance between Hunter and Stray is sweet and complicated, but it really isn’t the focus of this story. The focus is Hunter’s experiences as he struggles to deal with the responsibility he feels for the incident that shattered his family. His relationships - both romantic and platonic - are part of his recovery.
This isn’t an easy story with a simple HEA. There is a raw honesty in this writing that I found very difficult at times. It is a beautifully written story. The author never talks down to her teen audience and she refuses to offer easy platitudes. It is an important and moving book.
This is a powerful and difficult story about a group of teenagers with a range of mental health problems. The story is told from the perspective of Hunter, a boy who has not been able to deal with a horrific family crisis.
Hunter is a flawed, often self-centred narrator and his observations of his friends and peers in a rehabilitation centre give readers glimpses of each character in the centre without ever fully revealing their problems, emotions and experiences. Hunter is crippled by guilt and his temper is focused inwards. I found it impossible not to care for him but his destructive behaviour made him very difficult to like.
Hunter’s small group of friends become real characters once Hunter starts to take interest in the world around him. I found it fascinating to piece together each character through Hunter’s observations, even when Hunter himself doesn’t understand what he is observing.
This is more of a young adult story with gay main characters than a gay romance. The romance between Hunter and Stray is sweet and complicated, but it really isn’t the focus of this story. The focus is Hunter’s experiences as he struggles to deal with the responsibility he feels for the incident that shattered his family. His relationships - both romantic and platonic - are part of his recovery.
This isn’t an easy story with a simple HEA. There is a raw honesty in this writing that I found very difficult at times. It is a beautifully written story. The author never talks down to her teen audience and she refuses to offer easy platitudes. It is an important and moving book.
November 26, 2016
Hunter is furious. With himself. His father. And the world. He thinks he let his little sister down by not realizing she was being molested by their father. Now he's at Better Days, a mental health camp for mentally ill teens. He refuses to talk about why he's in treatment, but slowly opens up and befriends some other teens. Unfortunately, they won't all recover or survive their summer.
TURN THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN takes an interesting premise, a brother's guilt over his sister's abuse, into a mostly clichéd story with characters you'd find in every story about psychiatric treatment. The residents include: a bulimic, a suicidal self injurer, someone with anxiety and a bully. Incidents include: a LGBT romance, bullying, a suicide.
I never felt like Nyrae Dawn added any originality to the plot and while a few characters had interesting backstories, there was nothing I hadn't read in other similar books. I also didn't feel like she did much research into the mental illnesses or treatment other than basic googling or knowing someone or suffering with a particular condition.
I did enjoy Dawn's very readable writing style.
TURN THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN is a decent, but unoriginal story.
TURN THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN takes an interesting premise, a brother's guilt over his sister's abuse, into a mostly clichéd story with characters you'd find in every story about psychiatric treatment. The residents include: a bulimic, a suicidal self injurer, someone with anxiety and a bully. Incidents include: a LGBT romance, bullying, a suicide.
I never felt like Nyrae Dawn added any originality to the plot and while a few characters had interesting backstories, there was nothing I hadn't read in other similar books. I also didn't feel like she did much research into the mental illnesses or treatment other than basic googling or knowing someone or suffering with a particular condition.
I did enjoy Dawn's very readable writing style.
TURN THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN is a decent, but unoriginal story.
November 30, 2016
✨✨✨✨✨5 Emotionally Spent Stars✨✨✨✨✨
Turn the World Upside Down was difficult for me to read as I deal with mental health issues frequently with my profession as a Paramedic, not just with my patients, but personally also.
I absolutely adore author Riley Hart, who also writes as Nyrae Dawn, so I knew going in that this would be a wonderfully written story. Each of the characters deal with very different issues and Ms. Dawn did her research to bring the reader a true and accurate portrayal of the problems they had to deal with.
While this is mainly an angsty, emotional, heartbreaking story, it has a ray of light in the developing romance between Hunter and Stray. This book is so much more than just about mental health and healing. It is about human interactions, friendship and yes, how love can influence a person's ability to to come to terms with it.
I highly recommend reading this terrific story by Nyrae Dawn!
✨✨✨✨✨
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book
✨✨✨✨✨
Reviewed by Barb from Alpha Book Club
✨✨✨✨✨
Turn the World Upside Down was difficult for me to read as I deal with mental health issues frequently with my profession as a Paramedic, not just with my patients, but personally also.
I absolutely adore author Riley Hart, who also writes as Nyrae Dawn, so I knew going in that this would be a wonderfully written story. Each of the characters deal with very different issues and Ms. Dawn did her research to bring the reader a true and accurate portrayal of the problems they had to deal with.
While this is mainly an angsty, emotional, heartbreaking story, it has a ray of light in the developing romance between Hunter and Stray. This book is so much more than just about mental health and healing. It is about human interactions, friendship and yes, how love can influence a person's ability to to come to terms with it.
I highly recommend reading this terrific story by Nyrae Dawn!
✨✨✨✨✨
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book
✨✨✨✨✨
Reviewed by Barb from Alpha Book Club
✨✨✨✨✨
October 27, 2016
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
This is a story about teens struggling with mental health issues, told through Hunter's time at the Better Days clinic. Self harm, bulling, sexual assault and suicide are among some of the issues dealt with in this story. At times it makes for difficult reading and I shed plenty of tears but I loved these characters and this book with all my heart.
I, like many out there, am presently experiencing my own issues and this book hit the spot. In her dedication Nyrae Dawn says "This book is dedicated to you. To anyone who needs it". Well I needed it. Thank you Ms Dawn.
This is a story about teens struggling with mental health issues, told through Hunter's time at the Better Days clinic. Self harm, bulling, sexual assault and suicide are among some of the issues dealt with in this story. At times it makes for difficult reading and I shed plenty of tears but I loved these characters and this book with all my heart.
I, like many out there, am presently experiencing my own issues and this book hit the spot. In her dedication Nyrae Dawn says "This book is dedicated to you. To anyone who needs it". Well I needed it. Thank you Ms Dawn.
October 24, 2016
This is one of the hardest, best books I've read in a really long time. I can't even begin to describe Hinter's Journey. But it's not just his. It's Bethany's. And Casey's. And Rosie's. And Stray's. And all people who struggle with mental health, eating disorders, cutting, anxiety, and a grief and anger so deep it's overwhelming. Truly a beautifully told story.
Trigger warnings for all mental health and other behavioral challenges.
Trigger warnings for all mental health and other behavioral challenges.
August 21, 2017
Figuring it out
Loved this story. Hunter was so angry with events he couldn't control. I just knew when his mother took him to Better Days he was going to have to unpack his drama. I loved the interactions between The gang of five. 5.0 for blue hair.
Loved this story. Hunter was so angry with events he couldn't control. I just knew when his mother took him to Better Days he was going to have to unpack his drama. I loved the interactions between The gang of five. 5.0 for blue hair.
February 8, 2021
Turn the World Upside Down is an extraordinary book that will take up residence in your heart and haunt you for days. It examines a group of teenagers struggling to grow up while mired in mental illness. It’s a sweet love story, but so much more. It’s about how love can help heal us. How love sometimes can’t reach us. And how sometimes love just isn’t enough. The book is heartbreakingly raw and real. Kids’ problems may seem deceptively simple but when internalized and distorted by wildly conflicting emotions, and complicated by youth and inexperience, they can become a festering wound. Whether it’s anger, not feeling loved, feeling less than, or being too anxious to assimilate, it can become insurmountable.
This is Hunter’s story; he’s a sixteen-year-old boy whose family was recently shattered when it was discovered his sister was being harmed. He feels guilty and angry, believing he could’ve helped her. He’s stricken with self-hatred and episodes of violent rage. When he arrives at Better Days “residential treatment facility” he’s alone and angry but is soon enfolded into a cadre of four other residents: Stray, the beautiful boy who self-harms because no one has ever loved or wanted him; Casey, who is tormented with debilitating anxiety and wouldn’t be able to survive Better Days without his friends; Rosie, the irrepressible girl who strives to keep everyone's spirits up; and fragile Bethany, who’s struggling with an eating disorder.
Nyrae Dawn does a superb job not only with her complex character development but world building, as well. It’s not difficult to visualize the whole facility given the skill with which Ms. Dawn crafts her world. She creates the framework while allowing enough space for the reader to engage their own imagination. I can see the squeaky-clean institutional floors, the barren dorm rooms, and the attempts at overly cheerful decor. I can picture the slump-shouldered children, weary with mental and emotional exhaustion from therapy. I can smell the fresh hay in the stable and the questionnaire food odors in the cafeteria. I feel the desperation and utter sadness rolling off the kids in waves while their facial expressions drip with disdain. In my version of Better Days, there is false bravado, clinginess, averted eyes, arms crossed in defiance, and tears streaking down faces in rivulets.
But let’s talk about the love story of Hunter and Stray (self-named because he has no parents and nobody wants him). Hunter’s new friendships at Better Days serve as a balm that helps him do the hard work required for healing. But no one more than Stray. The boys want to get better for themselves but they also want to be better for each other so they can hang on to their love once they’re back home. Their relationship develops slowly. There’s attraction early on, but there’s only so much they can do when being monitored almost 24/7. There’s nothing but kissing, but that makes it tender, tentative, innocent and oh, so lovely.
I enjoyed how the bond between the boys is portrayed when they each lie on the bathroom floor at night, on either side of the shared wall between their rooms. When they’re distressed, they knock on the walls quietly to let the other know they’re there for support. It’s such a lovely gesture to have included in the narrative.
Turn the World Upside Down is a compelling and powerful book that had me in tears. Not everyone gets a happy ending, sadly, but Hunter and Stray are bestowed with a surprisingly happy for now ending. There’s hope for Hunter and Stray, not just as a couple but as individuals who are now working hard on their recoveries.
Thank you for this special book, Ms. Dawn.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
This is Hunter’s story; he’s a sixteen-year-old boy whose family was recently shattered when it was discovered his sister was being harmed. He feels guilty and angry, believing he could’ve helped her. He’s stricken with self-hatred and episodes of violent rage. When he arrives at Better Days “residential treatment facility” he’s alone and angry but is soon enfolded into a cadre of four other residents: Stray, the beautiful boy who self-harms because no one has ever loved or wanted him; Casey, who is tormented with debilitating anxiety and wouldn’t be able to survive Better Days without his friends; Rosie, the irrepressible girl who strives to keep everyone's spirits up; and fragile Bethany, who’s struggling with an eating disorder.
Nyrae Dawn does a superb job not only with her complex character development but world building, as well. It’s not difficult to visualize the whole facility given the skill with which Ms. Dawn crafts her world. She creates the framework while allowing enough space for the reader to engage their own imagination. I can see the squeaky-clean institutional floors, the barren dorm rooms, and the attempts at overly cheerful decor. I can picture the slump-shouldered children, weary with mental and emotional exhaustion from therapy. I can smell the fresh hay in the stable and the questionnaire food odors in the cafeteria. I feel the desperation and utter sadness rolling off the kids in waves while their facial expressions drip with disdain. In my version of Better Days, there is false bravado, clinginess, averted eyes, arms crossed in defiance, and tears streaking down faces in rivulets.
But let’s talk about the love story of Hunter and Stray (self-named because he has no parents and nobody wants him). Hunter’s new friendships at Better Days serve as a balm that helps him do the hard work required for healing. But no one more than Stray. The boys want to get better for themselves but they also want to be better for each other so they can hang on to their love once they’re back home. Their relationship develops slowly. There’s attraction early on, but there’s only so much they can do when being monitored almost 24/7. There’s nothing but kissing, but that makes it tender, tentative, innocent and oh, so lovely.
I enjoyed how the bond between the boys is portrayed when they each lie on the bathroom floor at night, on either side of the shared wall between their rooms. When they’re distressed, they knock on the walls quietly to let the other know they’re there for support. It’s such a lovely gesture to have included in the narrative.
Turn the World Upside Down is a compelling and powerful book that had me in tears. Not everyone gets a happy ending, sadly, but Hunter and Stray are bestowed with a surprisingly happy for now ending. There’s hope for Hunter and Stray, not just as a couple but as individuals who are now working hard on their recoveries.
Thank you for this special book, Ms. Dawn.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
November 22, 2019
This was the most powerful book that I have read in 2019 hands down! It did take me time to actually get through the book cause even though these character's are fiction some of the emotions and reasons they are there hit really close to home. Through each of these character's I could relate to what they were going through in certain times of my life. I also could relate to some of the traits they had in friends of mine that have tried suicide and failed and those that have tried and succeeded. Rosie's character is the most common one that I have personally seen and ones that you seen more so of celebrities, rock stars or anyone really in the public eye, the ones that always seem to be laughing, joking, always cheerful, never seeming to let anything or anyone get them down. That one person who so many people envy cause just one time they may want to have that feeling of not being so held down with everyday pressures of life. However, I have realized that those are the ones that seem to be suffering and crying out the most but never loud enough for anyone to hear. Then we have sweet Bethany who all it took was a broken family and one low blow to her self esteem and she would rather starve herself then ever be considered "fat". I have personally gone through this for years when my daughter was younger in school! The shaming of ones body, looks, how one dresses. I always thought I had it bad back in school with notes that could take a day or two to get around to my school. Now all it takes is a push of a button on a dang cell phone at schoo,or a click of a button at home of a laptop or computer and someone's child could be bullied by thousands of people she or he have never and probably will never meet over a few people at school that just had to feel better about themselves. Stray, being a mother it torn at me how he coped with feeling unloved. The reasons why some parents kick their young teenagers out of their homes for what being gay, dating outside their race or religion. These are our kids!
I am not saying that these institutions will work for ever child out their suffering from some type of mental illness, it needs to start at home, through schools! This is such a horrible epidemic that is hurting and killing the kids of today probably more then the last generations. This book should be spread throughout schools as a mandatory read.
I am not saying that these institutions will work for ever child out their suffering from some type of mental illness, it needs to start at home, through schools! This is such a horrible epidemic that is hurting and killing the kids of today probably more then the last generations. This book should be spread throughout schools as a mandatory read.
October 31, 2019
Every once in a while a book comes along that crawls into your heart and makes its home there. Where the characters are beside you even when you’re not reading. When the reflections on life seem so poignant and personal, it’s like the novelist wrote the story just for you. This is that book for me.
Both main characters, Stray and Hunter, lead me through myriad emotions. Their pain is pervasive and real. But their hope is also contagious. Despite a rapid roller coaster of emotions throughout the last half of the story, the pervading emotion when I clicked to the last page was hope.
The secondary characters were also amazing. They accelerated my deep desire to know and understand the whole group of them. Rosie, Bethany and Casey all enriched the milieu incredibly. These three were all incredibly different from each other in many ways, but the five characters complimented each other in a very organic way — the way you only experience if you are lucky enough to experience an instant connection with another human.
While this is a YA story, I am by no means a young adult. As a result, I identified with some of the staff characters as well. Their intrinsic desire to help and their caring resonated with me as someone who has worked in the field.
All this is to say this is an amazing story that, barring issues identified in the trigger warning, would be a fantastic reading experience for a wide range of people. Although the two main characters are gay and do evolve a romantic relationship, this is not a gay story (as if there is such a thing) but a human one. I suspect there isn’t a single reader that wouldn’t be able to identify with at least one character in the book.
Both main characters, Stray and Hunter, lead me through myriad emotions. Their pain is pervasive and real. But their hope is also contagious. Despite a rapid roller coaster of emotions throughout the last half of the story, the pervading emotion when I clicked to the last page was hope.
The secondary characters were also amazing. They accelerated my deep desire to know and understand the whole group of them. Rosie, Bethany and Casey all enriched the milieu incredibly. These three were all incredibly different from each other in many ways, but the five characters complimented each other in a very organic way — the way you only experience if you are lucky enough to experience an instant connection with another human.
While this is a YA story, I am by no means a young adult. As a result, I identified with some of the staff characters as well. Their intrinsic desire to help and their caring resonated with me as someone who has worked in the field.
All this is to say this is an amazing story that, barring issues identified in the trigger warning, would be a fantastic reading experience for a wide range of people. Although the two main characters are gay and do evolve a romantic relationship, this is not a gay story (as if there is such a thing) but a human one. I suspect there isn’t a single reader that wouldn’t be able to identify with at least one character in the book.
October 21, 2019
Wow this book is a punch in the stomach. After discovering an horrible truth about his father and hitting a teacher, Hunter is committed in Better Days, to learn and try to heal. In this facility there are lots of kids dealing with different problems and Hunter finds himself captivate by this group of friends. The wild and happy Rosie, the anxious Casey, the bulimic Bethany and Stray, who cuts himself. Their problems are dealt with care and attention. It's not an easy book to read and my heart broke many times reading about Hunter's guilt, Stray's loneliness and pain, Casey's fear. Between theraphy sessions, games, bullies, Hunter start to love his new friends and fell in love with Stray, fighting to help him and himself. There are many trigger warnings in this book. It talks about rape, cutting, suicide, anxiety, so it's not an easy read, but at the same time the author doesn't solve everything in the end. Some problems are recognized, and it said the healing road is long and not easy. Hunter and Stray love each other and Stray starts to trusts his family more, but it's not simple. I like this message. I like the way the author said it's okay not to be okay right away. It's okay to need time and it's vital to have people who loves you around, because healing it's not simple and lonely. Beautiful and heartbreaking book.
December 6, 2016
This book is so devastatingly real. A harsh reminder of how hard it is for teenagers to learn to become adults in a world that can be so very ugly. Each character finds a different way to try to deal with their worlds and the unkindness life throws at them. In a close group of misfits, they learn to be each other's life lines. Unfortunately, some things in life are still too hard to manage and this group breaks under the pressures. It's beautiful to watch two boys find love among all this tragedy and sorrow. They cling to each other and support each other and while there isn't a definite HEA here, we're given hope that within all this sorrow the MC's love will get them there. This isn't a story full of smiles and laughter and sunny days. It's harsh and sad and emotional and touching in a very realistic way. It is gripping and a startling reminder that life isn't always what it seems on the surface and we never really know what others struggle with every day. And as we interact with the world around us, we each have an opportunity to be, possibly, the one thing that is good in some people's lives in that very moment. Thought provoking and emotionally moving.
November 1, 2019
I really wish I could give this book more than 5 stars, I read it multiple times and it's such a great story.
This is not focused on romance, though there's a blossoming romance between Hunter (the MC's POV) and Blue, one of his fellow residents in the inpatients program.
Nyrea Dawwn speaks of mental illness and struggling with rage control, she's a master at that. Though the book is from Hunter's POV, we get a glimpse of all of his friends' struggles, each different from the other, but each so impossible to face alone.
This is not an easy book to read, for sure, it's emotional and you just can't keep from taering up at times... but it's so well written and it tackles the difficulties of teenage kids in such a wonderful way, I wish it was translated into Italian so that I could give it to my own son to read.
I really think this should be featured as a suggested read in every high school!
This is not focused on romance, though there's a blossoming romance between Hunter (the MC's POV) and Blue, one of his fellow residents in the inpatients program.
Nyrea Dawwn speaks of mental illness and struggling with rage control, she's a master at that. Though the book is from Hunter's POV, we get a glimpse of all of his friends' struggles, each different from the other, but each so impossible to face alone.
This is not an easy book to read, for sure, it's emotional and you just can't keep from taering up at times... but it's so well written and it tackles the difficulties of teenage kids in such a wonderful way, I wish it was translated into Italian so that I could give it to my own son to read.
I really think this should be featured as a suggested read in every high school!
January 10, 2017
Can I just say, what a beautiful book this was?
I fell in love with each character. Nyrae Dawn touched on some topics that we usually ignore in our life, and which is also very close to my heart.
Mental Illness is not YOU. It does not INVALIDATE your feelings.
You BELONG. You are BEAUTIFUL.
Major lesson I got to learn from these amazing unique characters Hunter, Stray, Rosie, Casey and Bethany that TIME HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FRIENDSHIP. We all are little broken, some more than others. And yea, sometimes others need to turn the world upside down to understand us, but they don't have to. You have you, your friends and family.
Definitely, close to my heart.
I fell in love with each character. Nyrae Dawn touched on some topics that we usually ignore in our life, and which is also very close to my heart.
Mental Illness is not YOU. It does not INVALIDATE your feelings.
You BELONG. You are BEAUTIFUL.
Major lesson I got to learn from these amazing unique characters Hunter, Stray, Rosie, Casey and Bethany that TIME HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FRIENDSHIP. We all are little broken, some more than others. And yea, sometimes others need to turn the world upside down to understand us, but they don't have to. You have you, your friends and family.
Definitely, close to my heart.
June 23, 2017
"You're normal with or without us. You are who you are. Maybe that's the only normal there is--being true to who you are."
Nyrae Dawn nailed the chemistry between the two MCs. She also gave us interesting side characters, such as Rosie (although sometimes she said the most inappropriate things), Casey, and Bethany. But boy the people in Better Days did a terrible effing job helping these children.
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