Panic

by Warren Getler

As a kid growing up in New York's Upper East Side, Johnny D. Saster had a rich, privileged existence. But when it came to personal freedom, he had no existence at all under the thumb of his demanding, overbearing parents. It nearly cost him… his mind. Pushed by his parents to succeed, he suffers an extreme panic attack during his SATs, leaves the test room in a daze and walks right into traffic on Fifth Avenue. People suffering from anxiety live in a world of hurt. PANIC is the uplifting tale of a young man navigating the emotional peaks and valleys of panic disorder. It's a modern-day Wizard of Oz-like journey of self-discovery and personal triumph… an endearing teen's surmounting of some very debilitating mental health challenges afflicting millions, young and old alike, around the world. Tragic and funny in parts, readers will feel the raw emotion in this highly imaginative, wildly fanciful coming-of-age tale and love story, set largely in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. An added bonus: an entire musical soundtrack, from the lyrical band, Social Void, is embedded in the ebook.

174 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 4, 2019

Reviews

[Sherrill Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pressures of today’s world, college admission stress, and helicopter parents come together in this modern allegory appropriately titled Panic. Beginning with the not so subtle link to the famed painting “The Scream” on the cover, accompanied (literally) by musical selections by the lyrical band, Social Void, embedded in the kindle sound version, this story is timely, humorous, frightening and reassuring all at once. Panic Disorder is real and fostered by today’s high-pressure society. I highly recommend this book for today’s teens and their parents!

[Cristina Garrity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Getler’s protagonist we can learn to make sense of what ails us and rise Phoenix-like from the ashes of false selves. Unabashedly imaginative, this sweetly told, funny and charming tale of triumph may well set readers on their own right path to make of their lives art, not war.