Fagan, K. (2017). What made Maddy run: The secret struggles and tragic death of an all-American teen [Unabridged Audiobook]. New York: Hachette Audio.
Though there were many stellar options for this week, I was immediately drawn to this title. I correctly suspected it dealt with mental health, a topic I wish was discussed more openly and destigmatized. As someone with a personal and family history of mental illness, I understand how isolating it can be, especially when you’re a teen. I wish I could say my decision to listen to the audio (via my library’s Libby app) was more thoughtful, but really I saw it was available and being able to listen–while driving, exercising, doing other things–was most conducive to my schedule.
Only one library in Nassau and Suffolk counties has this book in their teen collection (good job, Cutchogue-New Suffolk Free Library!). This is unfortunate because all teens should read this book. Madison Holleran’s seemingly idyllic life as a beautiful, popular, promising young woman is proof appearances can be deceiving. Maddy’s struggles with depression and the pressure to be perfect will resonate with many teens. I would recommend libraries purchase two copies, one for the teen section and one for the adult section. This is the perfect book for parents and teens to read together and generate a thoughtful dialogue.
I would pair this with the following books:
Britz, A. (2017). Obsessed: A memoir of my life with OCD. New York, NY: Simon Pulse.
Toner, J.B. & Freeland, C.A.B. (2016). Depression: A teen’s guide to survive and thrive. Washington, D.C.: Magination Press.
I used NoveList to find Obsessed. However, I did not use the Read-Alike function because I was unsatisfied with the responses, which were outdated and marketed more to adults than teens (Yes, What Made Maddy Run is also marketed to adults, but it is the story of a 19-year-old, a quality not found in the batch of read-alikes returned to me). Instead, I browsed by genre, selected “Teen” and “New and Popular…in Nonfiction.” I got lucky that Obsessed came up immediately. For the second read-alike, I searched my library’s catalog for “teens and depression.” I liked that this book was current and seems to provide concrete coping mechanisms for dealing with depression.
Appeal terms: Thoughtful, journalistic, comprehensive, compelling
Quality: 4P*
Popularity: 3P (only because it’s nonfiction, about such a heavy topic, and might need to be “talked up” to generate interest)
Grade Level Interest: A/YA; when marketed to teens, best suited for grades 9-12
*The quality of Fagan’s writing is excellent. However, I am deducting a level because of her audio narration. While her tone is warm, comforting, and filled with appropriate emotions, there were times when she seemed to be talking too slowly and it became slightly infuriating.
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