The Primroses Were Over

I was not expecting a lot of this book to turn out the way it did, and I like that.

Jeff starts out seemingly confused. He has no clue why he is here and holds to that line for quite some time. As he starts making friends with those around him, the ones he considered oh-so-crazy, we start to peel away the layers of the story surrounding his stay here and why it probably is necessary.

He's not a trustworthy narrator, and this is pretty clear from the beginning. He starts in a psychiatric ward, but insists he has no idea why. Watching the pieces slowly come together and getting the real story behind what he presents turns this from a kind of fluffy story about a smart-mouthed kid in a weird situation into a coming-of-age story that examines an awful lot more than I was expecting.

Given the whole unreliable narrator bit, it's kind of hard to say too much without taking away the piecing together of clues that make this story what it is. It is solidly written and manages to vary wildly between humorous and depressing with an ease that is much harder than it seems. It probably ought to be on the required reading lists for quite a few reasons (and most of them would either get it on the list or get it on the banned list, because people are crazy), and it deals with some sensitive subjects quite well.