Karen Harrington’s Sure Signs of Crazy is a novel about how twelve year old Sarah Nelson copes with uncommon life challenges. Sarah is determined to change things in the summer, but what she gets in return isn’t what she expected: friendship, romance, and a brighter outlook at her otherwise troubled life.Sarah’s problems are not typical ones faced by girls of her age. She was only two when her mother tried to drown her. Her twin brother wasn’t as lucky. Sarah’s mother was convicted for drowning her own son, and was sent to a mental facility. Her story was on every newspaper. Even after ten years, her case was still drawing attention. As soon as the media would come banging on their doors, or neighbors realize who they were, Sarah and her father would move. “There is no place like home” is not something she could relate to.
To make matters worse, her dad was an alcoholic. He was depressed most of the time and barely paid attention to his daughter. Well, as a twelve year old, I thought I had problems!
Sarah spent her time writing letters to Atticus Finch (the lawyer and loving father in To Kill a Mockingbird), and collecting words that troubled her (like “crazy”, “divorce”, or even “love”). She even thought she could be insane, like her mother. She was practically invisible at school. Her best friend was a plant! This made me look at friendship differently; the fact that Sarah had only one (human) friend, Lisa, made me more considerate towards the less social kids at school. Throughout the story, Sarah kept searching for something that eluded her: hope. I realized how most of us take the many blessings bestowed on us for granted, like a home, caring parents, or a brother to rely on (however irritating he sometimes is!).
Sarah’s courage and wits that grew out of adversity were inspiring. Instead of a “typical boring Sarah Nelson summer”, she was determined to make this one different. So, she starts investigating about her mother and her trial. In the process she makes new friends, and finds out the true meaning of family and relationships. It was almost relieving to, at last, find something to cheer about in Sarah’s life.
What I also liked about the book is the author’s style. It really seemed like a twelve year old was telling me her sorrows, pains, and joys. It was a simple plot and the events tied together very smoothly. As much as I liked the plot, there were some parts of the book that did not appeal to me. The story was sometimes too slow, without much actually happening. At other times, it seemed somewhat over dramatic and unrealistic.
Sure Signs of Crazy was overall compelling and heartwarming. In the beginning, I saw a girl who was troubled, shy, invisible, and fragile. But she chose to change, and became a stronger, more compassionate person. Sarah’s story was crazy in many ways. But in the end, it showed sure signs of hope as well.
Neha Gopal
