Inside Out

Trueman does an excellent job showing the world through the eyes of a boy with schizophrenia while simultaneously allowing the reader to see how his illness affects his thinking process and, in turn, his actions. Trueman takes his readers to a place they have never, and hopefully will never, be. It gives the reader a greater sensitivity to mental illness and its effects. I didn't so much, "enjoy," this book as I truly appreciated it. I wouldn't say it was a fun read, - the tone was to serious for, "fun," - but it is absolutely a good read. Very good.

As a teacher with students who are reluctant or low-ability readers, I am always looking for "hot" books which appeal to high schoolers, especially males. This book has been a hit with both genders and readers at all ability levels. I loved it myself! The interesting part of the novel is the fact that the narrator is schizophrenic, so we see the plot events and people through his eyes. The humor and twist in perspective makes the crime plot more intriguing. The novel could also be used in a classroom which was studying the theme of teen justice since the "criminals" are teens with an overwhelming life crisis. Inside Out is a wonderful read just for pleasure for teens and adults alike, but I especially recommend it for those teens who "hate reading" and "have never read an entire book" in their lives. Multiple copies been checked out with a waiting list in my classroom.

Long gong...barrelcracker... barrel...barrel o'monkeys...wong-gong." "Time...grime...pantomime...long-gone wong-gong is a wong-gone long gong..." These words may seem strange and convoluted to you, but Zach Wahhsted hears them in his mind day in and day out. Zach has schizophrenia, which causes him to hear voices. He finds that if he takes all of his medication on time, the voices go away and he has fewer problems getting through the day. All Zach wants is a maple bar as he waits at the local coffee shop for his mother to bring him his meds. But before she can deliver them, Zach finds himself a hostage in the middle of a holdup gone wrong. The longer he goes without his medication, the more difficult a time he has keeping in touch with reality. Hours after he is supposed to receive his medication, Zach agrees to stay behind as a hostage while the boys he calls Frosty and Stormy let everyone else in the coffee shop go free as part of a deal with the police. Reality begins to slip away, and the voices in Zach's head grow louder as he tries to stay alive and get out of this mess. Complex and chilling, Terry Trueman's picture of a schizophrenic's mind alternates between lucid and hallucinogenic. Often, the reader's feelings towards Zach are as confused as Zach's thoughts. Every word in this small book is powerful and gripping. Don't be surprised if you find yourself out of breath at the end. --- Reviewed by Carlie Kraft Webber

Terry Trueman has done it again! Inside Out is an amazingly intense read. The main character, Zach is perfectly framed in a bad situation, a hold up, but nothing could be as bad as the battle Zach has going on in his mind. Zach suffers from schizophrenia and tries very hard to do what is perceived to be "appropriate" in our society.Trueman manages to create a character in Zach that is unforgettable. This story MOVES so fast, it is over before you know it. I could not put this book down. Trueman's ability to draw the reader in and make each character, major or minor, an important one is unparalleled.This book is a wonderful mix of a fast-paced story with action, tense moments of anticipation, and characters that the reader can identify with immediately.To top all of that off, Terry Trueman has alerted the public about the horrors of schizophrenia.You have done it again Terry Trueman!

" 'Zach, you're a stupid wong-gong, a long-gone wong-gong.'"I ignore this, but while I'm sitting here being quiet, my palms are sweaty and my throat is dry. I need to decide if this situation is real or not; I need to decide that right now. Sometimes I understand what's going on, and other times I don't have a clue. If I don't figure this one out, I could be in trouble." According to the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression: "Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe brain disorder which affects approximately 1 percent of the world population. Approximately 2 million people in the United States suffer from the disease in a given year. Schizophrenia is characterized by positive and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking and markedly disorganized behavior. Negative symptoms include reduced emotional expression, social withdrawal, loss of pleasure, difficulty concentrating and/or thinking, and a lack of energy, spontaneity or initiative. Treatment is aimed at reducing symptoms and preventing psychotic relapses. Schizophrenia is usually treated with antipsychotic medication, and may be used in combination with psychosocial therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Many scientists believe that schizophrenia results from a chemical imbalance in the brain, and are investigating various neurotransmitters in determining this imbalance." Sixteen-year-old Zach Wahhsted suffers from adolescent onset schizophrenia. He waits at the coffee shop after school each day; him mom picks him up there up at 3:30 and gives him his medication. It is imperative that he get his twice-daily medication on time so that Rat and Dirtbag--the worst of the voices in his head that have tortured him in the past--don't come back. Today, Zach will not get his medication on time. "All I want is a maple bar, but I don't think these kids with the guns care about what I want." Today, as Zach waits for his mom's arrival, a pair of teenagers, "Frosty" and "Stormy," come in to rob the coffee shop and the situation disintergrates into an armed standoff with hostages. "I look around at everybody else in this place, and they all look scared, so I'm trying to look scared too. I mean, I guess I'm scared, but this all seems so normal to me. The thing is, I'm used to seeing and hearing really weird stuff, so this doesn't feel that strange to me at all." As a schizophrenic, Zach tends to react differently--some would say inappropriately. "One of the kids with a gun, the older-looking one, says, 'Nobody's gonna get hurt if you just do what we tell you!'"I say, 'Okay.'"He seems surprised at the sound of my voice and looks at me real fast, then away again."He says, 'We don't wanna hurt anybody.'" 'Good,' I say."He looks at me again, 'You gotta problem?' he asks. I think he sounds mad." 'Yes,' I say."This surprises him too. 'Oh, yeah?' he asks, then he points his gun right at me. 'What's your problem?'"I'm sort of surpr