Blog Tour + Review: Waiting for Fitz by Spencer Hyde
6:30 AM
Are you waiting?
ABOUT THE BOOK
When Fitz was diagnosed with schizophrenia, he named the voices in his head after famous country singers. The adolescent psychiatric ward at Seattle Regional Hospital isn’t exactly the ideal place to meet your soul mate, but when Addie meets Fitz, they immediately connect over their shared love of words, appreciate each other’s quick wit, and wish they could both make more sense of their lives.
Fitz is haunted by the voices in his head and often doesn't know what is real. But he feels if he can convince Addie to help him escape the psych ward and everything will be okay. If not, he risks falling into a downward spiral that may keep him in the hospital indefinitely.
Waiting for Fitz is a story about life and love, forgiveness and courage, and what’s necessary to let go and learning what is truly worth waiting for.
Waiting for Fitz by Spencer Hyde
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5-4 star)
As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my participation in the blog tour/my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.
How stunning is that cover? I'll admit, it took me a while to actually read Waiting for Fitz. Solely because that cover had me looking like the hearts-in-eyes emoji for the first day of it being in my possession.
Once I opened to that first page, however, I was completely engrossed in the way that Hyde tells a story. I'm just sad that it wasn't longer because I felt like there was so much more that this cast of characters had to say and I was quite sad to say goodbye to them. Addie and Fitz are the type of characters that weave themselves into your heart and mind within a few pages of their initial introductions.
Days after finishing Waiting for Fitz, and I'm still thinking about them fondly.
In terms of portrayal of mental illness, and the general medical elements to Waiting for Fitz, I cannot tell you what is or isn't accurate. I am not a doctor and, even so, this is fiction. It's tricky water to even begin to navigate. I'm sure that others in this field will have a lot more to say on that.
With that being said, I can tell you this: potential medical inaccuracies aside from the setting, the fact that Hyde himself is OCD really become apparent. Addie's struggle feels very real and obtainable; it makes her command your attention as the main character all the more. I share many of the same ticks as Addie and this made her all the more real and sympathetic.
Here's what to expect with Waiting for Fitz:
✔Snarky teenagers with REAL issues and the general complexities of these issues. I'll correct my wording: illnesses: complexities behind, or tied to, their mental illnesses.
✔A feeling of family found and first loves. Or, at least, what I'd describe as first loves.
And on top of all the seriousness (see: honest portrayal of mental health struggles) there is a lot of humor mixed into the story, as in life. Overall, I found Waiting for Fitz to be an easy--but difficult--read and finished it in one sitting.
Impossible to put down, impossible to forget.
It's such an important read. There is something thought-provoking in this story and I think it'll be a book that is cherished by many young readers facing similar situations in their day-to-day life.
While there were some moments that rubbed me the wrong way, or left me with a few questions, I still feel that this book is highly valuable and will mean something to its target audience. Which is, at the end of the day, all that matters.
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