The Art of Insanity by Christine Webb

High schooler Natalie Cordova has just been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. Her mom insists she keep it secret.

Putting up a front and hiding her mental illness from her classmates is going to be the hardest thing high schooler Natalie Cordova has ever done. It’s her senior year, and she’s just been selected to present her artwork at a prestigious show. With the stress of performing on her shoulders, it doesn’t help when Natalie notices a boy who makes her heart leap. And then there’s fellow student Ella, who confronts Natalie about her summer car “accident” and pressures her into caring for the world’s ugliest dog. Now Natalie finds herself juggling all kinds of feels and responsibilities. Surely her newly prescribed medication is to blame for the funk she finds herself in. But as Natalie’s plan to self-treat unravels, so does the perfect façade she’s been painting for everyone else.

Written from experience, this heartfelt and candid contemporary YA novel explores the stigma surrounding mental illness and offers an uplifting narrative of resilience.

Christine Webb is a middle school teacher from Kalamazoo, Michigan. When she’s not teaching or writing, she enjoys hanging out with her zoo (three goofy dogs, an evil cat, twenty nameless pigeons, and a friendly rat), and traveling with her husband. Follow her on Twitter @cwebbwrites.

Author Residence: Kalamazoo, Michigan

Author Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan