Review: Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors
Mad Love
I’ve always enjoyed reading contemporary books and I’ve enjoyed reading fantasy books and paranormal books. Magical realism, however, is something that I feel doesn’t get enough play in YA. However, Suzanne Selfors blends magic and reality masterfully in Mad Love. I don’t go into a whole lot of books with loads of expectations, so I found myself very much enjoying different elements of Mad Love.
The basic plot of Mad Love is as follows: Alice Amorous is the daughter of famed Queen of Romance writer Belinda Amorous. However, life is not all sunshine and daisies for Alice. You see, her mother has been staying in a mental health facility, receiving treatment for her bipolar disorder. The public at large does not know this. With bill collectors pounding at her door, Alice must figure out a way to keep her and her mother afloat. As chance would have it, Cupid stumbles into the life of Alice and insists that Alice write his story. What ensues is heartbreak, mythology, young love, and a gripping look at mental illness and the people affected by it.
I identified very much with Alice. I don’t often see teenage characters in YA novels taking on adult roles and worrying about bills and finances and such. I enjoyed seeing a character who worries about similar things that I worried about as a kid. I mean, neither of my parents have a mental illness, but I was always worried they wouldn’t be able to pay bills, etc. I was glad there was more to her than, OMG HOT BOY WHO DO I CHOOSE MY LIFE IS SO HARDDDDD. Plus she calls a creeper a creeper, and notes stalker-ish behavior for what it is.
Furthermore, the male lead character, aside from Cupid is named Tony, so I am a bit predisposed to like him, as that is the name of my boyfriend IRL. And well, fictional Tony is a nice guy and it just seems we don’t get enough nice guys anymore, so of course I enjoyed that segment.
Then, of course, is the whole Cupid back story which is rather tragic. I’ll not throw down spoilers, but just say, prepare yourself.
Overall, I liked the layers and complexities of Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors. It may not be the bestest book EVER, but it’s decent and deeper than your average girl meets boy tale.
Disclosure: Received for review.
Other Reviews:
Frenetic Reader
The Allure of Books
YA Librarian Tales
Purchase Mad Love here.
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April (Books&Wine) – who has written 1074 posts on Good Books And Good Wine.
April is 24 years old. She is an educator. In her free time she can be found reading, working out, or eating junk food. She often wears her sunglasses at night.
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I haven’t heard much about this book, but it intrigues me. I’m glad to hear that you liked it, and I could definitely use something other than “OMG HOT BOY WHO DO I CHOOSE MY LIFE IS SO HARDDDDD” and I love that she ‘calls a creeper a creeper’
Great review. As always, it made me smile!