Book #8: Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See by Juliann Garey

I don't know that I've ever read a novel as frightening and intriguing as Juliann Garey's Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See. It is the story of Greyson Todd, a successful Hollywood studio exec, who battles bipolar disorder-somewhat unsuccessfully.

The book moves between Greyson's younger years, dealing with his father's unpredictability; his time before he left his wife and tried to keep his bipolar disorder under control and out of the spotlight; the time he spent travelling the world anonymously; and his horrific treatment.

There are times in the book that are so scary, you want the scene to stop. How could someone do the things he does? Doesn't he realize what he's doing? His madness is overwhelming, even to the reader.

I started out feeling that his wife was cold and selfish, soon I realize she's not. She's suffered along with him and tried to help him the best she can, but it doesn't keep him from spiralling out of control into his psychosis.

I never wanted to put this book down. Ms. Garey does such a wonderful job laying out the scenes that I had to know more about her. Not surprisingly, she suffers from bipolar disorder. She has the unique insight needed to portray the details of Greyson's instability.

I absolutely loved this book. It was also chosen by Amazon as their "Best of the Month" in December 2012, so I'm not the only one who believes this book is amazing! It's absolutely one of the best books I've ever read and has given me new perspective on bipolar disorder.