Seventh grader Sara Malvern wants one thing in life: to be normal. Called Psycho Sara by her classmates and a target of bullying, she battles anxiety, a bipolar disorder and depression. She continually refers to herself as being crazy. Troubled by her mental illness, she stops talking to most people, isolating herself even more. But then she meets talkative Erin in her group therapy class. Erin accepts Sara for who she is, calls her “bestie,” invites her over, and labels her a “star child.” Together these best friends build each other up using the tenets of star children. Reminiscent of Freak and Max from Freak the Mighty, this story of friendship and acceptance has the reader’s heart bleeding one moment and laughing the next. Other themes include family dynamics and abuse.

The cover is intentionally dark to represent the many dark themes in the book, but I believe the cover will keep readers from picking up the book on their own. It may need to be “sold” through book talks or by pairing it with OCDaniel by the same author.