Where the Moon Isn't (Filer) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
...Matthew, 10 years later, still blames himself for his brother’s death. Although the moon that was Simon’s face now isn’t, Matthew continues to hear his voice where he is being kept in an acute psychiatric ward. For Matthew is schizophrenic.... The story Filer tells is deeply affecting and insightful in its account of mental illness. And Matthew is a character the reader won’t soon forget. —Michael Cart.
Booklist


[Matthew is] 19, quirky, lives in Bristol, England, and comes with a lot of baggage that he's happy to share in his own way and at his own pace. Matthew is also bipolar....haunted by the fate of his older brother who years ago went missing on a family seaside holiday.... [This book] will appeal to anyone looking for a serious (but not ponderous) story that's impossible to put down. —Bob Lunn, Kansas City, MO
Library Journal


A fatal accident forever marks the life of a young British man struggling with his own demons.... [T]his debut novel by mental health nurse Filer is a startlingly authentic portrayal of the rigors and tribulations of navigating the modern health care landscape while struggling with mental illness. The novel's protagonist is Matthew Holmes, a fairly typical 19-year-old lad living in Bristol under the shadow of terrible grief.... This is a terribly unsettling novel, but it works on many levels--as family drama, as a searing indictment of Western health care and as a confession. A haunting story about how to mourn when the source of your grief will never go away.
Kirkus Reviews