What do readers think of Zig-Zag Boy by Tanya Frank? Write your own review.

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

Zig-Zag Boy by Tanya Frank

Zig-Zag Boy

A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood

by Tanya Frank

  • Critics' Consensus (8):
  • Readers' Rating (26):
  • Published:
  • Feb 2023, 224 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Reviews

Page 2 of 4
There are currently 26 reader reviews for Zig-Zag Boy
Order Reviews by:

Write your own review!

M P W. (Glen Burnie, MD)

Eye-opening!
For anyone unfamiliar with the mental health system, particularly in the U.S., this book is a real eye-opener. The author, whose teenage son develops psychotic symptoms, explores virtually every facet of the system, while growing increasingly frantic and frustrated by the lack of a coherent explanation of psychosis or treatment plan options. While I cheered her along, I couldn't help comparing her journey with that of people with little/no insurance who have to rely on an even more broken system of public mental health care. While this is not a book for those looking for answers, it is a good survey and amore
Arlene I. (Johnston, RI)

Unforgettable Story
Zig-Zag boy by Tanya Frank details her nineteen year-old son, Zack's, tailspin into a psychotic mental state. She writes of her son's hospitalizations, taking super-charged drugs and a defunct mental health care system in both the US and the UK and trying to get cohesive answers from the medical communities. This novel definitely depicts a mother's unwavering love for her son and the realization of her new reality concerning Zach.

It was heart-breaking to read how so very difficult it was to get answers and trying to turn over every "stone" to help your child. Whether you are a parent or not, Tanya Frank'smore
Barbara F. (Santa Monica, CA)

Grace Under So Much Challenge—Cracks Where the Light Tries (& Tries) to Come In
"Zig-Zag Boy"—a perfect title for a beautifully written story of a mother's love for her sweet, funny, popular son who's suddenly confronted with hard to imagine challenges. Though I'm not usually a 'memoir' reader, Tanya Frank is a wonderful writer and I was hooked from the book's first pages. The story reminded me of the novel "Dear Edward", and as I read—as a mother of a son—Frank's love for Zach reminded me of my son & I.

Readers don't have to be parents of—we're sisters/brothers/aunts/uncles/friends—and the vulnerability we all face by not knowing what the future holds is inevitable. Frank's memoir ismore
Patricia A. (New York, NY)

Zig Zag Boy
Being a lover of non-fiction, I realized I was going to love this book well into the first chapter. This is a honest narrative as well as a journal, of a mother and son's sudden decent into the world of psychosis. Their life and routine are instantly changed, relationships are tested, and the challenges and failures of the health care system are all too soon revealed. I especially loved her narratives when she retreated into nature. This provided her the strength and vision to continue to endure the ongoing roller coaster of events. Those pages so well written, also gave me respite when anxiously anticipatingmore
Judith C. (Minneapolis, MN)

Zig-Zag Boy a Worthwhile Read
Zig-Zag Boy is a beautifully written memoir. Within the first few pages, I was drawn into the story and it was hard to put down. Tonya Frank successfully shares a glimpse of what it was like for her as a mother to deal with an adult son with Psychosis. She bravely shares her struggles as she navigates health care systems in both California and the UK as she endlessly advocates for him. It was at times heartbreaking but a very worthwhile read. Frank demonstrates her fierce love for her son and the importance of being present with him through his struggles. Impressive writing.
Molly A. (Pryor, OK)

"Zig-Zag Boy" is A Required Read in Today's Mental Health Climate
When I first heard about Tanya Frank's book, "Zig-Zag Boy", I knew I had to read it. As the older sister to a man who has been affected by mental illness for half of his life, I am interested in any tool or treatise that may prove helpful in understanding his condition. My brother has been labeled with the full gamut of diagnoses, including clinical depression, schizophrenia, agoraphobia, and bipolar disorder. He has, as of this writing, not yet found a successful solution, but Frank's memoir has given me hope.

Tanya Frank's son, Zach, also called "Zigs", first demonstrated signs of schizophrenia at 19, when hemore
Shelby K. (Salem, OR)

Familiar Territory
As a single mother who went through early psychosis intervention with my son at fifteen, leading up to a diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia, I often have wondered how would we navigate this if he'd been older and had a taste of independence, if I'd had other children or a partner to balance, and this is definitely a variation of that story. So many little things throughout the book rang true for my lived experience, it was at times very painful to read, yet I'm glad I did. Also she makes me want to get involved in a NAMI group for families, peer to peer support is so valuable for both the consumer and the support.
Tracy N. (San Rafael, CA)

Zig-Zag Boy
Zig-Zag Boy is a mother's love letter to her son who has psychosis.
As a mother who also has a son who struggles with mental illness, I understand this memoir of grief. One cannot judge how far you will go as a mother but Tanya Frank gives us her journey.
The sacrifices she makes unfortunately effects her and the rest of her family.
Her story demonstrates how a mental illness is complicated by the lack of
mental health care and resources. Yet, I hesitate to criticize the author because there is no blueprint for how to parent a psychotic young adult but it was hard to understand Tanya's decisions sometimes.
Anothermore

More Information

Read-Alikes

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
Broken Country (Reese's Book Club)
by Clare Leslie Hall
A love triangle reveals deadly secrets in this thriller for fans of The Paper Palace and Where the Crawdads Sing.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Angelica
    by Molly Beer

    A women-centric view of revolution through the life of Angelica Schuyler Church, Alexander Hamilton's influential sister-in-law.

  • Book Jacket

    The Whyte Python World Tour
    by Travis Kennedy

    Rikki Thunder, drummer for '80s metal band Whyte Python, is on the verge of fame, love—and a spy mission he didn’t expect.

  • Book Jacket

    The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant
    by Liza Tully

    A great detective's young assistant yearns for glory, but first they have learn to get along in this delightful feel good mystery.

  • Book Jacket

    The Original
    by Nell Stevens

    In a grand English country house in 1899, an aspiring art forger must unravel whether the man claiming to be her long-lost cousin is an impostor.

Who Said...

When men are not regretting that life is so short, they are doing something to kill time.

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

E H L the B

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.