Everything Is Fine
- Downloads：7966
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-29 21:32:27
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Vince Granata
- ISBN：1982133449
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Christi
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A powerful retelling of a family’s grief and a son’s mental illness。
the。unexpected。reader
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Right from the start of this book， Vince Granata recounts the day in which he got the tragic phone call - his mother had been murdered， murdered by his younger brother Tim who suffers from schizophrenia。Looking back， Vince remembers the day his parents brought home these tiny new siblings， a set of triplets - Tim， Elizabeth， and Christopher; announcing that meeting his new siblings was the greatest day of his life。As his recollections move forward， Vince singles out specific memories of Tim。 Fro Right from the start of this book， Vince Granata recounts the day in which he got the tragic phone call - his mother had been murdered， murdered by his younger brother Tim who suffers from schizophrenia。Looking back， Vince remembers the day his parents brought home these tiny new siblings， a set of triplets - Tim， Elizabeth， and Christopher; announcing that meeting his new siblings was the greatest day of his life。As his recollections move forward， Vince singles out specific memories of Tim。 From childhood， to being the powerhouse on the high school wrestling team， to college – where his schizophrenia started to take hold。 How Tim would lift weights to help muffle the voices in his head。 The ones that would twist his perception of reality。 The ones that would make him believe things that hadn’t happened happen。His parents sought out help， but the severity of his mental illness needed much stronger and urgent help。 Then one horrific day， when Vince's mother was home alone with Tim （she was too afraid to leave him by himself and was never worried that he’d ever hurt her） his voices got too loud for him to control。 Who knew that this would be this day Tim would listen to them and kill one of people who loved him most unconditionally？It would take Tim years to fully remember details of that day。Vince， Tim， and the remaining family would have to listen to every painstaking detail of the case。 Their love for the unwell brother mixed with the murder of their much-loved wife and mother。 There are no sides to be taken here， for Vince it is only understanding and forgiveness。 But the reality of all of this is， has had a harsh lasting effect on them all。Everything Is Fine is very well written。 It’s a hard read， as I’m sure it was for Vince Granata to write it， and portrays the reality of growing up with a sibling with a mental illness。A big thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read this advanced copy。 。。。more
Zibby Owens
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The book follows the author's family's story and explores how they were impacted by schizophrenia。 Most of the book involves his younger brother Tim who became ill right after starting college， and how it progressed over several years。 There were many challenges to getting Tim the care that he needed。 Tragically， he began having hallucinations that involved their mother and killed her。 The book reconstructs how the author's family arrived at that tragic day and then tracked how they survived and The book follows the author's family's story and explores how they were impacted by schizophrenia。 Most of the book involves his younger brother Tim who became ill right after starting college， and how it progressed over several years。 There were many challenges to getting Tim the care that he needed。 Tragically， he began having hallucinations that involved their mother and killed her。 The book reconstructs how the author's family arrived at that tragic day and then tracked how they survived and grieved in the aftermath。Clearly， there's a traumatic， emotional story here， but the way the author tells it is very gripping and vivid。 I felt like I was there， all the details of his home and everything he discovered through his research。 It's incredible how he made his tragedy come alive on the page so that I shared in his pain。 I love how the author talked about his male friends organizing and rallying together around him。 I don't get many examples of amazing， deep male friendships， not the kind of friendships we see in women's stories。 It was amazing to see how the author's friends showed up when he needed them。To listen to my interview with the author， go to my podcast at:https://zibbyowens。com/transcript/vin。。。 。。。more
Brianna
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Whoa， what a gread story I just read。 I suggest you join NovelStar’s writing competition， you might be their next big star。
False
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I would rename this book "Everything is NOT Fine。" I only read it because it was on a list of "current books you should be reading，" which is usually an alarm for me to not be reading them， given my tastes; i。e。 not of the general populace。 It reminds me of a friend who's father killed his wife （my friend's mother） and then himself。 Now， his son goes around on Facebook boasting of his father's past （work） and comments about "he's my hero，" when the bald truth is that he killed his wife and then I would rename this book "Everything is NOT Fine。" I only read it because it was on a list of "current books you should be reading，" which is usually an alarm for me to not be reading them， given my tastes; i。e。 not of the general populace。 It reminds me of a friend who's father killed his wife （my friend's mother） and then himself。 Now， his son goes around on Facebook boasting of his father's past （work） and comments about "he's my hero，" when the bald truth is that he killed his wife and then cowardly （some hero） killed himself。 I keep silently saying， "Some day this is going to catch up with you and grind you to dust。" I'm not a big fan of seeking help through phases of crises as they usually don't have anything to tell you that you don't know--if you have the courage to face it。 Which my friend is not。 I wonder about this author。 His schizophrenic brother murdered their mother， yet he lives， under lockdown。 This is way too complicated to dissect in a simple book review。 I've seen parents who will wear themselves down into a nub， dealing with adult children with mental illness。 Somehow feeling responsible for this creature。 The mother was warned she could be in danger。 She went into denial saying he would never harm her。 I guess he showed her。 His sister is a mess now， his father an aged shell。 Yet he goes to visit his brother and keep that channel open， not wanting his brother to feel abandoned。 I've seen "children" like this wipe family's out， not just through murder， but their psychosis， freewheeling spending， out of pocket medical expenses not covered， physical harm。 I could tell twenty quick stories in this review， each a nightmare， and in the end？ You have to make your choices。 The author choses to remain in touch with his sibling， due to what？ As he said， his mother would never see him married， never hold her grandchildren。 In truth， he's been robbed， and do you stay in contact with the thief？ I am sure many would agree with the author's humanitarian approach to all of this， but having seen it firsthand？ Sometimes you need to cut your losses and close the door。 。。。more
Nancy
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It’s heartbreaking， but an important book to read。 Starting with a horrific event， the author then takes us back through his childhood， with triplet siblings Christopher， Tim， and Lizzie， providing some important background and perspective。 In doing so， you’re able to see the development of a Tim’s mental illness and how it impacted his family over time。 In writing about Tim， and his mental illness Granata uses a wide range of source material， including treatment notes， hospital records， etc。The It’s heartbreaking， but an important book to read。 Starting with a horrific event， the author then takes us back through his childhood， with triplet siblings Christopher， Tim， and Lizzie， providing some important background and perspective。 In doing so， you’re able to see the development of a Tim’s mental illness and how it impacted his family over time。 In writing about Tim， and his mental illness Granata uses a wide range of source material， including treatment notes， hospital records， etc。The book graphically illustrates the challenges of obtained sustained and effective treatment for adults with a serious mental illness。 I recently read Happy Valley Road by Robert Kolker and Everything is Fine brings the subject of schizophrenia to the present day。 The research presented is not as scientifically rigorous as in the Kolker book， but still informative。Thanks to Simon and Schuster， Book Club Favorites， and Netgalley for the opportunity to read Everything is Fine in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader
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I don’t know where to begin with this book other than the blurb， “In this extraordinarily moving memoir about grief， mental illness， and the bonds of family， a writer delves into the tragedy of his mother’s violent death at the hands of his brother who struggled with schizophrenia。 Perfect for fans of An Unquiet Mind and The Bright Hour。”Mental health deserves our spotlight and attention。 We can’t ignore it any longer。 We need to reduce the stigma， so real life stories where mental illness plays I don’t know where to begin with this book other than the blurb， “In this extraordinarily moving memoir about grief， mental illness， and the bonds of family， a writer delves into the tragedy of his mother’s violent death at the hands of his brother who struggled with schizophrenia。 Perfect for fans of An Unquiet Mind and The Bright Hour。”Mental health deserves our spotlight and attention。 We can’t ignore it any longer。 We need to reduce the stigma， so real life stories where mental illness plays a big part are beyond critical。 Vince Granata is a skilled writer， and this memoir is highly readable even though the topics are heartbreaking but important。 Vince and his family never lose their love for their brother and son。 The complex catwalk of that love and the path to understanding and redemption is an experience I can’t even begin to put into words。Everything Is Fine is a book to be read and discussed。 It's a portrayal about the power of forgiveness in the face of immeasurable loss， as well as a testament to grappling with the complexity of mental illness in those whom we love most。I received a gifted copy。Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www。jennifertarheelreader。com and instagram: www。instagram。com/tarheelreader 。。。more
Cynthia
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This will be the memoir that everyone is talking about in 2021。 Loss and grief are multifaceted things and， in this case， even more so。 Vince Granata lost his mother in 2014。 She was not the victim of her own disease， but the disease ravishing the mind of one of her children。 Vince’s younger brother， suffering from unchecked schizophrenia， murdered their mother in their home one hot July day。 In Everything is Fine， Vince shares the shock of this news， his memories of his brother and mother befor This will be the memoir that everyone is talking about in 2021。 Loss and grief are multifaceted things and， in this case， even more so。 Vince Granata lost his mother in 2014。 She was not the victim of her own disease， but the disease ravishing the mind of one of her children。 Vince’s younger brother， suffering from unchecked schizophrenia， murdered their mother in their home one hot July day。 In Everything is Fine， Vince shares the shock of this news， his memories of his brother and mother before the murder， and his convoluted path of grief and acceptance。 The details of the Granata family’s pain are difficult to read， but Vince conveys it all poetically。 He is transparent in the thoughts he wrestled with throughout and shares a number of pertinent facts about the mental health system， with all of its shortcomings， and the disease that claimed his brother’s mind。 It’s worth noting that he makes it clear that schizophrenia and violent crime are not quick to go hand in hand and he advocates for a better understanding of the illness， as a whole。 Knowing that a parent can fight so hard for her child’s mental health only to have it result in her murder is heartbreaking and terrifying。 I don’t think there is an easy solution to such things or that anyone necessarily failed anyone else here。 It seems everyone did the best they could with the tools at their disposal。 That’s what makes it all the more tragic。 We are all so limited in what we can give and push for， although the guilt of hindsight often cruelly suggests we could have done more。 Vince Granata’s writing flows beautifully。 While tragedy guided him into this cathartic endeavor， it is clear he was born to be a writer。 His ability to express himself this way shines through。 He broke me several times as he aptly pulled me into the storm of his emotions。 He broke me one final time as I read the last few lines of his acknowledgments。 His love for his entire family was apparent， but his admiration of his mother and grace toward his struggling brother were， more than anything， the pulse of the narrative。 Although this was one of the most difficult books I’ve ever read， I could close it and walk away when it was over。 It isn’t my devastating story; the thing I’m forced to breathe in and live with every day。 The Granata family will never be able to choose the same。 To read a book like this runs the risk of discomfort， but it also promises to nourish compassion and growth。 If my prediction in the beginning of this review is wrong - if this isn’t the memoir of the year - the reading community will be making a terrible mistake。 You need to get to know Vince and his family。 This is a story of anguish that needed to be told; a story we all need to better comprehend。You can find all of my book reviews， lots of other fun bookish content， and the occasional ramblings about movies right here: https://www。facebook。com/abookishbutt。。。 。。。more
Sue
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Vince was a thousand miles from home， working in another country， when he received a call from his dad telling him that his schizophrenic brother Tim had killed their mother。 Vince was one of four children， the other three a set of triplets four years younger。 With both parents being physicians， there was a wealth of knowledge in the family， but the health care system still failed to treat Tim’s growing mental illness and adequately diagnose and deal with his long term psychosis。 It’s not a true Vince was a thousand miles from home， working in another country， when he received a call from his dad telling him that his schizophrenic brother Tim had killed their mother。 Vince was one of four children， the other three a set of triplets four years younger。 With both parents being physicians， there was a wealth of knowledge in the family， but the health care system still failed to treat Tim’s growing mental illness and adequately diagnose and deal with his long term psychosis。 It’s not a true crime memoir that dives into the grisly details of murder， but focuses on mental illness and the effects on the individual and the family。 This wasn’t an easy one to read， but I was so touched by the empathy showed towards Tim in this book。 I came away from this memoir incredibly sad， but touched by the compassion showed in Vince’s journey through grief and understanding of his brother’s mental illness。 。。。more
Tracy
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I’m DNFing at page 174。 I could not connect to this emotionally and I have had no interest in picking up where I left off。 I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher for review。
Penny
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So incredibly personal and deeply emotional， reading this memoir felt almost like an invasion of privacy。 Through memories and investigative journalism， the author brings to life a powerful and compelling journey。This book chronicles the heart wrenching mental anguish of a family in the wake of trauma， the failings of the mental health system， and the extraordinary strength it takes to cope。 Though shocking and tough to read in some parts， there is also compassion， reconciliation and love。 This So incredibly personal and deeply emotional， reading this memoir felt almost like an invasion of privacy。 Through memories and investigative journalism， the author brings to life a powerful and compelling journey。This book chronicles the heart wrenching mental anguish of a family in the wake of trauma， the failings of the mental health system， and the extraordinary strength it takes to cope。 Though shocking and tough to read in some parts， there is also compassion， reconciliation and love。 This family's story is a thought provoking， educational， and humanizing look at a misunderstood disease。*Many thanks to Atria Books， Vince Granata， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC。 。。。more
Christine Livinghouse
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I will always remember this book！ More than a memoir of how his brother killed their mother due to his disease of schizophrenia， this is a book about the heartbreak and resiliency of one family learning to live with the aftermath of this disease。 Totally heartbreaking and eye opening！
Kristina
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Vince Granata's memoir EVERYTHING IS FINE charts a tragedy in his family that touches on mental illnesses， grief， and resilience。 Vince is the oldest child in his family。 His mother then gives birth to triplets: Chris， Elizabeth， and Timothy。 The triplets are very close， and Vince relishes his older brother role。 Very early in the book， Vince describes the act that occurs- Timothy， in the throws of unmedicated psychosis， kills their mother brutally in their home。 He then backtracks to chart Tim' Vince Granata's memoir EVERYTHING IS FINE charts a tragedy in his family that touches on mental illnesses， grief， and resilience。 Vince is the oldest child in his family。 His mother then gives birth to triplets: Chris， Elizabeth， and Timothy。 The triplets are very close， and Vince relishes his older brother role。 Very early in the book， Vince describes the act that occurs- Timothy， in the throws of unmedicated psychosis， kills their mother brutally in their home。 He then backtracks to chart Tim's journey from childhood to the violent act， and then the aftermath of his trial。 We learn about Tim's passion for wrestling and is an excellent student （even approaching Dean's List during the beginnings of his mental decline）。 While both parents are supportive， he is very close with his mother。 The author describes Tim's prodromal phase of illness exceeding well， which is an area that is not often well-studied/described。 It is heartbreaking that after his hospitalization， he goes off his medication and quickly decompensates。 His family is worried about him， but fear calling the police due to their absolutely justified fear of what they might do to Tim （a sad state of our world）。 After Tim is taken in by the police and is hospitalized in order to stabilize him to be competent to stand trial， Vince starts visiting him， as he wants to learn more about why he killed their mother， but also knowing that their mother want want him to visit Tim。This book reminds me a bit of HIDDEN FAMILY ROAD （fantastic book by Robert Kolker） in that it highlights a very personal experience of mental illness （and its effects on both afflicted and non-afflicted family members） as well as informational knowledge about schizophrenia which may provide insight to others。 He goes to great lengths to say that individuals with serious mental illness are rarely violent， and if so， it is usually self-directed。 He also differentiates violence due to psychosis versus a violent act from someone who may have mental health issues that may be used as an excuse for behavior （e。g。， Charleston shooter ultimately just a racist）。Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advance reader copy in exchange for honest review。 。。。more
E。B。
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EVERYTHING IS FINE is a powerhouse book， an extraordinary example of how one can create a work of art out of so much darkness and grief。 I am definitely going to be teaching this book to my memoir-writing students going forward。 Congratulations， Vince！
Sean Loughran
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This book will stay with me forever。 As someone who struggles with a severe and persistent mental illness （SPMI）， I'm attracted to books in this genre。 Some authors do a good job educating， others do not。 Vince experienced a traumatic event that no one should ever have to。 But he pulled through， he educated himself using every resource he could find， and he shared that education with us。 This book was absolutely heart-wrenching， beautifully written， and my hope is that the reader will finish wit This book will stay with me forever。 As someone who struggles with a severe and persistent mental illness （SPMI）， I'm attracted to books in this genre。 Some authors do a good job educating， others do not。 Vince experienced a traumatic event that no one should ever have to。 But he pulled through， he educated himself using every resource he could find， and he shared that education with us。 This book was absolutely heart-wrenching， beautifully written， and my hope is that the reader will finish with more of an education in not only schizophrenia but in mental illness as a whole。 I have already recommended to several people in my life。 My full review is available https://www。avocadodiaries。com/2021/0。。。 。。。more
Jocelyn
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Many thanks to Atria Books for the gifted ARC of Everything is Fine， by Vince Granata。 This comes out on April 27。TW: murder， mental illness （schizophrenia）， substance abuse This is a stunning and heartbreaking memoir of Vince Granata as he chronicles the aftermath of his brother， Timothy， killing their mother propelled by undiagnosed schizophrenia。 Following the tragic event， Vince begins to examine the disease and dive deeper into his brother’s story。 This is a flat out heartbreaking novel wri Many thanks to Atria Books for the gifted ARC of Everything is Fine， by Vince Granata。 This comes out on April 27。TW: murder， mental illness （schizophrenia）， substance abuse This is a stunning and heartbreaking memoir of Vince Granata as he chronicles the aftermath of his brother， Timothy， killing their mother propelled by undiagnosed schizophrenia。 Following the tragic event， Vince begins to examine the disease and dive deeper into his brother’s story。 This is a flat out heartbreaking novel written so incredibly beautifully it brought me to tears。 The level of compassion Vince had towards his brother despite the horrible turn of events is exactly how we should treat those with mental illnesses。 Schizophrenia is a mental illness that is often glossed over or over-dramatised in society and is often what people think of as “crazy。”It is a devastating illness that impacts each person differently but can impact an entire family in unique ways。 This is an example of the system failing a patient that needed help， and this happens far too often。 Read this book at your own discretion， it is not an easy read， but it is profound and impactful， and one that will stick with me。Thank you Vince Granata for sharing such a deeply personal story。 I hope it will help others。 。。。more
Shelby Thompson
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Everything will not be fine after you read “Everything is Fine。” You will not be okay。 You will be filled with grief， frustration， and anger， but also with understanding， empathy， and a deep admiration for this family that went through a level of pain unimaginable to most of us， yet was able to maintain their love for one another。 In this memoir， Granata writes about the impact that the murder of his mother by his brother Tim， who has schizophrenia， has had on his family。 Granata tells a story o Everything will not be fine after you read “Everything is Fine。” You will not be okay。 You will be filled with grief， frustration， and anger， but also with understanding， empathy， and a deep admiration for this family that went through a level of pain unimaginable to most of us， yet was able to maintain their love for one another。 In this memoir， Granata writes about the impact that the murder of his mother by his brother Tim， who has schizophrenia， has had on his family。 Granata tells a story of how a family has to learn to grieve in different ways without tearing each other apart， all while trying to make sense of an awful crime committed by their son and brother。 Unlike similar “true crime，” memoirs， this is not a story focused on the grisly details of the crime itself。 Instead， it focuses on the failures of American health-care and policing systems that are not set up to deal with serious， long-term cases of psychosis， as well as what it takes for a family to come back together in order to support the person they love the most， regardless of his crime。 Granata draws clear lines between which stories are his to tell， and which are not。 He is especially respectful of his brother and sister， Tim’s triplet siblings， who react in different ways to the death of their mother。 The level of empathy and love extended towards Tim here is something I’ve rarely seen in a book， even those that cover serious mental illness。 You’ll come away from this incredibly sad， but in a way that makes you believe more than ever that familial love really is the most powerful force on earth。 。。。more
Lindsay Rose
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Thank you to NetGalley， Atria Books， and Vince Granata for a gifted copy of Everything is Fine， in exchange for an honest review。 Vince Granata was 1000 miles away when he got a call that would alter his entire life。 Tim， his schizophrenic brother， had murdered their mother while suffering from psychosis。 Vince takes us inside a story that was so shocking it made the headlines and took us deeper into the effects of severe mental illness。 Vince's story is heart-wrenching， and he told it as it was Thank you to NetGalley， Atria Books， and Vince Granata for a gifted copy of Everything is Fine， in exchange for an honest review。 Vince Granata was 1000 miles away when he got a call that would alter his entire life。 Tim， his schizophrenic brother， had murdered their mother while suffering from psychosis。 Vince takes us inside a story that was so shocking it made the headlines and took us deeper into the effects of severe mental illness。 Vince's story is heart-wrenching， and he told it as it was。 He writes about how he struggled through his grief and guilt。 He writes of how he came not just to forgive but truly understand his brother while never diminishing who his mother was。 He elegantly tells both of their stories with only compassion。 I found his story did jump around more than I cared for。 It also spent a lot of time deep-diving into psychology terms that could've just been touched on。 That being said， this was his story， and it was his truth to tell for his healing， and I am thankful he invited us to be a part of his healing journey。 Publication Date: April 27， 2021 。。。more
Jessica Gadd
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Everything Is Fine by is a heartbreaking memoir about a tragic loss due to unchecked schizophrenia。 After a psychotic episode the author's brother kills their mother in their childhood home。 This story will leave you feeling sad and frustrated， but also with an admiration for the strength of this family。 It's sad and scary to think about all the people out there living with misdiagnosed or untreated mental health disorders。 We definitely recommend this one。 Everything Is Fine by is a heartbreaking memoir about a tragic loss due to unchecked schizophrenia。 After a psychotic episode the author's brother kills their mother in their childhood home。 This story will leave you feeling sad and frustrated， but also with an admiration for the strength of this family。 It's sad and scary to think about all the people out there living with misdiagnosed or untreated mental health disorders。 We definitely recommend this one。 。。。more
Katie - Girl About Library
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"To learn I had to look at pieces of my life that seemed impossibly at odds with each other。 I had to understand that these pieces could be simultaneously true。 I love my brother - and - my brother killed our mother"In a staggering test of empathy， Vince Granata explores the death of his mother at the hands of his schizophrenic brother。 The book begins with Vince finding out that his brother killed his mother， which leads into the details of his brother's psychological breakdown that led to the "To learn I had to look at pieces of my life that seemed impossibly at odds with each other。 I had to understand that these pieces could be simultaneously true。 I love my brother - and - my brother killed our mother"In a staggering test of empathy， Vince Granata explores the death of his mother at the hands of his schizophrenic brother。 The book begins with Vince finding out that his brother killed his mother， which leads into the details of his brother's psychological breakdown that led to the murder， as well as the mental health services and criminal charges his brother received。 I think the feelings evoked from reading this book will stay with me forever。 It is a unique read to me as a lover of both memoirs and also true crime。 "Everything is Fine" is so intensely personal while also objective in its exploration of mental illness and it's effects on family and friends。 I learned a great deal about schizophrenia and why it is a uniquely difficult mental illness， both for someone to suffer from and also for doctor's to treat。"One of the greatest tricks Tim's schizophrenia would ever play was convincing Tim that it didn't exist。""Everything is Fine" is an incredibly emotional read that left me teary eyed on several occasions。 While Vince goes into great detail about his personal struggles after the death of his mother， I really appreciated how considerate the author was of all of his siblings。 Vince is very careful to not divulge the details of their private suffering and as a result， this book did not feel exploitative or overly personal。 Memoirs can definitely be hit or miss。 I've been sucked in by a sensational tagline only to be disappointed by the author's writing more times than I can count。 It is clear that Vince Granata is first an incredibly talented writer who happened to have story to share。 I gave "Everything is Fine" five stars and highly recommend it to other readers who are interested particularly in mental health， family relationships， and the criminal justice system/ true crime。 **Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review** 。。。more
Jill Joplin
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Beautiful and heartbreaking
Stephanie
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Thanks #netgallery。 It took me awhile to read this。 It's not a light read。 As a mental health therapist， I was intrigued by the family aspect of the book。 I have to say that I was impressed by the author's research into schizophrenia。 Overall， this was both a difficult book to read but also a rewarding experience。 Thanks #netgallery。 It took me awhile to read this。 It's not a light read。 As a mental health therapist， I was intrigued by the family aspect of the book。 I have to say that I was impressed by the author's research into schizophrenia。 Overall， this was both a difficult book to read but also a rewarding experience。 。。。more
Leslie Lindsay
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{Special thanks to Atria Books for this review copy}Follow along with my author interviews， including this one， to be featured in May at: www。leslielindsay。com|Always with a Book。An extraordinarily moving memoir about a family ripped from balance at the hands of a severally mentally ill individual， EVERYTHING IS FINE （Atria， April 2021） is about grief， mental illness， mothers and sons， and so much more。 I finished this book last night and I am so moved and yet， simultaneously disturbed。 It's one {Special thanks to Atria Books for this review copy}Follow along with my author interviews， including this one， to be featured in May at: www。leslielindsay。com|Always with a Book。An extraordinarily moving memoir about a family ripped from balance at the hands of a severally mentally ill individual， EVERYTHING IS FINE （Atria， April 2021） is about grief， mental illness， mothers and sons， and so much more。 I finished this book last night and I am so moved and yet， simultaneously disturbed。 It's one of the most gut-wrenching， heart-breaking， authentic memoirs I've read in a long time。 This family will stay with me。 Vince Granata recalls standing in front of his suburban home， chalk in hand， as he greeted his mother and father and three siblings （triplets） home from the hospital。 The family had just doubled in size。 He was ecstatic; finally: playmates， siblings。 But twenty-three years later， one of those siblings--Tim--will develop severe mental illness--likely schizophrenia。 He's plaqued by paranoid delusions， an obsession over religion， philosophy， and morality。 He talks about suicide and death and how he might not 'make it' to the 4th of July。。。and if he doesn't， well， then， it's the 'demons' that made him do it。 On a hot July day， at the family's home， Tim brutally kills their mother。 They were alone in the house， things were 'fine，' and then。。。they weren't。 Vince is over a thousand miles away， his father is at work， his sister at the mall shopping for suitable clothing for an upcoming interview。 Now， this family is change forever。 Told with great compassion and willpower， Vince Granata takes this very painful experience and weaves it into a narrative that will tug at your heartstrings， but also have you questioning and worried for the 'system。' The prose is stark， precise， and yet lyrical at times， EVERYTHING IS FINE captures the raw emotion， internal hurdles to overcoming grief， as well as loyalties to one's mother but also brother， and the rest of the family。 Here， the author takes it upon himself to examine the disease that plaqued his brother， reads reams of medical notes， visits him in a criminally insane psychiatric unit， and more。 Here， the entire family's trajectory is thrown off balance， but in the end， it's a gorgeous tribute to a well-loved mother， a portrait of loss and even， forgiveness。 I was reminded of HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD by Robert Kolker as I read EVERYTHING IS FINE and also found touches of HE CAME WITH IT （Miriam Feldman） in terms of a young man afflicted with schizophrenia， but also， readers may appreiate Ron Powers's NO ONE CARES ABOUT CRAZY PEOPLE。 For all my reviews， including author interviews （Vince will be on my Q&A series in May 2021）， I invite you to: www。leslielindsay。com|Always with a Book。 。。。more
Ashley
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This book covers an important and often overlooked topic; mental health。 It’s difficult to understand unless you’ve been through it yourself or stood by someone close to you in the throes of it。 It can be all an consuming， life altering struggle with yourself and those who love you。 This is a story of one such family， forever changed by mental illness。This was a poignant memoir， that told the story of the Granata family。 At the center of the story is Tim Granata， who horrifically killed his moth This book covers an important and often overlooked topic; mental health。 It’s difficult to understand unless you’ve been through it yourself or stood by someone close to you in the throes of it。 It can be all an consuming， life altering struggle with yourself and those who love you。 This is a story of one such family， forever changed by mental illness。This was a poignant memoir， that told the story of the Granata family。 At the center of the story is Tim Granata， who horrifically killed his mother in their childhood home。 Tim struggled with mental health issues， which was labeled as many things， ending in a schizophrenia diagnosis。 The story is told by his older brother， Vince， who recalls the wonderful and memorable times during his childhood and growing up with his brother and other siblings。 He also described some pivotal points where his brother began to shift and change into someone he didn’t know。 He began to morph into someone unrecognizable， someone he couldn’t reconcile with the brother he had grown up with。 He also shed some light on the ways the system failed his brother， which I think is an important topic。 This story was heartbreaking。 I could feel the many emotions portrayed， through the way Vince wove the story together from different time periods and drew the reader in to his world。 I wish desperately his mother’s story didn’t have to end that way。 So much pain and anguish for the family left behind in the aftermath of such a horrific act。 Almost more than you’d think a person could take。 But， I think some awareness and good can come from this story being shared。 Mental health is often dismissed or overlooked and by the time someone pays attention， it’s too late。 I definitely recommend this book to those who are open and ready to read this kind of content。 It’s an important and memorable story。 It’s a story of terrible loss， but also forgiveness and redemption in spite of it all。 Unconditional love。 （Trigger warning for death， murder and mental health struggles。）Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for the ARC。 。。。more
Lucille Taylor
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An Advance Reader’s Edition。Everything is Fine: A Memoir by Vince Granata Copywrite April 2021A moving memoir about grief， mental illness and the bonds of family。 A tough book to read because of the trauma， but one about a close look at Psychosis， Schizophrenia and Anisognozha （an unawareness of illness）。
Genevieve Trono
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{Thank you to @atriabooks for my gifted copy}Last night I finished Everything Is Fine by Vince Granada and I don't know if I will be able to truly articulate how powerful this book was to me。 Written in #memoir format， Granata shares the story of how mental illness changed the path of his family forever。Narrated poignantly and with so much compassion， Granata shares the internal struggles he faced when his brother， who was diagnosed with severe schizophrenia， took the life of their beloved m {Thank you to @atriabooks for my gifted copy}Last night I finished Everything Is Fine by Vince Granada and I don't know if I will be able to truly articulate how powerful this book was to me。 Written in #memoir format， Granata shares the story of how mental illness changed the path of his family forever。Narrated poignantly and with so much compassion， Granata shares the internal struggles he faced when his brother， who was diagnosed with severe schizophrenia， took the life of their beloved mother。 Born into a family with means and much medical knowledge （both of his parents were physicians） Granata articulately explained the ways he felt they failed his brother， while also sharing his frustrations at the system which often fails to provide for those who suffer from true psychosis。His loyalties were torn between their mother who did absolutely everything she could to support his brother and his bond with his brother - who he knew was experiencing paranoid delusions which ultimately enabled him to make such a horrific decision without truly understanding the dire consequences。His writing shares his path through grief and the aftermath of this terrible tragedy while also highlighting how we can better support people experiencing serious mental health issues in the future。 I highly recommend adding this one to your nonfiction reading list。。。 publishing April 27th， 2021。 。。。more
Jalia Shelley
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This is truly the best memoir I have ever read。 Heartbreaking and moving story of a family dealing with the devastating aftermath of a son murdering his mother due to schizophrenia。 Vince is the oldest of four children in the Granata family and he chronicles the family’s story。 While the family knows Tim is suffering from mental illness， they never believed he could commit such a heinous crime against their mother。 As Vince tries to survive the aftermath of this tragedy he begins visiting his br This is truly the best memoir I have ever read。 Heartbreaking and moving story of a family dealing with the devastating aftermath of a son murdering his mother due to schizophrenia。 Vince is the oldest of four children in the Granata family and he chronicles the family’s story。 While the family knows Tim is suffering from mental illness， they never believed he could commit such a heinous crime against their mother。 As Vince tries to survive the aftermath of this tragedy he begins visiting his brother on a regular basis to try to understand how this happened。 Moving， emotional memoir that should not be missed。 Thank you NetGalley for this excellent book。 。。。more
Brandi
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Granata's memoir is one you simply can't stop reading nor stop thinking about。 While no two tragedies are alike， the way in which Granata expresses his emotions as he moves through his will make you take pause as you remember your own。 There were moments where it was hard to read because I got lost in my own emotions， yet it never detracted from the book。 The love， kindness， and advocacy which he expressed for his brother are heartwrenching to read。 He turned someone who some might identify as a Granata's memoir is one you simply can't stop reading nor stop thinking about。 While no two tragedies are alike， the way in which Granata expresses his emotions as he moves through his will make you take pause as you remember your own。 There were moments where it was hard to read because I got lost in my own emotions， yet it never detracted from the book。 The love， kindness， and advocacy which he expressed for his brother are heartwrenching to read。 He turned someone who some might identify as a monster to someone who is very human and also incapable of knowing he needed help。This isn't just a book about tragedy and loss; it also a book about unconditional love， restoral， and awareness for schizophrenia。 。。。more
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