Waiting on Wednesday (106): The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand + The Symptoms of My Insanity

Hello lovely readers! How's Wednesday treating you so far? We have two contemporary(ish) YA books featured as our WoW picks this week. Tell us what you think in the comments, okay?

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand by Gregory Galloway
Release Date: February 21st 2013
Published by: Dutton Juvenile

Want? Add to your Goodreads shelf!

Summary (from Goodreads):

Adam Strand isn't depressed. He's just bored. Disaffected. So he kills himself—39 times. No matter the method, Adam can't seem to stay dead; he wakes after each suicide alive and physically unharmed, more determined to succeed and undeterred by others' concerns. But when his self-contained, self-absorbed path is diverted, Adam is struck by the reality that life is an ever-expanding web of impact and forged connections, and that nothing—not even death—can sever those bonds.

In stark, arresting prose, Gregory Galloway finds hope and understanding in the blackest humor

Why we're waiting for The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand:

For some reason, this book reminds me a little bit of Creepy & Maud, that dark, sometimes funny, sometimes sad humor in YA is something I rarely enjoy but this book just piqued my interest. How do you kill yourself repeatedly, for 39 times? I mean, really? How?

Title: The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf
Release Date: April 18th 2013
Published by: Dial Books for Young Readers

Want? Add to your Goodreads shelf!

Summary (from Goodreads):

A laugh-out-loud, bittersweet debut full of wit, wisdom, heart, and a hilarious, unforgettable heroine.

When you’re a hypochondriac, there are a million different things that could be wrong with you, but for Izzy, focusing on what could be wrong might be keeping her from dealing with what’s really wrong.

I almost raised my hand, but what would I say? “Mr. Bayer, may I please be excused? I’m not totally positive, but I think I might have cancer.” No way. Then everyone at school would know, and they would treat me differently, and I would be known as “Izzy, that poor girl who diagnosed herself with breast cancer during biology.”

But Izzy’s sense of humor can only get her so far when suddenly her best friend appears to have undergone a personality transplant, her mother’s health takes a turn for the worse, and her beautiful maybe-boyfriend is going all hot and cold. Izzy thinks she’s preparing for the worst-case scenario, but when the worst-case scenario actually hits, it’s a different story altogether—and there’s no tidy list of symptoms to help her through the insanity.

Why I'm waiting for The Symptoms of My Insanity:

I'm already giggling a little bit just by reading the summary. That's some seriously funny dialogues there! Izzy sounds like a downright funny girl but that doesn't necessarily mean she's insane! Maybe a bit on the paranoid side since she's a hypochondriac. Sounds like a ridiculously funny, but serious where it counts, no?

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Share your WoW picks, please!