The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar

Cesar is a high school senior of Mexican descent on a scholarship to an exclusive American catholic school. Initially, he is an able student who finds the work easy. This is good because his younger sister, Yami, is at the same school but not in receipt of a scholarship and their mother struggles to pay her fees.

Cesar loves his longtime friend, Jamal, but has broken up with him because he was experiencing internalised homophobia as a result of something his absent and extremely homophobic father wrote to him.

At the start of the book, Cesar is on medication for his mental health but then he decides to stop taking it because he thinks the pills are not working. The rest of the book chronicles unflinchingly Cesar’s descent into mental health crisis including a detailed description of suicidal ideation and an attempt on his life.

Every time Cesar hits a new low and the reader thinks Reyes won’t describe that, she does. This book admirably if slightly scarily leaves little to the imagination which may be helpful to someone who has experienced any of these issues. It is necessary to approach this book aware that it handles very disturbing topics.

Reyes also discusses young people’s questioning of their faith and the existence of God.

In the author’s acknowledgements, Reyes tells us that this book is partly autobiographical and that she was undergoing some of the issues explored in the book during its writing. This contributes to the level of detail and immediacy which gives the book its power.