This is a must-read that will get you thinking about friendship, mental health, and tough but important journey or I would say... NECESSARY PROCESS of finding yourself.
Title: You've Got the Map Backwards
Author: Brian Usobiaga
Page Count: 188
MY RATINGS:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Contemporary, Fiction, Young Adult, Coming Of Age
A year removed from high school, lifelong friends Aisha Kinseya and Sarah Piedmont find themselves lost in different places. Struggling with depression, Sarah’s growing dependency on alcohol lands her in rehab. Aisha, in the midst of her second year of college, finds herself increasingly isolated as a crippling anxiety begins to overwhelm her.
Finding solace in familiarity, the two girls reunite only to have their friendship fracture. As they search for answers, Aisha and Sarah discover how relationships can change. How knowing someone your entire life doesn’t mean you know them forever, and how, if you want to grow, there are certain things you must leave behind.
Growth often means letting go of things, even when it hurts!
TROPES:
– Friends to Strangers (or Drifting Apart)
– Coming-of-Age/Self-Discovery
– Mental Health Struggles
– Growth Through Pain (characters are experiencing emotional pain (depression, anxiety, friendship fracture)
I just closed the last page of this book and the two main characters here are still with me. Aisha and Sarah! I was just thinking about this story and what really got me was how down-to-earth and real it felt. It really nailed that awkward, often messy time right after high school. Suddenly, you’re out in the real world and you have to figure everything out on your own. It’s such a tough transition… and I think this story really captured all the struggles and uncertainties that come with it.
Here are 3 thoughts I had while reading Aisha and Sarah’s story:
📌 THOUGHT 1: One thing that really stuck with me was how the author (Brian Usobiaga) handled Sarah’s struggles with depression and alcohol. And of course…Aisha’s intense anxiety. They didn’t shy away from any of it, which I really appreciated. A lot of young adults deal with those kinds of challenges. The story explored them in a way that felt incredibly honest and real.
📌 THOUGHT 2: What really resonated with me was how their friendship evolved. You know how you have those friends you’ve known forever, and you just assume things will stay the same? Maam, this book dives deep into that idea! It shows how Aisha and Sarah learn that even though they’ve known each other their whole lives, it DOESN’T MEAN they truly know everything about each other or that their friendship will STAY THE SAME. It definitely makes you reflect on your own relationships and how they naturally evolve as you and your friends grow.
📌 THOUGHT 3: I found myself rooting for both of them even when they were making tough choices. Growth often means letting go of things, even when it hurts. Aisha and Sarah’s struggles felt very real to me. They made me think about my own life and the friends who’ve helped me become who I am TODAY. Their story beautifully shows that TRUE FRIENDSHIP isn’t about always agreeing. Instead, it’s about helping each other grow even when your lives go in different directions. It showed that “change” is a mix of sad and hopeful feelings. You feel sad about what you leave behind, BUT also excited about what’s coming. It really made me value how rich and beautiful our connections with people can be.
So to all readers here… if you’re looking for a book that’s NOT AFRAID to get real about messy parts of growing up, definitely pick this one up! This is a must-read that will get you thinking about friendship, mental health, and tough but important journey or I would say… NECESSARY PROCESS of finding yourself. You won’t be disappointed!
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NOTE: This is my personal opinion about the book. My goal is to share my experience, not to change anyone’s perspective. I received a free copy of this book from the author. A big thank you to Brian Usobiaga for the opportunity to read this wonderful story.
