This is one of those books that just has me wanting to make inarticulate happy sounds just thinking about it. Not particularly the best headspace to be in when you’re trying to write a coherent review, but definitely the place you want to be from a reader’s perspective.
A Case of Madness is one of those books I just kept hearing about. No matter when I was scrolling on Instagram, there it was! Calling to me. Reminding me there, there was a book I told myself I would read.
Like most things, I took my time about picking it up because my memory is shot full of holes, even when I’m being constantly reminded of something. I’m so glad A Case of Madness kept showing up on my feed. If it hadn’t, I would have missed out on a great read that gave me the happy feels for days, and left me bitterly wanting more when it ended.
I think what instantly grabbed me about A Case of Madness was the main character, Andrew Thomas. He reminds me so much of myself in so many ways: completely obsessed with and in love with fictional characters, adores pens, has exactly one real life friend who loves him and would kill for him, is utterly socially awkward (Oh, the horror of it all), just wants to be home in his own pajama all the time. Oh. And he’s gay. So totally, and sweetly gay.
A few paragraphs in and I was hooked by this fictional character that resonated with my soul. And that was fantastic because a few pages in and he swept me off on a grand adventure about life, love, and finding our place in a world that feels too big and scary for us. A world we just might not understand and that makes us want to go home and read a book in our pajamas.
Reading this book was like finding bits of my own life strewn across paper, and it made me feel I just might be strong enough to maybe face some of the heartache going on in my own life.
Thinking he’s going to die, knowing he’s gone mad, but going on despite it, Andrew Thomas talks with Sherlock Holmes, meets a whole cast of fabulous, queer found family, and delights with his anxious wit (Oh, the horror of it all). I spent a good three days (nights, actually) reading this book for hours on end and smiling like an idiot at my phone.
Honestly, my only complaint was that the ending seemed to come too soon and had a slightly rushed feel to it. There were a few story threads that I felt weren’t fully wrapped up and an extremely limited amount of confusion around the ending that I felt a couple extra pages could have remedied. The beginning of the book is incredibly detailed and exquisitely paced; some of that was lost near the end. I will say, I was privileged enough to read an advance reader copy (an ARC), so these issues could very well be resolved in the fully edited version. I have no way of knowing, until I get a physical book in my hands.
But let’s face it, if my biggest complaint is, “I wish there was more of this!” it isn’t much of a complaint.
A Case of Madness is well written, absolutely delightful, and something I highly recommend for anyone who just wants to read a beautifully crafted book and feel good while doing it. (Oh, the pleasure of it all.)
Buy A Case of Madness directly from the publisher here.
Or grab a copy from Amazon here.
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