Suggestive is my mom's all-time favorite word, and due to the arrival of my newly measured 34 double Ds and my God-given birthing hips, I have learned two things: 1) Everything I wear looks suggestive, and 2) When someone looks suggestive, the thing that they are suggesting is sex. 
 The Symptoms of My Insanity is a bittersweet, quirky debut with a healthy dose of humor and a very lovable heroine. It was a light read that I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end. 
 Isabella - or Izzy - Skymen is a hypochondriac with enormous boobs that won't stop growing, a mother who is hiding her rare disease, a best friend who seems to have undergone a personality transplant, and a date with an out-of-her-league athlete who just spilled Gatorade all over her. All these events might seem hectic to Izzy, but before long she realises that these are only a minor part of life's insanity. When Izzy finds out the people she trusts most are withholding the biggest secrets from her and her whole life comes crashing down, what will she do? 
 Izzy was a lovely MC. She was resilient and kind and full of determination and fiercely loved her family. She was sometimes downright hilarious as well. The book is told from her first-person POV, so whenever her thoughts were snarky or sarcastic I had a good laugh. The storyline was original and interesting enough although it dragged a little in the first 150 pages. But there are some important messages that can be taken away from this book. 
 For one, society's apparent obsession with body image. When will we realise that no matter what shape and size they are, our girls are beautiful and they deserve to know that? Izzy's mom is always telling her she looks suggestive and should wear baggy clothes to hide her figure. Undoubtedly this doesn't have a good effect on her subconscious, because she feels like her "ever-growing boobs" and "God-given birthing hips" are out of her control. 
 Every time something like this happens now, I remember what Marcus said the other day about me wanting to be sick. And okay, I know wanting to have a heart attack sounds even more messed up than feeling like you're having one when you're not. But if I really was sick like that, then at least Mom could concentrate on something about me that's potentially fixable and not out of my control, like the way my body looks when I walk. And then she and I could be sick together; we could be in the hospital room together right now, and then maybe she wouldn't be so awkward about it all, and about me. 
 One thing I found lacking about this book was the characterization of hypochondriacs, because I've never read a book with a hypochondriac MC and I was so excited to learn and know more about this mental condition. Given that Izzy was one, I expected more descriptions, symptoms, anything, but I felt like the book focused more on the contemporary storyline without adding much of the hypochondriac element. There were only a few short moments when Izzy went onto Symptomaniac (a medical website) and that was it. 
 Yet there is one thing I absolutely, completely loved so much about this book: girl friendships and girls supporting girls. In this book, we don't see any evil ex-best friend, crush's jealous ex-girlfriend, clingy popular girl, etc. In fact, Izzy has an ex-best friend, Meredith, who approaches her about helping her cover for a party one day, and I thought for sure that Meredith would turn out wicked or betray Izzy somehow, but no, Meredith stayed loyal and was wonderful to Izzy throughout, and it was so satisfying to watch the two girls rekindle their friendship. But the most amazing moment was (view spoiler)[ when the picture of Izzy's bare boob, taken by her asshole of a boyfriend Blake began circulating around the school, and the principal wanted to cancel the school dance unless "Boobgirl" confessed, and then Jenna (Izzy's current best friend) and Meredith planned a movement where almost all the girls in the school went to the principal's office and confessed that they were "Boobgirl", thus saving Izzy from public humiliation. The principal couldn't punish over a hundred girls of course, and so she dropped it. (hide spoiler)] I was internally cheering while reading that part, because GIRLS SUPPORTING EACH OTHER and GIRL POWER. It was so heartwarming. I think that's my favorite aspect of the book, because it's so rarely seen in YA novels these days. 
 I'd just like to add that I saw the true romance coming from page 38. After Blake proved to be a first-class asshole, I would honestly have loved it if Izzy was independent and all like "I don't need no man", but the boy she got together with at the end was just adorable. Also, their friendship progressed throughout the book and he was really understanding and sweet to her, so it wasn't instalove but a slow build that was really cute to watch. It actually wasn't hinted at much, but on page 38, when he was first mentioned, I just had this feeling. I've read so many books with these tropes to guess, and sure enough, I was right! I was practically smiling from ear to ear when they kissed at the end. 
 I loved how everything worked out well in the end, and Izzy's mom finally realised how much she was frustrating her daughter, and when Izzy and Jenna finally worked things out between them. 
 But like Mom said, you don't stop loving someone just because they do something that surprises or even disappoints you. Maybe facts and formulas comfort Marcus, but I think that article he read was totally wrong. You don't love chemical reactions or particles or neuron receptors. You love whole people. Including the parts you didn't know were there, and the parts you're waiting for them to become. 
 If you're looking for a light read pick up The Symptoms of My Insanity! This book is lovely and humorous and has an original, heartwarming storyline. Not to mention Izzy is so lovable too. I don't think you'll regret reading it. 
 Before Reading: 
 By some divine chance, I picked this book up at the library, flipped to the first page, and immediately knew I had to read it. 
 So here I go.