I agree to it being a gritty period-piece, with a range of universal elements all falling into the nebulous realm of mental illness. I particularly appreciated the author's candor in hashing out what she seemed to see as a distinct difference in treating the brain, and treating the mind. I could see it as a possible source of enlightenment for anyone naive enough to think that the teen years are some sort of picnic in rainbow land. 
 The telling is a bit choppy and strung-together, though the style has it's appeal in the unique voice. The author's views seem to be critical of drugs and questioning of treatment methods, but she doesn't outright discard them. Considering the cult following of disillusioned teenage girls that this book generated, I was hoping for a little more resolution in the ending. I suppose it could be argued that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, albeit of a dingy and filtered variety.