BIBLIOGRAPHY

Walton, Julia. WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS. New York: Random House, 2017. ISBN: 978-0-399-55088-1.

PLOT SUMMARY:  Adam is a 16-year-old that is schizophrenic.  He hears and sees people that others can’t.  Adam starts a new experimental drug.  The drug has side effects such as headaches, sensitivity to light and increased hallucinations but it seems to work in how he reacts to his visions. At his new school he has befriended a boy named Dwight and a girl named Maya.  With the medication working, Adam starts feeling hopeful that he can be a regular guy and continue to be the person that Maya thinks he is.  Adam and Maya become a couple and even though Adam knows he should be honest with Maya about his condition he doesn’t say anything.  After seven months on the medication, the doctors conclude that Adam is no longer a good candidate for the drug since he has shown signs of resistance to the drug.  During prom, Adam has an episode and ends up in the hospital.  After finding out the truth, Maya wants to make the relationship work, but Adam is hesitant to do so.  At the end Maya convinces Adam to continue their relationship as they wait for a new treatment that Adam can start. 

ANALYSIS: Through his letters to his doctor, the reader gets to know Adam’s story.  Adam started seeing things at a very young age which he didn’t share with his mom.  Once diagnosed he became an expert on his condition.  Adam lives with his mom and his stepdad, Paul, which after finding out about his condition, their relationship turns awkward.  Adam is a very good cook and enjoys baking to distract himself.  When he meets Maya, he is hopeful that he can have a relationship with her since the medicine seems to be working even though he realizes that he is not being honest with her.  When he ends up in the hospital, he makes up his mind not to talk to Maya even though she wants to, because he lied to her and feels that he is broken and can’t be good for her. 

SETTING:  The story takes place mostly in Adam’s house and St. Agatha Catholic School.  Adam’s hallucinations can follow him any place he is.  The school is aware of Adam’s condition and his stepdad, as a lawyer, made sure to remind the school that legally they are not permitted to speak about Adam’s condition. 

THEME: The theme of this book is mental illness and self-acceptance.  Even though this book is fiction, and schizophrenia can manifest itself in different ways, the author gives an insight of what a person with schizophrenia can go through.  Regarding self-acceptance, Maya staying with Adam, helps Adam to see things in a different light and not lose hope about his situation. 

CULTURAL MARKERS: 

Author notes:  

Julia Walton acknowledges that she is not a doctor and that the experimental drug used in the book is not real and Adam’s story is fiction.  She also writes that schizophrenia is a disorder that affects millions of people worldwide.  People with schizophrenia are not necessarily violent and do not pose a threat to other people.   She offers a resource for anybody that might be suffering from mental illness.

Evidence that it is grounded in correct facts about the culture to the extent that can be determined.

This book gives some insight on schizophrenia, but it is important to remember that it is a work of fiction and there is much more to learn about this disorder. 

CONNECTIONS:  Students can research and present on another mental disorder.  They can present their findings on a poster board and students can have a gallery walk to learn about them.