The Problem with Crazy (Crazy in Love #1) by Lauren K. McKellar
Synopsis
The problem with crazy is that crazy, by itself, has no context. It can be good crazy, bad crazy … or “crazy” crazy–like it was when my ex-boyfriend sung about me on the radio.
Eighteen-year-old Kate couldn’t be more excited about finishing high school and spending the summer on tour with her boyfriend’s band. Her dad showing up drunk at graduation, however, is not exactly kicking things off on the right foot–and that’s before she finds out about his mystery illness, certain to end in death. A mystery illness that she could inherit.
Kate has to convince everyone around her that her father is sick, not crazy. But who will be harder to convince? Her friends? Or herself?
The Problem With Crazy “is a story about love and life; about overcoming obstacles, choosing to trust, and learning how to make the choices that will change your life forever.
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My Review
It’s been a long time since a book as affected me this much. Everything from the story to the characters sliced right through me. The Problem with Crazy is about hope as much as it is heartbreak and I think that’s what sets it apart from other books in the genre that it will inevitably be compared to. An Australian The Fault in Our Stars, except not really. Inside of a week, Kate’s father shows up drunk at her graduation and embarrasses her, she discovers he has a fatal, incurable disease that affects his behavior, and her boyfriend of two years dumps her, leaving her with no post-graduation plans, since she was supposed to go on tour with him and his band. Oh yeah, and that fatal disease her father has? Yeah, that’s genetic.
Plot
The plot centers around Kate coming to terms with her father’s illness and the potential that she’s inherited the disease, the end of her relationship, and what, if any future she has. How do you plan your life when you may not have long to live? When she runs into a strange yet adorable boy, Lachlan, who believes in doing everything once just to try it, she begins to see her world in different terms than just now and later. To let go of the uncertainty of the future and live in the moment.
The interactions with Lachlan are where the story soars into the stratosphere. These are the moments when Kate lets down her guard and just lives. Where she thinks about the world outside herself rather than being caged inside her own mind. Where she can forget for a small moment in time that life is uncertain.
World Building
The small Australian beach town where Kate lives comes alive with all five senses as Lauren McKellar weaves in enough detail to put us squarely in the middle of the scene. I’ve never been to Australia, but I almost feel as if I have. I started this book a few days after our Australian exchange student went back home, not even realizing the setting. But it was like having a little piece of Gaby still here with us as I read the familiar Australian expressions and the mention of Tim Tams (which are just as good as you’ve heard, by the way.)
Characters
The book is largely character driven and the characters are…just, wow. Lachlan is the boy by which all other boys will be judged in young adult/new adult novels. And I can tell you now, no one will ever come close, and this makes me both happy and sad, because the world needs more Lachlans, but also because he’s one of a kind which makes him eternally exceptional.
Top Five Things I Loved About The Problem with Crazy
1. The first time Kate meets Lachlan. Their initial meeting is as adorable as it gets and it showcases Lachlan in all his Lachlan-ness, sealing him in my heart forever.
2. Lachlan’s art. The way he memorializes every one of his “firsts” in black and white is just another thing that makes him remarkable.
3. The way Lachlan stands up to Dave in the restaurant. Dave is a complete douche. How Kate never knew this in two years of dating is beyond me, but Lachlan figures it out in about two seconds and his response is awesome.
4. Michael. Just because I don’t want this to be all about Lachlan (even though it really is). His loyalty to Kate and Stacey, at the expense of his position in the band, makes him one of the really good guys.
5. Lachlan. Because really, he’s just that amazing.
Bottom Line
The Problem with Crazy is heartbreakingly beautiful. It ripped my heart out, shredded it, and left me bereft, before slowly rebuilding it, piece by agonizing piece, leaving me hopeful.
Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
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Title: The Problem with Crazy
Series: Crazy in Love #1
Author: Lauren K. McKellar
Release Date: December 16, 2014
Pages: 283
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
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Author Lauren K. McKellar
About the Author
Lauren K. McKellar is an author and editor. Her debut novel, Finding Home, was released through Escape Publishing on October 1, 2013, and her second release, NA Contemporary Romance The Problem With Crazy, is self-published, and is available now.
She loves books that evoke emotion, and hope hers make you feel.
Lauren lives by the beach in Australia with her husband and their two dogs. Most of the time, all three of them are well behaved.
Where to Find Lauren K. McKellar
Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook