Disorder

by Amy Crider

Overview

"The ingenious plot will keep the reader guessing. Psychological thriller fans will want to check this out."—Publisher's Weekly

"Honest and riveting." —Sara Paretsky, author of Blacklist and Dead Land

Amy Crider's debut psychological thriller is an endlessly satisfying page turner that will forever change the way you look at storytelling and mental illness. Graduate student Wendy Zemansky was hoping for a normal semester at an isolated university in upstate New York. Since coming off disability and starting medication for bipolar disorder, Wendy longs to feel like a "real" functioning adult, a respected colleague in her writing program. But when her roommate goes missing, Wendy plunges into an investigation that is roadblocked by vainglorious professors, specious doctors, and dubious friends. As time runs out, Wendy is forced to separate shades of suspicion amidst a swirling and uncontrollable mania, leaving her with startling lessons on what it means to persevere when everyone is seemingly against you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608012206
Publisher:	University of New Orleans Press
Publication date:	11/09/2021
Pages:	220
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Amy Crider was raised in Sauquoit, New York, and received her BA in Theater from Goddard College, where she also earned an MA in Education. As a playwright, her work has been seen in New York and throughout the Midwest, and can be heard on the podcast Continuous Dream (www.continuousdream.com). She currently lives with her husband in Chicago, IL.

Editorial Reviews

10/04/2021

Wendy Zemansky, the narrator of Crider’s intriguing debut, suffered a breakdown and was diagnosed with a bipolar disorder years ago, and is now a graduate student in literature in upstate New York. After her roommate, poet Diana Cerf, disappears, several days later Wendy finds Diana’s body covered in snow on the side of a road, the victim of a hit-and-run. Diana’s death arouses strong feelings in Wendy, triggering a manic episode. Wendy’s anxiety increases as she wonders whether she herself was the driver who killed Diana. Meanwhile, literature professor Dan Hellmann, Wendy’s adviser, suspects her of sending a letter accusing Dan of having sex with a student to another university to which he was applying for a job. Another literature professor spreads rumors questioning Wendy’s sanity, further undermining her feelings of self-worth. Wendy’s descent into mania is interspersed with clues, some of them red herrings, about what happened to Diana. The ingenious plot will keep the reader guessing. Psychological thriller fans will want to check this out. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"Honest and riveting." —Sara Paretsky, author of Blacklist and Dead Land

"The ingenious plot will keep the reader guessing. Psychological thriller fans will want to check this out."
—Publisher's Weekly

"Buoyed by its whip-smart and wry narrator, DISORDER is a taut, complicated, and impeccably plotted literary thriller that will stay with you long after the last sentence. A terrific debut by newcomer Amy Crider. -Elizabeth Wetmore, author of Valentine

From the Publisher