Plenty of YA novels contain characters that see themselves as existing at the edges of society, but in Freaks Like Us it’s undeniably true. Jason becomes an instant murder suspect when his best friend goes missing, and his story is one of a person rarely given a voice, both in fiction and in real life.

The interesting twist here is that Jason doubts himself as much as everyone around him does, because his thoughts and recollections are never free of a disturbing crowd of extra voices. Jason has schizophrenia. Finding out whether or not he’s killed Sunshine, the girl he’s loved for most of his life, is a confronting, addictive experience. I’d have read it in one sitting if life hadn’t got in the way. Two sittings had to do.

The voices in Jason’s head are relentless and Vaught’s prose never lets us forget it. Jason’s perceptions of himself and others are as witty as they are heartbreaking. Although he is no stranger to reactions ranging from indifference to violence, his inner turmoil is the most confronting. Mental illness is still so feared in our society, and I loved how Vaught, who has a background as an adolescent psychiatrist, shows us that the real fear is being on the inside.

A moving, brave read for ages 14 and up.

Emily Gale