Twisting My Kaleidoscope by Shannon Love

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Twisting My KaleidoscopeOutskirts Press (2015)
Autobiography/Memoir
Mental Health

Shannon went through her first psychosis episode in middle age when she wasn’t expecting it and didn’t see it coming. She shares her story with us including her diary entries from the time. She has Bipolar 1 but she didn’t know until she went into psychosis.

I was hooked through the whole book and often I identified (as someone with Bipolar) with her story. Although I’ve never gone into full psychosis because I have Bipolar 2 we still have a lot in common with regards to our mental health.

Throughout the book are drawings Shannon has done and some of them open an idea of what the next chapter might be about while others will leave you wondering what she was thinking at the time. The drawings are in colour too so they are beautiful to look at.  The titles of the chapters also offer a glimpse into the contents. Chapter headings like Offering, Upside-Down Cake, Encore and Rodeos make the book interesting.

Shannon finds herself in between two religions and her hyper-religiousity is something I really indentified with.  It was interesting to read her thoughts on both Christianity and Baha’i. Especially since Baha’i is not a faith I have read much about yet.

This is one of the better mental health memoirs I’ve read and I’m glad I got the opportunity. The only thing I would say could have improved the book is to change the font the diary entries are in. It has too much flourish and that made it hard to read at times.

About Kathleen

I've been a nonfiction lover for as long as I can remember. I love children's nonfiction as well and love to share my knowledge and the books I gained them from, with the world. I wish more people would give nonfiction a chance.