Inside Out by Terry Trueman

Module 3 - Adventure, Sports & Mystery

"Read three of the following selections:"

Plot Summary

Inside Out begins as our protagonist walks into a cafe as it is being robbed. When their getaway is delayed, the cops arrive, and the robbers take everyone hostage in the back of the coffee shop. This is all complicated by the voices in the head of our schizophrenic narrator, Zach. Through trying to figure out what is real and what is not, Zach ends up befriending and aiding the robbers.

Critical Analysis

Zach, the protagonist, provides an unreliable narration of events, due to the voices in his head. As Zach's medicine begins to wear off, the voices increase in frequency. The layout of the book even includes some of the voices as shadows on the pages, adding to the atmosphere of persecution we experience inside of Zach's head. The Kirkus reviewer questions the sympathetic-ness of this character stating, "the flatness and lack of emotion that is part of a schizophrenic's outlook is distancing" (2004), but the action in the plot propels things forwards fast enough that the novel keeps pace with expectations while slowly revealing the reason why Zach is almost unlikeable. Zach's actions make him likeable, even if his motivations and emotions are cryptic to the average reader. The teen robbers bring in additional sympathetic viewpoints for readers. As we discover the motivation behind their actions, we get a glimpse into the desperation of their situation and can compare it with the desperation which Zach feels.

The portrayal of schizophrenia is well done and is an under-represented problem within literature. I appreciated seeing this issue approached from a rather sympathetic but not preachy viewpoint. The mental challenges Zach faces are clearly explained and become an integral part of the story, but they are approached in a more conversational manner than typically seen. The reviewer from Booklist doesn't feel as though schizophrenia is approached sympathetically in this title (2004), but I would argue that this novel is primarily about the situation and the complications and advantages within it that Zach's schizophrenia confers. The book is an adventure novel first, and happens to contain a schizophrenic protagonist. Therefore it does give us a general picture of schizophrenia, but we are not expected to sympathize entirely with the character, but instead with his situation.

The limited setting of the novel adds to the immediacy of the hostage situation. The coffee house is only so large and contains a variety of people, and yet Zach must distinguish regularly between reality and non-reality within its walls. This challenge is hard enough for him even in his familiar setting of after-school hang-out. Because we do not have to explore a large physical area in the narrative, we are able to spend more time exploring the inner landscape of Zach's mental state and develop sympathy for our captors.

Inside Out was a fast read. The story flies by in about the time it takes for the events within the story to actually occur. The events of the holdup themselves are adrenaline-inspiring. The interspersion of Zach's backstory at the beginning of each chapter extends that adrenaline rush into the past and his suicide attempt. Even as we travel forwards in time with the development of the hostage situation, we are travelling backwards in time through the development of Zach's schizophrenia.

This story felt like it ended on a great note, but then there was a newspaper story from three months later that was just crushing. Yet it wasn't an unexpected turn, and even as the story itself ends there is a possibility of later tragedy. The book would have been just as strong, however, without the inclusion of the final tragedy in newspaper-clipping form.

The reviews of Inside Out are rather mixed. Some of the complaints reviewers had were that the narrator was unsympathetic and "the flatness and lack of emotion that is part of a schizophrenic's outlook is distancing" (Kirkus 2004), or "The only weakness in this book perhaps is in the number of characters" (VOYA 2003), "The effect is disturbing, if somewhat didactic" (SLJ 2003), and Booklist says, "The facts often feel clumsily inserted, and Zach's unreliable voice doesn't allow his story to develop fully. The shocking ending also feels tacked on" (2004). Each of those weaknesses is a necessary for the story, however. The unsympathetic-ness of the schizophrenic narrator is due to the nature of schizophrenia itself and its affect on emotions and outlook. The cast of supporting characters being undeveloped is a result of their limited narratives being included to further explain the origins of Zach's diagnosis; if any more focus was given to the mother or doctor characters, this wouldn't just be Zach's story. But even with all those negatives, the book is recommended highly for its gripping plot and is recommended for reluctant readers in many of the reviews.

Bibliography

Trueman, Terry. Inside out. New York: Harpertempest, 2003. ISBN 006623963X.

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Reviews

From Kirkus:

Trueman's ability to get inside the head of this unsympathetic character is slightly less successful than in his earlier Stuck in Neutral (2000), which was a Printz Honor book. There is some context from letters at the start of each chapter, but the flatness and lack of emotion that is part of a schizophrenic's outlook is distancing and often makes Zach seem unintelligent. Readers will be unprepared for the ending, but give Trueman credit for attempting to provide some empathy for the "others" of our world who are too easily dismissed and ridiculed—in a plot line that grabs and doesn't let go.

From Publishers Weekly:

Trueman paints a vivid story of three desperate teens that recalls Robert Cormier, with its dark, disturbing theme and a narrative that shifts from one plot thread to another in rapid-fire succession. ... Trueman, who has utilized a narrator with a compromised point of view before (the narrator suffered from cerebral palsy in his debut Stuck in Neutral), does a convincing job of gradually unspooling the three tightly drawn plot lines-Zach's impending mental meltdown, the touching story of what prompted the boys to attempt the robbery, and Zach's background, revealed through excerpted letters to his psychiatrist. Despite the suspenseful story line, this is ultimately a book about understanding and empathy; the climax is surprising, logical and moving. Fans of Cormier will likely enjoy this psychological and gripping tale.

From VOYA:

Trueman is a master of point of view, as shown in his award-winning novel Stuck in Neutral (HarperCollins, 2000/VOYA December 2000). His research into the disease really helps make Zach's warped thought patterns believable to the reader. Every reader will have sympathy and new understanding of this devastating illness. The holdup situation makes the plot exciting as well, from the first page onward. The only weakness in this book perhaps is in the number of characters. There are several hostages in the coffee shop. The two robbers have their own story as their characters develop through Zach's eyes, somewhat late in the story. Zach's mother and doctor enter the book through memories or through phone calls into the hostage situation. Readers might not be satisfied with the information given about those two people who are integral to Zach's life. Certainly Trueman is an excellent writer. This book is highly recommended for school and public libraries as both pleasure reading or to start discussions.

From School Library Journal:

Trueman uses Zach's narration to challenge readers to feel the confusion and dark struggle of schizophrenia. The effect is disturbing, if somewhat didactic. Both the grim topic and strong language in this edgy novel suggest a mature audience.-Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT

From Booklist:

Excerpts from Zach's psychiatric records interweave with his first-person account of the dramatic robbery, offering readers the medical facts as well as Zach's personal story, especially the terror and confusion he feels when he can't distinguish between the real and the imagined. The narrative blend isn't entirely successful. The facts often feel clumsily inserted, and Zach's unreliable voice doesn't allow his story to develop fully. The shocking ending also feels tacked on. But Trueman sometimes captures moments of heartbreaking truth, and his swift, suspenseful plot will have particular appeal to reluctant readers. Suggest Angela Johnson's Humming Whispers (1995) and Lisa Rowe Fraustino's Ash (1995) for more nuanced stories about a young person living with the illness. --Gillian Engberg