"He said that the registrar had commented on me, describing me as an onion, in that whenever you thought you knew my character or habits, another layer would peel away to show a deeper and more complex side."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have been trying to be more picky with what ARCs I sign up for and, while I have somewhat been failing in this regard, Alastair Gamble's "Looking Out for Me" felt like a story I needed to read on a personal level. I have a long history of mental health struggles, including a predisposition to schizophrenia or "prodromal schizophrenia." After an episode of psychosis this past year, I have increasingly been drawn to memoirs about folks with schizophrenia. (Whether that's advisable or not, I don't know haha.)

Alastair Gamble does such a magnificent job in articulating his experience with schizophrenic-induced paranoia and the trying journey to acceptance. One of my favorite parts of Gamble's writing is how clearly it is influenced by his architectural and artistic backgrounds, building the layers of his reality with the same beauty as a brush stroke. I feel this style of writing articulates how the paranoia caused by schizophrenia is not without reason, even if that reason may seem quite far-fetched to the neurotypical brain.

However, this style of writing is also a hindrance at times, drawing out particular scenes past the point of benefit. While this didn't take away from the book overall, it did make it drag at times.

All in all, this is a wonderful account of an individual's journey with schizophrenia and I would highly recommend it to all that are curious about different psyches and how they navigate their reality.

"I was walking into the deep unknown: the mysterious, exhilarating yet frightening void. Nonetheless, I felt surprisingly calm about what might await me."