“A haunting psychological thriller that will stick with you long past the final chapter.” – Best Thrillers Sometimes that little voice in your head isn’t always yours.What if the only friend you have isn’t real? When the voices in his head begin to make sense, high school senior Branson Kovac turns to the one friend he’s still got… only to discover he’s not really there.
This story is emotional and raw. It also shows what a mother will do to protect her son. No length to too much.
The struggle to find friends with a mental illness is real. But when you find out you don’t know if the voice you trust is real, how do you come back from that?
This story is so real and happens every day in someone’s world. A lot goes in noticed. Mental illness needs more light shown and this book shined in my opinion.
This book was definitely outside of what I normally choose. I’m glad I took a chance on this book! I kept in mind what was prefaced before the book even started and how this story even came to light.
While I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as a traditional thriller, it was definitely psychologically suspenseful at times. The consideration of how Branson’s voices and hallucinations manifested as well as the way his mother handled what was unfolding kept me very invested.
I’ve read a few books that contain characters with mental illness but I found this one to be one that really creates a supportive pull for all involved. I understood the rationale for the father, Ed and his role in the initial PTSD diagnosis but I felt that he was an inconsistent plot point.
I am definitely interested in reading the second book of this series, The Divided Twin.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a really interesting read and reading it from the perspective of the mum and also Branson really helped give the story a complete feeling. I really loved how the author has been so open and wrote so honestly about mental health and the problems that not only the person suffering with the illness goes through but also the people around them. The story has been wrote in a really respectful way but without sugar coating things which makes it a real eye opening read.
Branson is a successful student with his whole life ahead of him until he starts suffering episodes of blackouts and hearing voices. Not knowing how to handle this he turns to his mum. We then follow his mother and him on the journey to get the help he needs for his mental health,however things aren’t that easy and things will get worse before they get better.
It’s a hard story to read because you can feel the torment that Branson goes through but also the torment and grief that his mum is suffering too. As a parent myself I can’t imagine how hard it is to watch your child suffer and be unable to help them.
This book will really make you rethink about mental health and the stigma that surrounds it by giving the reader a deep insight into it and the heartbreak it causes.
This is one of those books that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go. I have been thinking about this book for days since I finished reading it. This book feels raw and real and I enjoyed the way the author presented the story.
The book is told mostly from the POV of Branson and Tara. Branson is in high school and one day he blacks out at school. His mother, Tara, receives the phone call and that sets into motion a series of events where she comes to find out that her son has been hearing voices in his head. This book goes back and forth between Branson and Tara and they come to terms with what that means and how they move forward.
This is one of those books that it is good to go into it without any idea of what is going to happen or how it plays out. I don’t want to give anything away in this review because it is something that each reader should face with an open mind. It deals with topics that are relevant and real…and I enjoyed every word.
like how this book has chapters for each character. To get to know thier versions of this story. This book flows really well. This is a very well though out book and shows the struggles of mental health extremely well. Tara has twins and her part of the story in flow when the twins tell there’s. I think because of the subject matter it was hard to grip into this book was noted as a Thriller on good reads and other places it is psychological. This is a very emotional book and pulls in your heart strings.
A Divided Mind by M. Billiter is the first book in The Divided Series. The story is about a teen, Branson and his struggles with the realization that his friend isn’t real. This book hits on the hard subject of mental illness but in a well handled way. The story comes from multiple POVs, including Branson, his mother, his family, and those around him. I enjoyed the way the story was handled, unlike some books I have read in the past. This is a real issue which many deal with in different ways and it was treated thoughtfully and honestly. I really enjoyed this eye-opening book and look forward to reading more from M. Billiter in the future.
A Divided Mind is a fantastic story. It’s described as a thriller but I’d say it’s more of an emotional fiction novel. Either way it’s very much worth a read.
The story revolves around Branson, but you get to hear from a few different points of view.
Branson is struggling with different issues. He hears voices, he doesn’t know if his friends are really there, he suffers black outs and then carries the weight of this around on his young shoulders.
I really enjoyed the different points of view, obviously Branson is the main character, but you get to see how mental health doesn’t just affect the person who is actually ill, it has a ripple effect and touches everyone in the family and of course everyone copes in different ways.
The story is really well written and you really get to experience what Branson is going through. There are a few surprises throughout the story and it really had me hooked from the start.
This is my first book by M. Billiter and Kyle Thomas. I am a fan of the books that address mental illness and this one did not disappoint. I loved this book and honestly couldn’t stop reading all day! I can’t even fully explain my emotion with this book. As a mother I was bawling. As a best friend with someone who has a mental illness disorder I was gutted and felt every single word printed like a stab wound. It was beautifully written and thought out brilliantly. I absolutely recommend this book. I can’t wait for book two, I’m headed there now!
Meet Branson Kovac, he is a senior in his final year of school and that’s what everyone thinks he is too, but Branson hears voices and that is where this story begins.
We start with Tara, Branson’s mum when he tells her over the phone that he is hearing voices and to say she is in shock with this announcement is an understatement. She goes on a brief trip down memory lane and tries to see what she could have gone wrong and justify what she has heard.
We next see Branson as he starts to realise that these voices aren’t heard by everyone else and also, that these voices are becoming clearer and making more sense. He is in with the office counsellor trying to make sense of what happened earlier on in the day and why this incident has him sitting in this office with someone he doesn’t even know.
As he tries to begin to explain his situation and get some advice, he finds that he may not be as alone as he thinks he is.
As the book continues, we meet Branson’s twin, his girlfriend and his other friend Trevor, but what you find out about them doesn’t quite tally with what you want to believe.
This book is an illuminating look into a tough subject and takes you on a journey from two different perspectives, it will have you on an emotional rollercoaster, but one you will not want to get off.
A Divided Mind
By
Mary Billiter
This is a book about mental illness and how it affects the person and their family.its a very thought provoking book and is well written, the author clearly either has done a lot of research on this topic or has personal knowledge. It is well written and grabs you emotionally keeping you involved because you connect on an emotional level with the main characters. Feeling their pain and hoping all works out well.
This book is seen through different characters’ perspectives and it’s also a journey for the mom and for one of her sons’, Branson. We follow as Branson struggles with a new diagnosis of schizophrenia but also struggles to balance a girlfriend, life as a twin brother but a sibling to Carson, his sister and being a high school senior preparing for college. This whole book had me feeling for poor little Branson and how his life wouldn’t be the same as he ventures into the world battling so much for the rest of his life as he goes on. This is a beautifully written story of mental illness and how it impacts your world from every which way you can ever imagine. Great and intense read!
A Divided Mind is the first book in the Divided Series by M. Billiter. It is my first venture with this author but I LOVED it. I have always had an interest in psychology and why people do what they do, so this series is right up my alley. The synopsis is real short so I dont want to give too much away, but I love the way this book was written. The author explains before the book that she has written the book as a work of fiction, but with first hand experience. The book tells the story of Branson Kovac, a teenager who hears voices and may or may not have an imaginary friend. It shows the adjustment period after learning you suffer from mental illness. The stages of denial, anger, acceptance and steps in coping for both the patient, and their family and friends. This book was wonderfully written and I am on to the 2nd book in the series. Highly Recommend this book!
I honestly do not have enough words to describe the raw, emotional, and realistic story in this book. A Divided Mind by M. Billiter is so real and packed full of so many emotions, you can’t help but feel the pain and sorrow these characters are feeling. To many stories put a fictional “gloss” over mental health. This story shows you the true impact it has on the person with the mental illness, as well as those closest to them. Mental illness and the proper treatment of it needs more light shown on it and this book does exactly that!
A Divided Mind is young adult story about mental illness. This story was well written and had good main characters. The attention to detail was the best part because i felt like i was in the story and what a interesting story to be in. I liked that this book talks about mental illnesses because it is a very really issue in today’s world and there isn’t enough people talking about them. This story revolves around Branson who has started to hear voices inside his head. We follow him and his family as they take life day by day just trying to hold it together. I am looking forward to reading more of this series and more by this author in the future!
Happy Reading!
5/5 Stars
A Divided Mind (The Divided Series #1) by M. Billiter
My first read by the author as well as the first book in The Divided Series. This book had me in tears and I couldn’t put it down. This was a great read and a great page turner.
Tara, a mother of 4, finds out that one of her oldest is not doing good. She doesn’t understand what is going on and how to help him. She thinks she did something wrong. The quote I choose for Tara is: “Just more appointments for Branson. More doctors. More uncertainty. Less hope.”
Branson, son of Tara, has got something wrong. Voices. Things normal teens don’t get. He’s lived with it for so long he doesn’t understand what’s going on. Doctors. The quote I choose for Branson is: “One minute I was asleep at my girlfriend’s house, and the next thing I know I was on the side of the road with someone else’s car, a cop thinking I was drunk, and my girlfriend and this dude bailing me out. I swear I’m not lying. I don’t remember how I got into the car or nothing.”
This was an emotional read so grab a box of tissues. I do highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a page turner.
I don’t even know where to begin with this book. But holy mind trip. This book was such a trip. I really couldn’t put it down, and I definitely couldn’t wait to get to the second one. My first book by this author, I hope she continues with this series because I’m along for the ride now. Kudos.
When you trust and confide in on the only person you believe you can truly trust to find out they may not even be real!
This book revolves around Brandon who is struggling with life, he has pressures and needs some sort of normal in life but when he reveals that he has been hearing voices in his head will his life be the same ever again.
I enjoyed the story and thought the author tackled the strong subject of the mental health aspect of the story really well. I loved the insight with in Brandon’s chapters on his struggles and how he truly understood himself and what he was dealing with. The sister character Carson was a refreshing extra as her straight talking and humour broke up the intense story.
I do have to say I loved the interaction between Aaron and Brandon and the twin bond really came through within the writing of this story but I do have to add that I did not warm to the mother character, Tara. I appreciate that this must be difficult for a parent but I couldn’t get over the woah am I drama she presents through the book.
All in all the book is well researched and brilliantly written I would say it is more of a competemary book so if you’re looking for a really gritty thriller this may not be the book for you, but I suggest if you are looking to open your mind and learn about the hard issues of mental health this is a great insight into that world.
A high school student is hearing voices and they are starting to make sense. Brandon’s needs to share what Is going on and the only one he trust is his best friend. The problem is that his best friend is not real.
This is a story about what it is like for a young man with a mental illness and the effects on those around him. It is filled with interesting characters both real and not. The family carries the brunt of the emotional consequences of having a family member with mental illness. The emotional rollercoaster they experience makes one think about their own families. The best relationship for the main chapter is with his twin. It is an interesting read and the last chapter tells more about the illness than anything else.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.I
A Divided Mind
M. Billiter
⅘ stars
I didn’t quite know what I was getting into when I picked up A Divided Mind. I had been expecting a suspenseful thriller but this is a whole different genre. That being said, the story really delivered. This was a gripping story about family and mental illness unlike anything I’ve ever read before.
A Divided Mind had me feeling the words and imagining what the characters were experiencing. The story is really well written. I have not read anything by M. Billiter in the past but I would be curious to do so in the future.
A Divided Mind by M. Billiter
5 stars
I will start off by saying this wasn’t what I thought it would be but i was so invested in this book. Read this from cover to cover, don’t miss a word of it.
I don’t have the right words to even give this a proper review worth this book. I felt the emotions, I felt the turmoil and guilt.
I will say this isn’t an average thriller type book, but it’s so worth the read.
This book will stay with me for a very long time.