Book Review: I Crawl Through It

I Crawl Through It is about four traumatized teenagers trying to escape the crushing anxieties of everyday life. Stanzi refuses to stop wearing her lab coat. Gustav is building an invisible helicopter that you can only see once a week. China turned herself inside out. Lansdale's hair won't stop growing, and she won't stop lying. Through the course of the novel, they'll learn that escaping life isn't an escape at all, and that the only way to get through the tribulations of life is to crawl straight through it.
This is easily one of the most metaphorical and twisting books I've ever read. The book makes no distinction between reality and metaphor, which is definitely a very interesting mode of writing. When the books says people turn themselves inside out or build invisible helicopters, it commits to that. The blurring of reality is definitely intentional, and really brings across the character's traumas and struggles. The book is still strangely realistic despite fantastical occurrences. It does a magnificent job of not romanticizing mental illness or trauma, as the aftereffects and the circumstances themselves are described as gritty, horrible facts of life. The book sidesteps the photogenic, dramatic, gently sad depictions of mental illness and instead hits you with the ugly, gut-wrenching truth. The prose, as in most A.S. King books, is still phenomenal, and creates a strange, unsettling emotion that perfectly reflects the tone of the book. However, this book can be disturbing or confusing at some points, and while it is interesting, I wouldn't call it a fun read.
All in all, this book is a strange experience. The mix of metaphor and fantasy with the realities of mental illness and trauma create a story unlike any I've read before. I'd recommend it to people interested in unorthodox plotlines, strange writing styles, and invisible helicopters.
Review Grade: 11