Review by Booklist Review
Kevin Hall, a natural sailor and top student, seemed to have it all together. As he pursued a double major in college, he also worked toward a slot on the Olympic sailing team. But disrupting his path were sudden manic episodes during which he felt he was being coached by the Director and playing a part in the Show, a grandiose scheme to save the world. Shortly after he was deemed bipolar, Kevin was also diagnosed with testicular cancer. Facing all these obstacles, he still dreamed of making the Olympics. Best-selling Pilon (The Monopolists, 2015) alternates viewpoints between Kevin and his family, and includes illuminating excerpts from his diary, as she tells his story of trips to doctors, clinics, and treatment centers. Interwoven in this personal story are general overviews of his illnesses. Pilon's compelling portrait of a remarkable young man and the challenges he faces as a cancer survivor, Olympic athlete, and bipolar patient underscores all the difficulties involved, especially in treating mental illness, and offers insights into the effects it has on patients and their families.--Smith, Candace Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Former New York Times reporter Pilon (The Monopolists) recounts the life story of Kevin Hall, a competitive sailor and two-time cancer survivor whose bipolar disorder makes him think he is the star of a reality TV show. During manic episodes, Kevin hears "the Director" command him to do things on "the Show," such as drive his car into Boston Harbor (he's saved when his car hits a fence) or jump off the roof of a tower (a seagull distracts him just in time). Kevin's delusions have led to arrests, hospitalizations, psychiatric treatments, and struggles with medication, but they've also become part of who he is. In a breezily written, sometimes suspenseful narrative, Pilon examines Kevin's efforts to understand and control his symptoms as he establishes himself as a competitive sailor, taking part in the America's Cup race and the 2004 Olympics. She observes that, compared to many other mentally ill people, Kevin enjoys a "very privileged support system"; both of his parents and his wife are doctors. Though continual shifts in point of view between Kevin, his family members, and others keep the author from fully developing her ideas, her work draws attention to the toll of mental illness on individuals and their families. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents. (Mar. 2018) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
On the surface, Kevin Hall's life looks picture perfect. Hall grew up in Southern California and showed an early talent for sailing, a sport he would later represent in the 2004 Olympic Games. Inside, though, he has been motivated by voices and directions that nobody else can hear; living with a bipolar disorder known as "Truman Show Syndrome." Those who have this disorder believe that they are part of an elaborate show and are following predetermined scripts filmed by hidden cameras. As a result, Hall's behavior is erratic and dangerous at times, yet he was able to achieve a high level of success as an athlete. Pilon (The Monopolists) tells the story of Hall's life through the observations of his family, colleagues, friends, and most significantly, Hall himself. This is one of the first biographies to chronicle this unusual condition, with the added impact of the personal perspective. -VERDICT -Pilon's empathetic approach and Hall's precise expression of his unique inner world make this an important biographical study for mental health collections, sports fans, and readers interested in the -increasingly blurry line between fantasy and reality.-Janet Davis, Darien P.L., CT © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An award-winning journalist tells the story of one man's struggle with a rare form of bipolar disorder called the Truman Show delusion.Kevin Hall had it all: intelligence, money, and good looks as well as a deep love of sailing, a sport that defined his identity from boyhood. Hall excelled in school and, under the guidance of his hard-driving father, won many prestigious sailing awards. He then went to Brown University, where he double majored in math and French literature and also qualified to train with U.S. Sailing Team coaches. During his junior year, Hall suffered the first of many psychotic breaks. He also became aware of "The Director," an illness-born figure that pressed him to do anything from travel out of town to walk into ongoing traffic for "The Show," an imaginary reality TV broadcast intended for a worldwide audience. Hall finished college but not without facing more demands from the Director, encounters with the police, and stints in mental hospitals. Back home in California, he continued to train with the idea of one day fulfilling his Olympic dreams. Hall also battled to stay on medications he hated and overcome testicular cancer. He eventually married his college girlfriend, made the America's Cup Team, and participated in the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he finished 11th. Yet, as journalist Pilon (The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game, 2015) ably shows, every triumph was laced with struggle and feelings of monumental failure. He also faced the stern judgment of a father who believed his son was not trying hard enough to overcome his illness. After one especially bad manic episode, the elder Hall told his son he had "wasted time and hard-earned money to be part of Kevin's indulgence." The narrative, which is interspersed throughout with photos, interviews, and excerpts from Hall's journals, reads like an in-depth character study of a morbidly delusional man. As it journeys through Hall's illness, it also forces readers to consider the "sanity" of their own relationship to a media-saturated world.Grippingly provocative reading. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
