Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See

Juliann Garey has written a powerful debut novel in Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See.  The story centers on a film executive, Greyson Todd, and his struggle with bipolar disorder.  Disclaimer: This is a terrific novel, however, it can be a difficult read at times due to the subject matter.

The "story" takes place during Todd's twelve shock therapy sessions.  Many of his memories, specifically painful ones, will be erased, or perhaps it's more appropriate to say they will be hidden.  He relives his ups and downs from his entire life, but everything revolves around one specific moment: the day he walked out on his wife and young daughter in the middle of the night, never to return.

We find interesting tidbits from Greyson's childhood, with much of it being what you might expect.  His extremely successful career is outlined, as well as his resulting emptyness from it.  Greyson spends much of his post-family time wandering around abroad.  I don't want to give away too much, but the reader can certainly feel his many ups and downs.

I was especially pleased with the ending to this debut.  My nerves were working as I got close to the end, but Garey does a magnificent job of concluding Todd's story.