For families navigating a mental health diagnosis, this book sensitively portrays a high schooler's journey as he grapples with a potential schizophrenia diagnosis and its impact on his identity.
A parent might reach for this book when their teen is facing a new, serious mental health diagnosis and struggling to understand what it means for their identity. "King of the Pygmies" is the story of Penn, a high school sophomore who begins hearing what he believes are other people's thoughts. His frightening journey leads to a potential diagnosis of schizophrenia, forcing him to confront a new and uncertain reality. The book sensitively explores themes of fear, identity, and the isolation that can accompany mental illness, but also the power of support from family and friends. For older teens, it provides a powerful, first-person perspective that can help demystify a complex condition and open the door to important family conversations about mental health and acceptance.
The book deals directly and realistically with the onset of a serious mental illness (schizophrenia). The approach is secular and psychological, grounded in the main character's personal experience of symptoms like auditory hallucinations and paranoia. The resolution is hopeful but realistic: there is no magic cure. Instead, Penn begins a journey of treatment and acceptance, suggesting that managing the illness is an ongoing process.
Ideal Reader
A mature teen, 15-18, who is either personally navigating a mental health diagnosis or has a close friend or family member going through a similar experience. It is also well-suited for empathetic readers interested in profound, character-driven stories about identity and internal struggle.
Parent Prep
Parents should be prepared for a candid depiction of the symptoms of schizophrenia, which can be disorienting. The book doesn't shy away from Penn’s fear and confusion. It’s a book that would benefit from a co-reading experience or at least an open dialogue, allowing the parent to provide context and support. No specific scenes are graphically violent, but the psychological intensity is the core of the book. A parent has just learned their teen has a serious mental health diagnosis, like schizophrenia, and the teen is expressing fear that the illness will define them. Or, a parent is worried about a teen who has become withdrawn and is describing unsettling or paranoid thoughts.
Age Experience
A younger teen (14-15) might focus on the social isolation and the scariness of not being able to trust your own mind. An older teen (16-18) will more deeply connect with the existential themes: the fear of losing oneself, the process of rebuilding an identity after a life-altering diagnosis, and the nuanced journey toward acceptance.
What Makes It Special
This book provides a rare and powerfully empathetic first-person account of the onset of schizophrenia, a condition less frequently explored in YA than anxiety or depression. Its strength is its quiet, internal focus. It de-stigmatizes the illness by centering the reader so completely in Penn's human experience, making his struggle tangible and relatable.
Read plot summary
High school sophomore and artist Penn starts hearing voices, which he calls "the Pygmies" and interprets as the thoughts of those around him. This experience becomes increasingly overwhelming and frightening, blurring the lines between reality and his own mind. He struggles at school and with his friends, feeling isolated by his secret. The narrative follows his internal turmoil as he and his family seek help, leading to a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The book focuses on Penn's difficult process of resisting, and then tentatively beginning to accept, his diagnosis and the path to managing his illness.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Penn is an artist, and his drawings reflect his state of mind. How does his art change after he starts hearing the 'Pygmies'? In what ways does his art help him, and in what ways does it isolate him further?
2
After his diagnosis, Penn fears that 'schizophrenic' is all he will ever be. Do you think a diagnosis defines a person? How does Penn begin to see himself as a whole person again by the end?
3
Penn has a hard time telling people what he's experiencing, even his parents. Why do you think it was so difficult for him to talk about it? What does the story show us about the importance of having a support system?
4
Before he understands it's an illness, Penn thinks he has a special power to hear thoughts. What do you think would be the most difficult part of truly hearing everyone's unfiltered thoughts?
