Sometimes a first novel comes along that's really excellent- and also deals with a subject that is worth reading about.
Halfway House by Katharine Noel fits the description. Her book is about Angie, a competitive swimmer in high school who suddenly begins to show symptoms of bipolar disorder and has a psychotic break. After being hospitalized , Angie is sent to a farm/treatment hospital for three months and then returns home to restart her senior year of high school.
Not only does the book follow her family and Angie through that difficult time, but also through the years afterward - medication changes, halfway houses, an attempt at going to college and working. The book also explores the effect on the family's relationships - how Angie's diagnosis changes each member, how relationships between Angie and each member change.
Noel writes with ease, but more importantly she doesn't turn the book into a melodrama. Angie's parents' relationship is multifaceted and not all about their daughter. They are given a history as characters and although it would be much easier to write this book as all about Angie, that's not done. Each family member is portrayed individually, so their relationship to Angie and feelings are more credible.
Overall, I'd say this is a very powerful book dealing with a subject that's often handled poorly in fiction.
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