REVIEW: Defined by Destiny – The Destiny Duology #1 – Hermione Lee

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Kathleen Bell is bewildered and annoyed when her date, Weston Stevenson, stands her up at Magenta High’s fall dance. The following day, Weston confronts her about never coming clean with him about her family’s history of mental illness and breaks up with her. One of the bullies, Marjorie Nguyen, gloats over Kathleen’s plight, claiming credit for unveiling her dark past to Weston. A depressed Kathleen seeks comfort from Ryan Harte, a friend she met at the dance. Plagued by harrowing memories of her deceased mother and crumbs of information about her that she gained when eavesdropping on her father and grandparents’ conversation, she can’t stop obsessing over her past and questioning how it has shaped her as a person. Fortunately, with Ryan as her confidant, she braves through her monsters and learns to look past them. Kathleen then discovers some shocking secrets about both Ryan and Marjorie and uncovers a puzzle piece of her history. As her high school career is drawing to a close, a change of perspective turns her year into something memorable against all odds.

It is Magenta High’s annual fall dance and Kathleen Bell is waiting for her boyfriend Weston to show up. Frequent calls to Weston are not returned but her best friend Jenni does all she can to comfort her. She is approached by Ryan Hart whose date also didn’t show, and he sympathizes with her over being abandoned.

At school on Monday Kathleen finds her locker with paint saying she is a psycho and all the students staring at her including Weston who accuses her of lying to him about her mother. Kathleen’s family secret is no longer a secret, her mother had mental illness and killed herself now everyone looks at her like she is a monster.

Marjorie spent all her years in high school being a bully, causing pain whenever she could, and she was successful in causing Kathleen great pain both in the story about her mother and in breaking her and Weston up.

It was Jenni and Ryan who came to her aid, but she wonders if that aid is only temporary. Kathleen has always shyed away from people so few in high school really knew her. She has hidden the fact that she suffers from depression and was diagnosed as autistic now her fear is that she will become schizophrenic like her mother. Ryan tries to convince her that she is not mentally ill, and he and Jenni stand by her.

Kathleen never knew her mother and only knew what her grandparents and father told her although she always wished to know more. Fortunately, this is her last year of high school, and she refuses to change school even though her father wants her to. She has Jenni and Ryan, and she shows her strength by staying where she is.

The story is told in first person, and Kathleen describes depression as being in a locked room with no key, no light and no exit. She knows that she is different from everyone else which is why she doesn’t join in with the other students although now no one wants to get to know her.

Such a sad story about a girl who suffers from depression and fears becoming like her mother. On the plus side she has two friends who stand by her and support her. A story of overcoming and finding the joy she denied herself.

It is a pity that mental illness is treated the way it is but like Ryan kept telling Kathleen, it is nurture over nature.