I identified so much with Aza's thoughts and couldn't explain why. At the time I read the book, I was going through an extremely complicated situation and I couldn't explain what I was feeling, thinking, etc. It was a trigger for me to read about all that, but it was what made me seek help and start to understand myself better.
That was years ago and today (after months of putting it off, with uncertainty about whether or not I wanted to relive all that) watching the movie I was able to absorb everything better without being completely terrified by her thoughts that are so similar to mine. Maybe because it was a lighter approach to the story. I can understand Aza and myself much better today.
That said, I thought it was a very good adaptation. However, the book is deeper, it's uncomfortable to read just like it's uncomfortable to live with anxiety and I missed that for the most part. I remember it took me so long to finish because sometimes it was too much, I needed a break, I saw myself so much in the aza that it was almost suffocating. She is a character that has stayed with me ever since because she is so complex. And I have always found myself that way, complex (yes, I know how that sounds). Although her spirals were very accurate, in the book the author goes into much more depth on the subject and it would have been really cool to see the complexity of the character and the disorder explored more.
