“Words on Bathroom Walls” Novel Published by RBV Alum Julia Walton

I grew up in Vista and graduated from Rancho Buena Vista High School in 2004.  My debut novel Words on Bathroom Walls, is being published by Random House on July 4th!

For fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower comes a brilliantly honest and unexpectedly funny debut . . .
Words on Bathroom Walls – By Julia Walton

First-time author Walton creates a psychologically tense story with sympathetic characters.”

—Publisher’s Weekly, starred review
“Walton does a brilliant job of giving a voice to a population that is often silenced.”—Booklist
“Walton has crafted a character with unparalleled likability, a boy whose endearing, witty, introspective commentary allows readers to get inside the head of a person with a debilitating mental illness. . . . Highly recommended.” —School Library Journal

Julia Walton brings readers an authentic portrayal of coping with mental illness in her heartfelt and powerful debut novel, WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS (Random House Books for Young Readers / On sale July 4, 2017 / Ages 12 & up). Follow Adam, a teenage boy finding his way in life and love as he struggles to deal with his schizophrenia. Uniquely told in Walton’s pitch-perfect voice, readers will fall for the story Adam weaves in his witty and endearing journal entries as he tries to hang on to reality.
When Adam is diagnosed with schizophrenia, his mother and stepfather think it’s best if he starts fresh at a new school. Adam is happy for the clean slate. The kids at school have no idea he’s “crazy,” and he’d like to keep it that way. He meets Maya, and falls for her no-nonsense attitude and fierce intelligence. Loving her makes Adam fight all the harder to appear normal.

But Adam has also started an experimental drug trial, and while it seems to be working, it’s hard to ignore the familiar characters his mind has conjured: Rebecca, the tall girl who feels like a friend and reflects his moods, or the Mob Boss, who threatens his family. His hallucinations are there, waiting for him to once again lose sight of the boundaries of reality. And then the drug trial begins to fail. Adam’s grip is slipping, and at the worst possible time. How can he tell Maya the truth? He can’t trust much, but his love for her is real.
WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS is full of lovable characters you won’t want to let go of. Adam’s genuine and beautifully written story will tug at your heart and inspire your mind.
JULIA WALTON received an MFA in creative writing from Chapman University. When she’s not reading or baking cookies, she’s indulging in her profound love of Swedish Fish, mechanical pencils, and hobbit-sized breakfasts. Julia lives with her husband and daughter in Huntington Beach, CA.

Random House Books for Young Readers is an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company.