Novel one · Royce Scratch
Permanent Scars
I Knocked on the Door and Hell Reigned In
Permanent Scars follows Oto, a teenager living with Bipolar 1 disorder, through hospitalization, diagnosis, family trauma, and the difficult return to ordinary life. It is a serious literary novel about illness, silence, survival, and the question of what life can still become.
The author writes from lived experience: 23 years of treatment, six psychiatric admissions, and a story drawn closely from real life. Nothing here is offered as easy explanation; the novel lives in the texture of days as they are actually lived.
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Free sample
Chapter 10: 4-Points and Chapter 14: The Apache Truck
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Reader reviews
What readers say
Presented in an undeniably unique first person style that yanks the reader into the tangled mind and tender heart of the main character—his haunting experiences before, during, and after diagnosis. The attention brought to the oftentimes sub-par mental health workers surrounding this scenario is much deserved and long overdue. A must-read for those who wish to support and better understand a loved one living in the grip of Bipolar 1 or 2. The author’s unshakable courage shines through every word.
Unflinchingly honest and deeply human—this is a story of pain, perseverance, and the will to survive.
The small wins are proof you’re moving forward.
More
The second novel
My Dad follows Carl, Oto’s father, across his whole life. A companion to this book.
About My DadVideos
Troy Mott on where the novel came from, how fiction and nonfiction meet in it, and what it might become.
Watch the videosResources for the reader
Crisis lines, NAMI programs, and other help, free, whether or not you read the book.
See the resourcesGet the ebook
Permanent Scars, $6.99.
Delivered as a PDF right after checkout. Questions first? Ask Troy.