“A mesmeric, dire memoir...a mission (thanks to Wally Lamb’s encouragement) to write this dark, affecting, human story.”

– Publishers Weekly

"In Sharp, David Fitzpatrick is our tour guide for a harrowing journey from self-destructive psychosis to a cautious re-emergence into the flickering sunshine of the sane world. Fitzpatrick writes about mental illness with the unsparing intensity of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton but also with the hard-won self-knowledge of William Styron, Kay Jamison, and other chroniclers of disease, recovery, and management. While reading Sharp, I was at turns frightened, appalled, enlightened, and overcome with sadness. Throughout I was fully engaged and, by book’s end, reassured about the triumph of the human spirit and the healing power of a family’s patient and abiding love. For those of us who seek a better understanding of mental illness, David Fitzpatrick’s Sharp is a must read, remarkably told."

– Wally Lamb

“Sharp is a courageously honest book by a gentle, damaged soul who fought his way to the light with a ferocity he never thought he possessed. Fitzpatrick’s recounting of his struggle with severe mental illness shines with intelligence, pain and hard-won, self-confidence. ”

– Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man and The Astral

“What makes this memoir so riveting and so unforgettable isn’t the myriad of horrors that its narrator inflicts upon himself. It’s the razor-sharp humor and abiding wisdom and depth of humanity with which its author graces the reader. Sharp cuts deep into your heart.”

– Michael White, author of Beautiful Assassin and Soul Catcher

“Tortured and tormented as he was, Fitzpatrick never blinks as he recounts his residency in hell. Piercingly honest, he forces us to recognize and embrace the most broken parts of ourselves. Be forewarned: this book will expand your heart and mind.”

– Rachel Basch, author of Degrees of Love and The Passion of Reverend Nash

"...Fitzpatrick told Lamb: 'I finally took your advice. I've just enrolled in an MFA writing program at Fairfield University so that I can tell my story.' (Later, Lamb would recommend the manuscript to his publisher, which signed Fitzpatrick. The cover of Sharp features a blurb from Lamb: 'A must-read, remarkably told.') And there was more: 'I've met a wonderful woman,' Fitzgerald told Lamb. 'Amy and I are engaged.' Last October, Lamb and his wife, Chris, attended the wedding of Fitzpatrick and Amy Holmes. Lamb says it was a 'joyous and triumphant celebration if there was one.' Nine months later, Holmes, 38, a real estate analyst for a bank, is seated next to her husband at the prison writing class, at times holding his hand. Of David, she says, 'Who you've been is not always who you are or are going to be.'"

– USA Today