Guest Post: #ShatteringStigmas Book Recommendations!

Over the last couple of years, YA books have started to feature themes of mental health. This is a great thing as the stigma of mental health is still prevalent in today’s society and I think books are a great way to connect with young people/adults who are suffering with many mental health illnesses and to help educate people on the topics of mental illness. Because that is what it is, it’s an illness and many people still don’t see as it as such, it’s like any illness the only difference is you can’t see it.

Over the last few years I have picked up quite a few books that have characters who have had a variety of mental health illnesses. Today I want to share some YA books that I have read that features various characters that have mental health illnesses.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

All The Bright Places was my first “mental health read” and I wish it hadn’t taken me this long to pick up a book that had characters with mental health illnesses. This book broke me. I cried so much reading it; I have never read a book where I grieved after reading it. Some of it was very difficult to read.

All The Bright Places deals with two teenagers with depression, it explores suicide and bullying and it also implies that one of the characters has Bipolar. It is a book that will leave you feeling many emotions and it is one am glad I read. There have been some reviews saying the book romanticises mental illness but I didn’t think it did.

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

My Heart and other black holes is another book that deals with depression and suicide. Two young characters want to commit suicide; they meet on a chat room specifically to find other people to commit suicide together. You go on a journey with these characters and find out both their reasons for wanting to commit suicide and it was really heartbreaking. My Heart and other black holes hits on a lot of assumptions with regards to mental health, that it’s not just woman who think about suicide and that it isn’t just geeks or nerds and down and out people who think about it, but that it can be anyone from the poorest person to the richest and happiest person.

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

The Last Time We Say Goodbye is one of the most beautiful pieces of literature that I have read. It shows the consequences of mental health on not just the person who is suffering but the family as well. Lex’s brother commits suicide and she blames herself, she received a text just before her brother committed suicide and the story goes from there.

The Last Time We Say Goodbye deals with loss, love and ultimately, not getting over her brother’s death but learning to let go and forgive herself and her brother.

Under Rose Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

Under Rose Tainted Skies was beautifully written and is own voices from author Louise Gornall. It deals with the effect of agoraphobia and OCD. It shows Norah taking little steps to help herself and it shows she has a great support system. There is romance in under rose tainted skies but it doesn’t romanticize Norah’s illnesses.

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Finding Audrey was a great book that felt authentic and real. It has a younger protagonist in 14 year old Audrey who deals with anxiety and serve social anxiety. I enjoyed seeing Sophie in therapy and her slowly trying to recover though the help from her family and her therapist. It a book I highly recommend.

Let me know some of your mental health recommendations below!