Book Reviews : Novels focusing on mental health.

Please be aware that the themes and events in all these novels are difficult. Horrible things happen to the characters in these books. Mental illness, sexual assault, self-harm and bullying are just some of the difficult things the characters face in these pages. So please read on only if you believe you can face the plots of these books. If you do pick up one of these books then read at the pace best suited to you and stop when needed. Remember these books are supposed to bring awareness and if they cause pain at all to stop immediately. Look after yourself first and foremost.  

All these books have one tragic thing in common. All these books start with a suicide or suicide attempt. Some of the protagonists survive and some do not. Each book is heart breaking and at times it is difficult to read. These books all reached inside me, pulled out my heart and had me sobbing on my porch steps. Some people avoid material like the following four books because they don’t want to stop and focus on suicide because it is one of the most difficult topics we will ever face but we must remember behind every fictional story there are real people living with this pain. Some people are afraid that novels about suicide glorify or encourage the act. From my own experience I found these books bring awareness of the cause and aftermath of tragedy. While it is difficult to face at times is important that we listen to narratives surrounding mental illness. It is vital as a society that we start talking. 

1. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

Clay is grieving the loss of a girl he loved from afar, Hannah. Hannah has committed suicide and in the weeks after, her family and school community are wishing they could of seen signs she was contemplating leaving them behind. A few weeks after Hannah’s death, Clay comes home to find a package for him on his doorstep. Inside this package is audiocassette tapes, seven to be exact, double sided for all but one, 13 confessions in total. Thirteen reasons why Hannah decided to leave this world. Clay spends one night riding his bike, listening to Hannah’s voice echoing through his ears and following a map of his town drawn by Hannah as he goes on a journey discovering why Hannah is no longer here with him and how he played apart in her reasoning why. 

If you have watched the Netflix’s original series then you know how confronting this novel will be. The events leading up to Hannah’s death are traumatic yet common. As we listen to each tape and hear the pain Hannah felt, the emotion that rises up is anger. I was enraged that she was a constant target within her school community and no one took steps to end the torment she endured everyday. I felt like driving down to this fictional school and storming into the office to yell at the school’s administration that they let this happen to Hannah. While anger is a common reaction to the torment Hannah was subjected to, how often are the people angry at bullying in our schools participating in bullying in the real world? It always shocks me seeing how casually cruel people can be without realizing the impact of their words or actions. It has been 11 years since the first release of this book and social media has made bullying more prevalent. So please, next time you want to call an employee serving you a mean name because they didn’t give you your coffee fast enough, or be harsh with your wording on a disagreed opinion in the comment sections on social media or yell out swear words to a distracted driver who cut you off on the freeway, just take a deep breath and proceed with kindness. Do it for Hannah. 

2. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight.  

Amelia Barren is sweet and smart. She is exceptionally intelligent and always follows the rules. So imagine the shock her mother feels when the school calls and says Amelia is suspended for cheating on an English paper. Amelia's mother Kate is a single parent and a busy lawyer so she is late to pick up Amelia from the school's office. Kate arrives to the school to find out her only child, her beloved Amelia, has just committed suicide. The police and mental health experts call it an impulsive suicide... they say there was no sign this was coming but could that possibly be true? In the weeks after this tragedy Kate receives an anonymous text message that says Amelia did not jump.... was Amelia murdered? 

This book is written by a lawyer who does a beautiful job with demonstrating the struggle Kate, a lawyer and loving mother, goes through after this tragedy. The mystery surrounding this book keeps your attention. What could have happened to Amelia? If she was murdered who did it? Questions arise at every turn and every chapter I changed my theory of what the ending would be. Eventually I came to the conclusion that it almost did not matter how Amelia died. The bottom line is she did die and the people who loved her now have to go on without her. Amelia was a beautiful, caring girl who enjoyed writing, eating muffins and hanging out with her mum. Amelia quickly became involved in a situation that she did not know how to handle. The speed at which things spun out of control for Amelia is shocking. 

 I made the mistake of listening to an audio book of this book and hearing the pain so clear in the narrator's voice speaking as Amelia resulted in me breaking down in tears during my commute. I just wanted to scream "ASK FOR HELP!", "TALK TO YOUR MOTHER, A FRIEND, A THERAPIST, ANYONE!". The truth is though I don't have the answers for Amelia, I don't know what she could of done differently and I don't know who could of helped her. I hope Amelia at least knew before she died that she was loved and she was her mother's entire life. 

3. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. 

Violet is grieving the loss of her sister who died in a car accident. Violet is beautiful, popular and no one at school knows she is struggling so deeply. Violet is standing at the edge of a ledge of a tower at her school when she is approached by Theodore Finch, an outcast at school known for his eccentric behavior, Finch uses humour to talk Violet away from the ledge. Here starts a love story between two people who never would of looked at each other if they didn’t share the same pain. From the first few pages of the book it becomes clear just how erratic Finch’s mind is and we soon uncover he is living with bipolar disorder. Finch and Violet fall in love and it is almost a perfect love. Almost.  

This is the most beautiful of love stories. This love story grabbed my heart with force and squeezed until I could no longer breathe. It was gut wrenching and I remember lying on my porch chair sobbing at the pain this book caused me. It was perfect. Jennifer Niven is a talented author that took her real life experience of loving someone who had bipolar and demonstrating the challenges living with mental illness can bring. I met Niven at the Sydney Writers Festival last year where I had the opportunity to thank her for this novel; she was lovely and I will always cherish the cheesy snapshot I got with her where I am beaming at having met someone so fascinating. If you are in a relationship with someone with a mental illness consider giving this book a try. You are not alone and you need support just like your partner does. 

The movie is in the works starring teen royalty Elle Fanning and Justice Smith. Personally I think the casting is perfect. I hope Fanning and Smith perform their beautiful little hearts out and capture the unique qualities of both characters as well as the softness of their love.  

4. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini. 

The author of this novel tragically passed away after a long battle with depression. When you start this book knowing this terrible fact it puts into perspective just how much pain is evident in the pages. This novel follows the story of Craig, a teenager who seeks out help once he realizes he can no longer handle the stress he feels from the pressure to overachieve at his school for gifted students. Craig walks into an emergency room and asks for help. At first the doctor in the emergency room wants to send Craig home but Craig starts to insist that he needs to be here in this hospital. This story follows his journey while hospitalized for his suicidal thoughts. 

What I like about this story it that explores the difficult journey an individual goes through in their recovery with all the setbacks and triumphs that come with treatment. The stigma that is associated with antidepressants is at the forefront as Craig admits he has recently stopped taking his prescription medication prior to his hospitalization. While in the hospital Craig starts to make friends with the people who call this hospital home. Each person is struggling with mental illness to varying degrees and Craig starts impacting each of their lives. 

While living with a mental illness it is often difficult to put in place a plan to ensure the balance between creativity and stability. When you become so concerned you may lose your creative talents if you start taking medication to treat your mental illness then we are living in fear of progress. What if we become so use to the pain we live with everyday that we fear becoming well incase we no longer recognize who we are? We must start believing in ourselves; that our mental illness is not who we are, it is not our soul or our personality or our creativity or our intelligence; it is simply just an illness. 

I hope these four books bring you insight and comfort during the toughest moments in your life. I hope that you wake up tomorrow and know that things will get better, however cliché that may sound. That you remember the world is filled with sunflowers, sphynx kittens, purple skies and chaotic laughter. That you taste salt water from the sea, that you smell a caramel cake baking in your oven and that you feel the comfort of having your soul mate hold your hand while you drive along country roads. Hold on to your life and don’t let go.

If you or someone you know needs help please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (Australia).  

International friends here is a list for mental health helplines across the world via International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF.ORG)