Helping teens better understand their mental life, as well as better cultivating the language to openly communicate about it, are YA books about mental illness. ", "This book is about what grief can do to you and how it can make you feel. Mira, the main character, has a well-intentioned family, but they fail time and time again to see the realities of what depression is like and constantly let their disappointment show when she can't immediately 'snap out of it.' We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. ", "It's about a 14-year-old girl who suffers from social anxiety as a result of being bullied. For many, the stigma around mental illness is decreasing; we’re opening up more, sharing resources, and rejecting shame. This book of essays is full of great conversation starters, tales of growth and knowledge, and the strong feeling that you are not alone in the way that you’re feeling. There are books about addiction, eating disorders, depression, schizophrenia, and more, as experienced by the teen main characters. When I was at my worst point in my ED this book really saved my life. list created December 29th, 2016 ", "It is a story that deals with depression, bereavement, and relationships. ", "This book really helped me deal with the depression I faced after my father unexpectedly passed away in February. Honestly, the ending completely brought me to tears, but it is definitely something I would read again. YA Books Featuring Characters with Mental Illness by stepha89 - a community-created list : A list of young adult books featuring characters with mental illness. Score A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Mental illness portrayal in YA books doesn’t have to be about the big things – breakdowns and extreme reactions or lows. And although fictional books are just that, fiction, stories are almost always reflective of things going on in reality. You must have a goodreads account to vote. It’s not just books about people with depression, but a wide range of mental illnesses, traumas, disabilities, and processes. But that's not the case for everyone, and there's still a lot of work to do. OMG SO GOOD. Obsessed with travel? It's dramatic, yet ultimately inspiring. ", "The Six of Crows duology is a thrilling fantasy about an impossible heist carried out by a cast of super-diverse thieves and crooks. ", "Every shy, geeky, anxious (but still awesome) girl will recognize herself in Cath. Top www.buzzfeed.com. I’m going to share 5 YA books with mental health representation that I’ve read and enjoyed and that are, if you ask me, a little bit underrated. The book touches so many places in your heart and you really feel the love in the book. I… It is a book I turn to often when I feel that the bad days are winning. ", "It deals with more of the struggles of physical illness at first, but then has surprising characters with mental illnesses that just pull it all together perfectly. By Caitlin White. 8 YA Novels for Mental Health Awareness Month. One character is gay and deals with depression, and his voice is so refreshingly honest, complete with dark suicidal humor that a lot of authors skirt around. It also emphasized that it wasn't just ONE thing that made the female main character suicidal. We often use fictional novels as a means of escaping, to explore new worlds and living the lives of characters as a means of getting away from our own. But when I read that Green included his own grappling with mental illness, especially anxiety and OCD, in the book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It also showed me that sometimes you have to step outside of your own world and into someone else’s. must-read YA books about mental health. Oh, and the main character is biracial and the supporting characters are queer, which is always a plus in my book. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. Growing up is hard for everyone, but for someone with a mental illness, it can seem impossible. Plus, it’s nice to read something you can personally relate to. The protagonist’s struggle with her diagnosis felt so real, and it even helped me reconcile some of my own thoughts. must-read YA books about mental health. Because taking care of your brain is important. A girl who had never left the house and her mother, all alone. Find the top 100 most popular items in Amazon Books Best Sellers. We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about their favorite YA books that deal with mental health and mental illness. It doesn’t sugarcoat anything and it puts into words just what obsessions feel like and how they affect everything we say or do. ", "It's great even if it did kill me with feelings. Must read. Seriously, just read it — it’s one of the best books in the world. These books traverse all aspects of mental health and mental illness, and they’re both fiction and nonfiction. One of my personal favorites. I have depression myself and I found myself relating to the characters and plot quite a bit. With mental illness on the rise for adolescents, our expert panel discusses how mental health issues and treatment are portrayed in Young Adult (YA) literature and other media and why it so important to consider the messages they promote. Melissa Albert burst onto the YA scene (and catapulted into readers' hearts) with her 2018 debut The Hazel Wood. Picture Books; YA Fiction; So You Want to Read YA Series ; Review Policy; Mental Health in YA Lit and Serving Teen Readers. King of YA, John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down focusses on Aza, a sixteen-year-old with obsessive-compulsive disorder. YA Books to Read. It deals with all sorts of different problems, including eating disorders. 21 YA Books To Read During Mental Health Awareness Month. From the title and the cover blurb, you expect this book to be fluff or at most a John Green-esque semiserious YA romance, but it turns out to be a super-honest look at teenage depression and how it really can affect anyone. Writing about mental illnesses is difficult. ", "I recommend it to everybody. YA books dealing with issues relating to mental health and clinical psychology, first published in 2000 or later. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and a great time to explore the many writers who write on diverse topics related to mental health and mental illness. Patrick Ness. Josh has lost everyone he loves. Very unique, very heartwarming. Want to be the first to see product recommendations, style hacks, and beauty trends? The book gave me hope for the PTSD and grief I experienced and still experience. It was so beautiful. When characters in these stories have a health condition, it lends much-needed awareness to what it’s like to be young and live with health challenges or be impacted by a loved one’s illness. Nov 07, 2017. ", "It's such a raw, unglamorized, and honest look into anorexia. The hopelessness that Feyre faced and her overcoming it slowly and painfully resonated with my experience. Looking for Alaska by John Green … Shani Goloskov. I highly recommend it! This book takes you on a journey of healing and self-discovery. Because I've also experienced trauma-based depression, I got a lot of perspective from this book. ", "Its main character suffers from psychosis and it has two supporting characters who have depression and Down syndrome. One thing I particularly loved is how it sidestepped the common trope in YA where a depressed character is 'cured' of their depression after they fall in love. Our panel includes: Karen Fortunati, J.D graduated from the University of Scranton and received her law degree from Georgetown University. 29 YA Books About Mental Health That Actually Nail It. Find below a list of 50 (er, 55!) The book seems like it would be a bummer, but it’s a blast in the right places and it gets serious when it needs to be. 1. "Find below a list of 50 (er, 55!) Authors Whose YA Books About Mental Illness Get It Right . The characters have goals, relationships and obstacles, just like everybody else. 1. The following list of books about mental illness contains fiction, graphic novels, nonfiction, memoirs, biographies, and more, all books that broaden our understanding of mental illness from first hand and second hand experiences. I read the entire book in a day and at the end, I sobbed for an hour. It isn't completely cliché and doesn't try too hard. It's about feeling suicidal and it was the first book I read in which the author really seemed to understand what it's like to feel that depressed, that hopeless, that out of control, and to see no other way out of your misery except through death. BuzzFeed Contributor. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! ", "It’s Kind of a Funny Story got depression SO right. It creates conflict in the plot, yes, but is never a character's defining struggle or treated as something that will be magically fixed by the end of the series. Aza and her best friend Daisy investigate the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett. Want to be featured on BuzzFeed? 423 Public Domain Pictures I've seen multiple articles of people describing their experiences with mental health. This lyrical, profound contemporary novel takes an honest, mesmerizing look at the effects of grief and living with mental illness. The book also addresses topics like sexual assault, divorce, and physical disabilities, and the author's writing style is amazing. It helped me learn the importance of communication. As Khorram told Brightly, “At first it seemed like there was a surge in books about suicide, but lately there have been books that look at mental illness as a part of a person rather than a crisis. This story is about the recovery and healing, not of the pain and sorrow. November 4, 2019 | Written by: Kelly on November 4, 2019. At times the main character is just as confused about what's going on with him as you might feel yourself and it's incredibly comforting to know that other people struggle like this as well. It's about so much more than mental illness — which is why I love it so much. Reporting on what you care about. ", "It tells the story of Josh and Nastya, two high schoolers who have lost everything in two very different ways. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. This is a fantasy novel that just happens to star characters who struggle with mental health issues, particularly PTSD. Here are just some of their must-reads: 1. These books traverse all aspects of mental health and mental illness, and they're both fiction and nonfiction. by. It also deals with depression, self-harm, and the need to be perfect, which is common for people who suffer from an eating disorder. ", "I read it just after I left treatment for my eating disorder and I was shocked by the accuracy of it all. It describes perfectly what depression feels like, but also subtly nails a lot of the stigma people who deal with it face. May 14, 2014 . This book covers a lot of different mental health concerns and worries, from anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders and more. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie speaks eloquently about the dangers of a single story. May is Mental Health … ", "It's about a girl who had to deal with the changes around her while dealing with her mother's depression. ", "It's book is about love, depression, high school, musicals, and everything in between. From brutally honest to shockingly hilarious, these books get it. A deeply hopeful YA novel about living with mental illness that’s perfect for fans of Girl in Pieces. ", "Absolutely heartbreaking and breathtaking and helps people who have never suffered with a mental illness to understand what it's like. One thing that can help make it a little easier are YA novels that deal with mental health issues. California residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. ", "The protagonist Solomon is agoraphobic and the book deals with the subject tactfully. 266. Read 4 698 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. It really is the perfect YA for anyone looking for a male main character dealing with mental illness in a very non-preachy way. Follow the BuzzFeed Community on. ", "It's my favorite 'depression book' that is about so much more than depression. There, she is determined to find her mother, the bird. YA Books About Mental Illness You Should Read A good book is always better than a short article. Then, I’m going to underline 5 other books I can’t wait to read! Turtles All the Way Down by John Green . It would be better for teens if they were about the little things, to help teens understand what it’s really like and maybe even to realize what they’re experiencing and how their brain works might be more than they think. by Rachel Strolle. In high school it let me know that I was neither crazy, nor alone. I found it to be one of the most exquisite, authentic, raw, and beautiful explorations of navigating life with anxiety and OCD I’ve ever read. Many YA books about mental health, in particular, have amazing words of wisdom for teens and young adults who are just starting to realize that something isn't right with their health. The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Books. Navigating the rough waters of an accurate portrayal runs the risk of erring on the side of harmful stigmatization. If you haven’t read THE REST OF US JUST LIVE HERE, he turns the entire Chosen One trope on its head. From one of our favorite authors comes a controversial yet surprisingly accurate book on mental illness. 1. There are many more books in my display that students have access to, but these eight are where I start with book talks to give them a wide view of what the topic of Mental Health can deal with. Definitely true to my experience. For even more suggestions, check out the comments on the original post. It's about psychics and magic and love and tarot and sleeping kings and ghosts, but throughout it all, it weaves in themes of trauma, abuse, grief, and anxiety that the characters deal with and overcome. There are a ton of Patrick Ness books lining our shelves, but in two of his most recent, he pulls off something pretty amazing. It shows that sometimes, depression doesn't just affect one person. Nastya was in a horrible accident. ", "It's such a beautifully written book. This darkly fantastical... Because Everything Is Right but Everything Is Wrong, The Fear of Doing Nothing: Notes of a Young Therapist, Constellations with Batteries and Sellotape, How to Handle a Narcissist: Understanding and Dealing with a Range of Narcissistic Personalities (Narcissism Books), Dark Blue: Color Me Lonely (TrueColors, #1), PAWS OFF, BARKY BARK! Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! Leigh, who is half Asian and half white, travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. ", "It focuses on how a family member’s mental illness can affect their lives and offers a different perspective on mental illness in daily lives. Karolina Grabowska: Kaboompics. We’re seeing more YA books that address mental health and new ways of tackling a difficult subject. Those are a great way to learn more about what it's like to live with a mental disorder, but sometimes it isn't enough. Sign up for our As/Is newsletter. I felt that it was truly accurate, speaking from experience. Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes. Today, I thought I would share a list of my own to celebrate this Mental Health month! September 25, 2020. With the dramatic rise in diagnoses of mental health challenges comes the pressing need to talk about mental health in a bigger way. I’d even highlighted and annotated my copy, and once I brought it into my therapist’s office and showed her some passages because it put how I was feeling into words better than I could.". Funny, witty, and heartwarming — and well-researched at the same time. FOR MENTAL HEALTH MONTH . Their lives have been full of pain, suffering, loneliness, and violence. Discover the best Teen & Young Adult Fiction about Depression & Mental Illness in Best Sellers. ", "It tells the story of a young girl struggling with depression. ", "The Raven Cycle — a series made up of The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, and The Raven King — has SO much going for it. Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird. Truly my favorite book of all time. ", "It actually nailed exactly how I feel when I'm really struggling with OCD. No spoilers, but his love story is truthful, heartbreaking, but ultimately hopeful. Pan. Also included are books where the teen main character lives with or is close to someone who struggles with their mental health… ", "It's about a boy who is struggling with life in high school after losing weight at a fat camp. Here’s a list of 5 YA novels that brilliantly tackle mental health issues. When I was a teen, the only YA books that talked about mental health were the kinds with severe suicide attempts…not only were they really hard to read, but they made me feel like I was depressed enough to really complain. ", "It was the first book that put into words things I knew I was feeling, but couldn't describe to other people. They also offer epic storylines and realistic main characters at the turn of every page. Not the taboo subject it once was, mental illness offers rich territory to explore in books for kids and teens. Peoples is the protagonist of The Silver Linings Playbook, a touching and entertaining novel by Matthew Quick that captures the experience of someone living with a mental illness.The book deals with important themes like t reatment, improvements and relapses, daily struggles and overcoming the past. It’s so easy to misunderstand a mental illness, especially if you haven’t experienced the unique set of problems and worries that accompany it. It was pure emotion and tied YA themes into the plot without it becoming overbearing. Amazing perspective on what depression is. Towson University . The award-winning novel focuses on teenage Miles, and his encounter with the beautiful but emotionally unstable Alaska Young. "An amazing portrayal of how mental illness can be part of someone’s life. That book means the absolute world to me. A Funny Middle Grade Book about Dogs, Crushes, and OCD, The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden (The Coincidence, #1), Loss of a Parent: Adult Grief When Parents Die, One of Us is Lying (One of Us is Lying, #1), The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver (Ruby Oliver, #1), Maggie: Diary #2 (California Diaries, #8), Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens, Melissa Albert Recommends YA Tales Where the Real World Gets Real Magical. It's about so much more than mental illness — which is why I love it so much. Young adult novels are some of the most popular types of books out there. Note: Responses have been edited for length or clarity. Not only is the representation of various mental illnesses expanding, but so is the ­sensitivity of their portrayals. ", "Such a great book surrounding OCD and mental illness. Girl Interrupted book. 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