Mental Health Fiction

Mental illness is becoming more and more common in fiction, especially YA. Many books, such as contemporaries, feature characters suffering with their mental health and they are even hinted at in some fantasy novels (Feyre's PTSD in A Court of Mist and Fury, etc) As the stigma is slowly being removed in real life, it is creeping into our books too. Whereas some authors romanticise mental illness or portray it incorrectly and disrespectfully, these are some that we think are the exception. More importantly, these characters make us remember that we are not alone in this.

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

(TW: Self Harm)

Girl in Pieces tells the story of seventeen-year-old Charlie, a girl who is no stranger to pain and loss. In order to cope, she self-harms to the point that we meet her at a rehabilitation centre where she is on her way to recovering. She shares her experience with a bunch of other, complex females and it all seems to be on the right track until Charlie is told that she is being released. Faced with the reality of living on the outside again, she must find her way alone but is she ready to let people back in?
Kathleen Glasgow isn't afraid of delving into the dark world of mental illness. She doesn't skirt over Charlie's self-harm, Riley's addiction or Linus' alcoholism. Although these aren't light-hearted subjects in themselves, she still manages to maintain a layer of hope throughout the novel. She makes you root for Charlie and the other characters, hoping that they can heal and keep going. Nothing is romanticised in this novel and I am so grateful for that. It is evidently clear that Kathleen Glasgow put her heart and soul into this book. 
This novel reminds me that we need to extinguish the stigma that is attached to mental illness. It should not be a taboo subject and it's heartbreaking that it is something that is so common and I include myself in that. Charlie is a young girl who lost her father and her best friend, has an abusive and distant mother, is almost the victim of sexual assault, experiences homelessness and hunger but keeps going. She survives it and although her journey to recovery is far from over, she shows that you can do it. You can pull yourself out of it and I think that is such an important message, especially to the younger generation. 

Falling into Place by Amy Zhang

(TW: Suicide)

This book tells the story of Liz Emerson as we find out why she chose to drive her Mercedes off the road and try to kill herself. The story is arranged in 'snippets' from Liz herself, her friends, her teachers and other people but overall, much like 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak, it is narrated by an omniscient presence. The book is non-linear which may confuse a few people but in my opinion, everything came together and it was very easy to follow.

I want to first talk about Liz herself. She is by no means your typical, kind YA character. She is the most popular girl in school and has used that to her advantage, such as bullying people. One of the main reasons she tries to kill herself is because she realises what sort of person she is and regrets everything she has done. The book displays her depression and will to die so frighteningly well. She feels as though she can't redeem herself and take back all the pain she has caused. She's angry that she has got away with everything. I found that so powerful and really felt like Liz was such a real character which made it all the more heartbreaking.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

(TW: Eating Disorders)

Wintergirls follows the story of Lia, a girl who suffers from severe eating disorders. It is written in a diary style, which, although not unique to this book, works incredibly well. It allows you to truly get into Lia's head, and feel what she is experiencing. With Lia being portrayed as the author of the book, you also are able to understand her character a lot more than if it had been written in a different style.

Alongside the insight into the mind of someone with serious anorexia and body dysmorphia, Wintergirls highlights the drastic need for improvement in todays mental health services. Lia is beyond underweight, and yet she has been declared as stable. It isn't until things begin to turn even worse that her illnesses are finally given the attention they need. 

I'm not sure that saying I enjoyed this book would exactly be the right way to describe how I felt during and after reading it. I think, instead, saying that I found it a powerful experience and learned a lot would be a far better way to put it.

Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne

(TW: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

Am I Normal Yet? follows the story of Evie, a sixteen year old girl suffering from OCD and an anxiety disorder. We meet her as she is starting her recovery after hitting rock bottom and all Evie wants is to be normal and to do normal things. This is a coming-of-age story, mixed with her recovery. It is raw and honest. It deals with mental health scarily well. I don't suffer with OCD but I do have an anxiety disorder like Evie and it really hit close to home in some moments but that is how it's supposed to be. If you have a mental health issue and you read a book about mental health, it is supposed to be relatable. 

If I could, I would stand in front of secondary school doors and hand this book out to everyone I saw. It is a book I wish I had in my early teens, it's a book I wish existed more and it's a book I would recommend to anyone.

Often the text was split up whenever Evie had a 'bad thought.' I know some would find this distracting but suffering with anxiety and unwelcome thoughts myself, this is realistic! These thoughts do invade your mind at unwanted and random moments. I loved that, especially when we see Evie trying to turn them into 'good thoughts.' Her mental illness is never sugar-coated, there are some moments towards the end of the book that are really difficult to read but this is reality. 

Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

(TW: Rape)

Asking For It tells the story of Emma, a young, confident Irish girl, and what happens to her one night when she goes to a party. When she wakes up the next day with no memory of what happened or how she got home, photos from the night before begin to circulate the internet and accusations and rumours start to spread. Emma is the victim of the situation, but in the eyes of her community, she becomes the perpetrator. 

Honestly, I really struggled with this book. I'm not saying that because I disliked it but because it was just so painfully true to life that I really felt for Emma, the main character, and it hit me hard how the plot of this book could easily be the reality of so many girls around the world right now. It is a must read. It delves into rape culture, slut shaming, and the dangers of social media in a way that I've rarely seen done in a novel before. I cannot emphasise the importance of this book. 

Emma becomes a completely different person - she has been ostracised by all her friends and the entire community, she has stopped going to school, her family is falling apart and Emma herself is just an empty shell. This is not an easy book, it hasn't got a happy ending, it hasn't even got a 'satisfactory' ending but it's realistic. 

Are there any books you guys would recommend that portray mental illness respectfully? If so, let us know in the comments!

Love,

Interview With Kathleen Glasgow

Recently, Angharad had the privilege of interviewing Kathleen Glasgow, author of the upcoming release Girl in Pieces. We were both incredibly moved by this book, so it was great to be able to get an insight into the ideas behind it's story!

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Q: One of the things I loved most about this novel were the fantastic female characters; not just Charlie herself, but also Louisa, Blue, Linus etc. Did you already have these secondary characters fleshed out at the start of the story or did they come to you later on? Are they based off real life people? 

A: Fun fact: Charlie started out in early drafts with a twin brother! And she had a friend, Michelle, who morphed into Ellis in later drafts. They aren't based off real-life people, but when I was writing them, I was very conscious of the fact that I really wanted to explore the nuances of female friendship - how you can love your best friend so much, but feel intense jealousy for them at the same time, and sometimes be mean to them as a result. Blue was fun to write because in a way, she's a hero by the end of the book -- she has layers that are revealed gradually, and she becomes a beacon of kindness in Charlie's world. Sometimes the most unlikely people can become our biggest allies. I wrote the character of Linus partly to give Charlie an adult who could recognise what was going on in Charlie's relationship with Riley, and to guide her. 

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Q: This story doesn't only delve into the dark world of self-harm but also touches on addiction, homelessness, abuse etc. Were you frightened about writing such heavy subjects and yet keeping that layer of hope that runs throughout?

A: I wasn't righted about writing those heavy subjects. I was more nervous -- I wanted to do them justice and treat them honestly and not shy away from their truths. But I also wanted to make sure to keep an element of hope -- that it is possible to find your way out of darkness, it is possible to recognise and accept help and friendship. You don't have to have suffered through what Charlie suffers to understand this book -- you will find yourself, or someone you know, in its pages.

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Q: Charlie finds solace in her art. Did you find solace when writing this book? Was it important for you to share your story with the world?

A: Charlie's story isn't mine, though I did give her bits of my own experiences in life. I did find solace in writing her because I knew that her story would reach at least a few people who needed to hear it. The most important thing to me was writing the story of a girl learning to live in the world. Because it's hard to be a girl, and then a woman, in a world that doesn't value your intelligence, or your emotions, or your dreams.

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Q: An age old question but probably the most thought of. Which character did you enjoy writing the most?

A: Ha! Well, I liked writing Blue, because I tried to give her little nuances, like the fact that she's a big reader, likes Lady GaGa, etc. And I have a secret crush on Evan, because he is that guy who would give you the shirt off his back in a blizzard. But of course my favourite character to write was Charlie: she's messy, she's beautiful, she's lovely, she's smart, she's sad, she's brave, she's hopeful, she's a spinning top, she's scared, she has life force to burn, I would be her friend in a heartbeat, I love her, and I want her to have a good life. 

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Q: What message/reminder would you like people to take away with them after reading this book?

A: I want readers to know that there are Charlie's everywhere, even if you can't see it on the outside, and that there is a little bit of Charlie in all of us, and that we should be kind to each other. As Ariel tells Charlie in Girl in Pieces, "Because when everything is said and done, Charlotte, the world runs on kindness. It simply has to, or we'd never be able to bear ourselves." 

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Girl in Pieces is released in the UK and US on the 30th August 2016. 

Girl in Pieces Review

We were kindly sent an ARC by Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review.

Girl in Pieces tells the story of seventeen-year-old Charlie, a girl who is no stranger to pain and loss. In order to cope, she self-harms to the point that we meet her at a rehabilitation centre where she is on her way to recovering. She shares her experience with a bunch of other, complex females and it all seems to be on the right track until Charlie is told that she is being released. Faced with the reality of living on the outside again, she must find her way alone but is she ready to let people back in?

The first thing that struck me about this book is its format. The author breaks the first few pages of the book into 'pieces' which I found genius. At the start of the novel, Charlie is metaphorically in pieces and the writing reminds us of this. As the story continues, the chapters get longer as Charlie has more to say. When she is in a bad way, the writing gets choppy again, it is quite literally linked to Charlie's state of mind. As for the writing itself, it reads like a poem, it flows together. There are lines so heartbreakingly beautiful that they will take your breath away.

This isn't just a story about self-harm - the author focuses on addiction, abuse, homelessness etc. Every character in her book has a story and none of them are ever made to feel unimportant, they all have a voice. Charlie comes into contact with many different people during this book - the girls at the hospital, her colleagues at work and even the people who live in her apartment block. This isn't just a story about Charlie, it's a story of all the people she meets and how they affect her.

My heart ached for Charlie. I haven't felt that much sympathy for a character in a long time. Every time she found solace in her art, I wanted to cheer for her and I love that her art style changed as she healed. She is a survivor, she endures and sometimes she gets knocked down, but she gets straight back up. She starts off not talking and yet as she found her voice, she began to find herself. She starts the journey to loving herself and not being ashamed of her scars, she lets people in and she pulls herself away from rock bottom. I'm proud of Charlie, I'm proud that I could get to know her.

Kathleen Glasgow isn't afraid of delving into the dark world of mental illness. She doesn't skirt over Charlie's self-harm, Riley's addiction or Linus' alcoholism. Although these aren't light-hearted subjects in themselves, she still manages to maintain a layer of hope throughout the novel. She makes you root for Charlie and the other characters, hoping that they can heal and keep going. Nothing is romanticised in this novel and I am so grateful for that. It is evidently clear that Kathleen Glasgow put her heart and soul into this book. 

This novel reminds me that we need to extinguish the stigma that is attached to mental illness. It should not be a taboo subject and it's heartbreaking that it is something that is so common and I include myself in that. Charlie is a young girl who lost her father and her best friend, has an abusive and distant mother, is almost the victim of sexual assault, experiences homelessness and hunger but keeps going. She survives it and although her journey to recovery is far from over, she shows that you can do it. You can pull yourself out of it and I think that is such an important message, especially to the younger generation. 

This book will be released on September 6th and keep tuned because we will be posting an interview with the author herself soon!

Angharad's May Reads

May was probably the slowest reading month for me. After completing A Court of Mist and Fury, I entered a huge reading slump and I'm still not completely out of it. I'm just focusing on reading books I know I will enjoy. In the month of May, I got a tattoo dedicated to the Night Court and Becky and I got sent some amazing arcs from some very kind publishers. I completed ten books in total.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

(by J.K. Rowling)

I continued with my reread of the Harry Potter series. Despite now being the grand old age of nineteen, my love for these books hasn't faded. I loved them as much as I did when I first read them. I cry at the same parts every time, it's so annoying. Also, who has seen the new cast members for the Cursed Child play?? Aren't they wonderful? Anyway, I gave each of these 5/5 stars.

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

What can I say? This book was everything to me. I found my home in the Night Court with Rhys and his inner circle, I was so happy when Feyre escaped from an abusive relationship and all the new characters were a breath of fresh air. I love the world Sarah has created and I really can't wait for the third book to be released. Feyre and Rhysand are proof that two people can love each other desperately and yet still maintain a healthy and equal relationship. Despite only giving ACOTAR two stars, I gave this one 5/5!

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

I decided to come out my comfort zone and read a summery, contemporary. Everyone immediately consults Morgan Matson for this genre so I decided to check out this one. It follows the story of Emily who after discovers her best friend, Sloane has left town but she has left Emily a list of things to do throughout the summer. It's a story of friendship, self-confidence and love. I did enjoy it but I only gave it a 3/5 stars purely because I'm just not a summery, contemporary person. (I suck, I know!) (Full review here)

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Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

This one has been sat on my shelf for a long time and as I was doing my daily staring-at-shelf-thing, I decided to pick it up. I completed it in one sitting, no lie! It tells the story of a bunch of teenagers who go away on holiday only to discover one of their number, Elise has been brutally murdered. Our protagonist, Anna, is the main suspect but could she really have been involved in killing her best friend? This book will blow your mind and then set it on fire. So many twists and turns, I would definitely recommend it and I rated it 5/5 stars!

Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman

When I saw both the cover and the description to this book, I immediately bought it on Amazon, received it the next day and read it in one sitting. That sounds good, right? Nope. Not today, Satan. I really didn't like this book. I rated it one star out of five and I definitely wouldn't recommend it. It follows the story of Hannah who after meeting 'bad girl' Lacey, basically becomes her puppet. Lacey changes Hannah's name and makes her a completely different person. This book has no plot, no meaning and was a definite waste of my money. Full review here!

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This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab

We were kindly sent this book by Titan Books in exchange for an honest review which we have posted here. This story follows what the world would look like if monsters were born from violence. Our two protagonists, Kate and August, find themselves coming together against a threat yet being very different people. It's brilliant, it's thrilling and it's out now so go and get a copy!

Cruel Reality by C.J. Whitley

We were sent this novel by its author in exchange for an honest review. It follows the story of Mike and Kay, two of three hundred British people who have been kidnapped only to be made to star on a deadly, reality television show where they must fight other camps to the death. It has a lot of elements from The Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies. Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. Mike was a very sexist character and when he wasn't being sexist, he was being very pompous. Kay had little character, she just spent her time running around behind Mike. This book wasn't for me however I think it could have been better if it was cut in half, there were far too many filler pages.

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Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

We were kindly sent this novel by the publisher in exchange for an honest review which I will be posting fully on the blog soon. We follow Charlie as we meet her in a rehabilitation centre after she tried to commit suicide. With the help of some other girls there, she is eventually released into the outside world. She finds a job, learns how to cope and faces her past. She meets some people along the way that remind her good people do exist. It was a heartbreaking book but it was necessary. My heart ached for Charlie and I was so proud of her. 5/5 stars - make sure you check it out when it is released on September 6th.

The Girl in 6E by A.R. Torre

I went into this book not expecting to like it. I'm not a huge fan of erotica but this was also marketed as a thriller which I am a fan of. I was so pleasantly surprised. We meet Deanna who is a sex-cam worker with a troubled past. Not only that but she is unable to leave her apartment because if she does, she'll kill someone. Yeah, we all occasionally have to urge to kill somebody but Deanna has more than an urge. Upon meeting a client, she learns of his sick fantasies as he asks her to act as a young girl called Annie. Deanna must bury all her tendencies and help when she finds out that Annie is a real person and must be helped. It was fast-paced, it was informative about a career I knew nothing about and I loved Deanna. I would definitely recommend it and I flew through it. 4.5/5 stars!