books that tackle mental illness really well

Millions of people experience mental illness each year, and of those, some 60% haven’t received treatment for it. The stigma against those of us with mental illnesses is still prevalent and constant, leading many to stay silent about what they’re going through. Mr. Rogers once said, “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” Indeed—and reading books about mental illness can help you feel less alone. So these are some of my personal favorite novels that tackle with mental illness really well:

EVERY LAST WORD

Every Last Word is contemporary YA novel about a teen girl dealing with purely obsessional OCD and keeping it at bay enough to stay in the cool squad at her high school. The main character’s mental illness and anxiety are explored in great detail, as is her ongoing therapy.

TRIGGER WARNINGS : OCD, anxiety, depression

GIRL IN PIECES

This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. The subject matter is dark, but the writing is gorgeous, almost poetic at times. The story is so captivating that you won’t be able to put it down.

TRIGGER WARNINGS : self harm, PTSD, suicide, depression, anxiety, drug addiction, alcoholism

HOLDING UP THE UNIVERSE

Jack Masselin, a young man in Jennifer Niven’s Holding Up The Universe, suffers from Prosopagnosia, commonly called face blindness. It’s a neurological disorder that affects the way people perceive faces – or more precisely, the way they can’t.

TRIGGER WARNINGS : bullying, depression, fat-shaming, peer pressure, neurological disorder, binge eating disorder

Tiesha Vohra

@tiesha_vohra