8 Books About Mental Illness

Before I begin, I want to preface this post with a trigger warning. All of the books that are on this list I have personally read, and they deal with a variety of topics including sexual assault, suicide, and eating disorders.

I am a strong mental health advocate. Everyone deserves to live a happy life, and if some need professional help then so be it. Everyone deserves to be healthy and happy. Maybe that’s why I am drawn to these stories? Admittedly, they’re very dark subject matters, but I’ve never been the type of person to shun certain topics because it makes others uncomfortable. Life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, and while I hope I don’t experience how dark it can be (although I’ve been close a few times), the least I can do is educate myself through the written word about how people struggle with these experiences.

This list contains little summaries about each book, but if you want a more thorough book review, I’ve left the links to my reviews below.

So, without further ado, let’s get on to the list!

1. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

John Green has written yet another book that highlights the ways in which some people struggle with their own thoughts. This book has many interesting turns that includes a missing billionaire and prize money for his whereabouts, but the main character deals with OCD and anxiety. It gives the reader a very true glimpse into how mental illness can be all-consuming and difficult for loved ones to handle.

2. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

This book broke my heart. One of the characters, Finch, has bipolar disorder and he seems like he’s just trying to be comfortable with himself. Violet begins dating him and the reader is able to see the type of toll and confusion one experiences when their loved one has a mental disorder that they can’t relate to. It’s a heartbreaking read, but I think it’s one of the best portrayals of mental illness and the very real effects it has on people.

3. Winter Girls by Laurie Halse Anderson

From the author of Speak, this book is about a girl struggling with an eating disorder. Lia has a full blown eating disorder, and while her family thinks they’re helping her by watching her eating habits, she still finds ways around their watchful eyes to continue her behaviors. It shows the reader that only people who want help will receive it, which is a core life lesson.

 

4. The Round House by Louise Erdrich

This book was so detailed and amazing and everything in between. The main character, Joe, grows up very fast after his mother’s brutal rape. It hurts to watch him try to talk to his mother or get her to eat as she recovers but she becomes a recluse and refuses to be around anyone. Her reactions to everything after her assault are prime examples of PTSD. While the story focuses on Joe and his actions, the reader can very clearly see how something of this magnitude can affect not only the survivor, but also the survivor’s loved ones.

5. It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

I loved this book. The author himself wrote this book after committing himself to the hospital. Unfortunately, Vizzini lost his battle to depression, but this author truly knew what suicidal thoughts were like and the harm it could cause and the help that everyone wants to get before they hurt themselves. The main character, Craig, walks himself to the E.R. where he is then committed to the psych ward. The un-constructing of his thoughts and feelings that he undergoes is amazing and he leaves the hospital knowing that the various pressures he’s been put under have to stop in order for him to be able to live and be happy.

6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

I read this book almost 10 years ago, shortly after it was released and loooooong before it was in talks to become a tv show. Because I was young and was sheltered from harsh realities of life, I couldn’t understand why a girl would kill herself because of the reasons listed. But I re-read it shortly after the show aired and realized that it’s never one big thing that causes someone to be pushed off the edge of no return. It’s many little things that build up and seem to drown the person, and the only relief they can think of is death. It’s sad, and it makes the reader think about all of the tiny little interactions they’ve had with others that could have harmed someone. This book is a definite eye opener.

7. Never Enough by Denise Jaden

This is another book about an eating disorder. The main character, Loann, thinks her sister Claire is perfect. She’s got a perfect body, boyfriend, and group of friends. Loann tries desperately to be perfect and after one incident with Claire’s ex boyfriend, she realizes that not everything about Claire is as it seems. Claire spirals, and soon it’s revealed just how much suffering she’s gone through in private.

 

8. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Anderson’s most popular book is about a girl, Melinda, who is raped at a party. The next year at school she’s essentially ostracized and how she handles the loss of all her friends and the scrutinization from everyone is the fall out that many sexual assault survivors have to deal with the second they speak out against their attacker. People handle traumatic events in various ways and Anderson writes the perfect novel to showcase the effects that many survivors experience.

 

I think all of these books are great reads, especially for a teenager or a young adult. I know when I was a teenager I was just being introduced to these issues through various experiences with my friends and life will only get more complicated after you leave home and enter the “adult world”. They’re all eye opening and should be read by all.

If you have any other suggestions for books about mental illness/health, leave some comments down below!