10 Incredible Books That Perfectly Confront Mental Health Struggles

6. Thirteen Reasons Why:

It was so interesting earlier this year hearing all the discourse about Thirteen Reasons Why almost 10 years after I originally read it. Writing books about suicide, self harm, and depression can be extremely hard, because it can easily be read as romanticism even when it’s intended to be sensitive to the topic. With the show and the books, the intentions probably good were good but the product was still harmful to many people. When I read this book as a preteen I found myself daydreaming about doing something similar to Hannah’s tapes, which was obviously not what Asher intended at all. But sometimes it doesn’t matter what you are trying to say once you put it a product out and it becomes the public’s interpretation. . ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ? . (Also: @apple: why there is a vhs emoji but no tape emoji??) . ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? #books #bookstagram #thirteenreasonswhy #jayasher #bibliophile

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Clay Jensen arrives home to find a strange package has been dropped on his porch. The package contains cassette tapes that were recorded by Hannah Baker. Hannah was a classmate and crush who committed suicide. With these tapes, Hannah reveals the thirteen reasons that lead her to end her life.

7. Made You Up:

Alex struggles with distinguishing reality and fiction. She’s got her camera, magic 8-ball and her little sister to help her win the battle against schizophrenia in order to get to college. Shortly after starting classes though, she begins to make friends, going to parties and falls in love. She’s experiencing all the things normal teenagers do and it’s the normalcy that starts to freak Alex out.

8. My Heart and Other Black Holes:

Aysel and Roman are two people with nothing in common, other than the fact that they’re ready to commit suicide. Aysel has been plotting her death for a while now, as has Roman who goes by the username FrozenRobot. They met on an online site called Suicide Partners. Roman is also haunted by a family tragedy. The two enter a pact to commit suicide together, but as it becomes more real, Aysel begins to question whether or not she should go through with it. Can she convince Roman to deviate from the original pact?

9. Every Last Word:

happy sunday, pumpkins ????

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Samantha McAllister is popular, wears all the right clothes and wears the most superb makeup. She is devoted to her group of friends—the popular group of girls that she believes to be lifelong friends. The thing is, they don’t know that she struggles with OCD. She scuffles with dark thoughts and worries that she can’t shut them off. She also has to keep her weekly psychiatrist visits and new friend, Caroline, a secret.

10. Just Listen:

Mais um terminado eeeee #justlisten #farol #sarahdessen

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Annabel went from being the girl with “everything” in a commercial for Kopf’s Department store, to being the girl with no friends. Sophie, who is incredibly mean but too exciting not to befriend, has unfriended Annabel. As if things aren’t bad enough at school, Annabel realizes she can’t find peace at home either with her sister dealing with anorexia. She doesn’t even have anyone to sit with at lunch until she meets Owen Armstrong. This tall, dark reformed bad boy is dedicated to nothing but the truth. Can Owen help Annabel face the reason for her falling out with Sophie?