Review: I Was Here by Gayle Forman
I Was Here is full of wasted potential; Meg is as much of a prop to the story as Mr. Body is to Clue.
Browsing: mental illness
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Discussion: The Challenges of Writing About Mental Illness
Writing about characters with mental illness can be challenging in various ways. How do you accurately convey a character’s state of mind, without compromising on clarity or excitement? How do you show a character’s skewed perceptions of the world?
Depression Has No Straight Lines, Only Lies
What about readers like me, who never see their own illnesses depicted? To see story after story where depression draws a straight line to suicide is, for better or for worse, expressing that depression only functions in one way.
Review: This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
This book moves on the back of plot: a girl who didn’t want to survive in the regular world is one of a few survivors of the zombie apocalypse, trapped with classmates in their school. But the warped perspective that Sloane’s depression gives to her situation is what makes this book special.
Review: Stranger by Rachel Manija Brown & Sherwood Smith
Stranger represents a case where verisimilitude—the appearance of plausibility—succeeds where a more realistic representation of disability might have failed.
Wrapping Up One Event, Announcing the Next
We’re wrapping up Autism on the Page, and announcing our next exciting event—a week of posts focusing on representation of mental illness.
Review: When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez
The parallel journeys of Emily and Elizabeth allow author Rodriguez to explore two different expressions of depression, and show her deep understanding of the manifold ways that depression affects people.
Review: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
The writing and characters are wonderful, but if you’re looking for a book about depression, I’d pass on this one.
Review: Don’t Touch by Rachel M. Wilson
There was something in this story—some intimate, intangible Knowing—that made me believe, This author has been here. This author has walked in these shoes.
Review: Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern
Although the book was fun and interesting in places, the disability aspect was very much a freak-show presentation of disability and the disabled experience.