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We invite Courtney Summers to the blog to discuss researching and writing mental illness, disability in her zombie novel, and the lack of diversity in apocalyptic narratives.

A well-researched exploration of how mental illness can interact with queer identity, especially for those just discovering themselves during a volatile time of life and those with less well understood identities.

In no way is Briony’s depression the whole point of this novel—however, it is an important piece, and it is portrayed excellently. Chime was one of the most cathartic reading experiences of my life.

Jacobus nailed the struggle with addiction, she nailed physical limitations, she nailed alcoholic and disability-related depression, she nailed the chaos of the active alcoholic, and she nailed the hopelessness and despair that can come from all of it.

Despite good ideas and wonderful writing, Brilliant falls flat when it comes to having any constructive meaning regarding depression.

After the first two books in Jackie Morse Kessler’s Riders of the Apocalypse series — Hunger, about a girl with anorexia, and Rage, about a girl with depression — were so positively reviewed on the blog, we were incredibly excited to invite the author over for a joint interview.

I highly recommend Rage for anyone with depression, who wants to learn about depression, or anyone who just enjoys a good story. It’s moving, it’s clever, and despite its fantasy elements it’s incredibly realistic.

Romanticization is a common element of mental illness narratives, including many in the YA category; what kind of message does that send?

Many characters who may be mentally ill reject treatment out of hand, considering therapy a waste of time and suspecting medication will turn them into a zombie. Why are these narratives so popular? What are the alternatives?

After our rave review of Cindy Rodriguez’s debut When Reason Breaks — about two very different girls who are both dealing with depression — we were excited to invite both reviewer and author to the website this week to discuss the book further.

I Was Here is full of wasted potential; Meg is as much of a prop to the story as Mr. Body is to Clue.

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?

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.

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.

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.

The writing and characters are wonderful, but if you’re looking for a book about depression, I’d pass on this one.

A brief list of recommendations our contributors put together.