Books about mental health

article, health, and mental image — part 1

Hey guys ! Today's another round of our collaboration with Melissa @daysturnedintolongnights to talk about books with mental health topics. This article was born from the collaboration between Melissa @daysturnedintolongnights and our team member Chillie @Chil_lie for the WHISafePlace team, we hope you like it!

✧ 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 ✧

@Chil_lie

Melissa

@daysturnedintolongnights

banner, mental health, and self-love image

Hi everyone, here is an article about books that broach mental health topics. The two books we chose portray grief but also many more mental health related topics such as ocd, toxic relationships…

Melissa| @daysturnedintolongnights

An emotion of great delight by Tahereh Mafi (grief, toxic friendship)

Summary : It's 2003, several months since the US officially declared war on Iraq, tensions are high, hate crimes are on the rise, FBI agents are infiltrating local mosques, and the Muslim community is harassed and targeted more than ever. Shadi, who wears hijab, keeps her head down. She's too busy drowning in her own troubles to find the time to deal with bigots. Shadi is named for joy, but she's haunted by sorrow. Her brother is dead, her father is dying, her mother is falling apart, and her best friend has mysteriously dropped out of her life. And then, of course, there's the small matter of her heart– It's broken. (Goodreads)

sad, quotes, and exhausted image — **Why you should read it :** In my opinion, one of Thahereh Mafi’s strong suits is really the way she is able to make the reader live inside her characters’ head. It is reinforced by the fact these characters are often very lonely, as it is the case in this book.
I think it’s a really good story and portrayal of grief, because even though you don’t always agree with Shadi’s decisions, you can still see where she is coming from. You can really feel how the pain of her brother’s death and the way she deals with her grief estranges her completely from her family, leaving her without any consistent support system, considering her former best friend froze her out. It really shows you how it’s so important to be surrounded by people who you can trust and talk to, which is something Shadi starts working on at the end of the book.

grunge, cigarette, and pale image — **Why you should read it :** In my opinion, one of Thahereh Mafi’s strong suits is really the way she is able to make the reader live inside her characters’ head. It is reinforced by the fact these characters are often very lonely, as it is the case in this book.
I think it’s a really good story and portrayal of grief, because even though you don’t always agree with Shadi’s decisions, you can still see where she is coming from. You can really feel how the pain of her brother’s death and the way she deals with her grief estranges her completely from her family, leaving her without any consistent support system, considering her former best friend froze her out. It really shows you how it’s so important to be surrounded by people who you can trust and talk to, which is something Shadi starts working on at the end of the book.

Chillie| @Chil_lie

The Butterfly Clues (suicide, struggle with loss, toxic relationships, ocd)

Summary : Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she's learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place--possessions that allow her to feel at least some semblance of home.

Image by ✧ 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 ✧ — **Why you should read it :** This book is actually my all time favorite stand alone book. I read it three years ago, a time when I was not a big reader, but managed to finish this book in just two days. Kate Ellison did an amazing job with writing about a main character who struggles with ocd. You get to see how the entire family silently struggles with the loss of Penelope’s older brother, the mom not being in the picture as much and only described as a depressed mother who mainly stays in bed all day, the dad not taking time to understand Penelope’s ocd anymore, and Penelope herself beginning to steal things. This book took a generic but interesting genre of a murder mystery and turned it into a bigger story, and it does it flawlessly. The tie in between the brother’s death and the murder of Sapphire blew my mind. One thing I absolutely love and have to mention is that even the little details tie into the story, even when you think they are not important. It’s done purposely to show a resemblance to Penelope’s ocd; it shows that her mental illness makes her stronger, and how it helps her to notice these small details. It makes her keep investigating. Lo steals these items and hoards them, and grows anxious when her father tries to take them, a resemblance to the loss of her brother. The last thing I would like to mention is how her illness is present throughout the *entire* book, not just mentioned for the sake of “adding character.” You truly get to see an inside of her mind.

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We're a collaborative account of writers dedicated to mental health awareness online. We're not the professionals here, simply girls sharing thoughts, feelings and experiences. Mental health is slowly discussed as a topic we shouldn’t be ashamed of but there’s still taboo and misconceptions around it.We hope to put simple words on these important topics in order to raise understanding and compassion. Please ask for help from a professional if you feel overwhelmed by your emotions or struggles of any kind.