Mental health in books (section explained)

I'm going to explain in more detail how this section works and what the things that I say in it actually mean. You can read the first review of mental health in books, of the book 'The coincidence of Callie and Kayden'

If a mental health issue is not directly mentioned in the book, I will not name it. I will mention it if I consider it to be a mental health issue (for example suffers a loss of memory from a traumatic event could potentially be understood as suffering PTSD, but if PTSD is not named in the book as such, I will not give it a name). This is because I am no therapist or expert on psychology so I do not want to diagnose the characters.

Some posts may be about this: about speculating what mental health issue a certain character may have even if it is not mentioned in the book as such.

Some things will be mentioned in the mental health issues and you may think 'that is not necessarily problematic'. Let's give the example of: controlling calories, random sex or going on shopping sprees. These behaviours are not problematic per se, but can potentially become so if they are used as mood regulators. Let's take the example of random sex. There is nothing wrong with random sex, unless someone does it for the purpose of making them feel better and forget other underlying issues. If it is done for that purpose and then afterwards brings other feelings such as shame and regret then it might be an issue. So I'm not saying that random sex is wrong and whoever does it immediately has to have a mental health issue (not at all), but it can be used for that purpose.

The questions at the end of each book review are:

Therapy mentioned? This asks whether therapy is mentioned, is it considered an option to the mental health issue in the book.

Positive or negative image of sufferer of mental health illness? This is not answering whether it is an accurate depiction of the mental health illness. I can't be sure of whether it is 100% accurate but if I feel like it doesn't feel realistic, I will definitely mention that in the review. This question is asking whether it gives a positive image of the character suffering a mental health issue. It doesn't matter that much whether he/she is bad, it's whether it's solely the illness that defines that character and if it is seen as a negative trait. For example, if someone is portrayed as evil because of their mental health issue, I will specify that under this section. I feel like some media tends to show that message, that mental health issues makes someone worse... So I think that it is an important factor to evaluate in a book containing mental health issues.

Mental health issues mentioned: Here again, read the second paragraph of this post. I'm not diagnosing the characters!

Triggering issues? Different things can trigger different people. I will try to state the ones that I feel like could be triggering.

Rating: Following the Goodreads style, I will rate it up to 5 stars.

However many stars are colored in gold, are the rating that I have given it.

The rating is completely subjective and may have little to do with the mental health issues that are portrayed in it.

Keep an eye out for a new review next Thursday!

The coincidence of Callie and Kayden (Mental health in books)

This is the first post in the series of mental health in books so I feel like I should clarify this: I'm going to mention if there are triggering factors in the book. I'll try to be as spoiler-free as possible, but I think it is necessary to mention these things to make sure that people are informed before they decide to read them. Some books containing mental health issues are VERY triggering, and in those cases I'll try to make it as clear as possible. (Obviously different factors can trigger different people so I will write at the ending the main possible triggers so that people are warned)

I know I said I'd update on Thursday but yesterday I couldn't even turn on my laptop! (Didn't even have time to have lunch, which my therapist was very upset about....) I'm very sorry for being late!

The coincidence of Callie and Kayden

Jessica Sorensen

For Kayden, suffering in silence was the only way to survive. If he was lucky, he could keep his head down, do as he was told, and make it through the day. But one night it seemed like his luck -- and his life -- might finally end... until an angel named Callie appeared just in time to rescue him. 

 Callie has never believed in luck. Not since her twelfth birthday when everything was taken from her. After the worst was over, she locked up her feelings and vowed never to tell anyone what happened. Now, six years later, she continues to struggle with the painful secret that threatens to consume her. 

 When fate lands Kayden and Callie at the same college, Kayden is determined to get to know the beautiful girl who changed his destiny. Quiet and reserved, Callie still fears letting anyone else into her world. But Kayden is certain that Callie has come back into his life for a reason. And the more he tries to be a part of her life, the more he realizes that, this time, it's Callie who needs to be saved...

Callie clearly suffers from PTSD and an eating disorder that serves the purpose of mood regulator. She suffers from panic attacks and flashbacks as a result of her PTSD. Kayden shares his fair dose of mental stress with an abusive father.

Callie has withdrawn herself from everyone, including her classmates, leading to bullying by people from school. She cut her hair and she is very skinny because of her eating disorder, those two being the main reasons why people make fun of her.

Even though the plot may sound very dramatic, the book actually gives off a hopeful vibe.

Except for the ending.

I really don't recommend reading this book unless you have immediate access to the second part. The first rating that I gave it in GoodReads was a lot lower than what I thought of the whole book because at first I did not know that there was a second part and I did not like the ending. When I found out about 'The redemption of Callie and Kayden' I was so happy... I actually improved the rating I had given it.

Therapy mentioned? Yes

Positive or negative image of sufferer of mental health illness? Positive

Mental health issues mentioned: PTSD, ED, self-harm

Triggering issues? Rape, abuse, self-harm

Do I recommend it? Yes BUT have access to the second one!

My Goodreads rating:

(4/5 stars)

Add me on Goodreads

I will post tomorrow explaining a bit more about the different categories that I add at the very end of the review (and that will be added in all the reviews).

Mental health in books

As you may (or may not) know, I love reading and it is one of my distractions from depression.

I find the subject of how mental health is treated in books very interesting and lately I have felt drawn to books containing characters struggling with mental health issues. In those books, the mental health issue may not be the main subject, but it is present. I think that the way something is represented in books (and films, and the media) is very important as it is one of the first points of contact for some people with mental health issues.

I think that it is important that there is something more to the character other than their mental health since characters (just like real people) need to be complex and mental health is not everything that there is to a person! This last point is very important in order to fight the stigma around mental health illnesses.

I have decided to start a section of this blog in which I will talk about books containing characters who struggle with mental health issues and debate a little how it is addressed. (This will also satisfy the need I have always had to have a book blog).

For now in this post I will mention the latest books that I have read which have characters struggling with mental health issues. I will simply post the synopsis and then I'll write about them in more depth once a week (I'm feeling it for Thursdays).

Make sure to add me as a friend in Goodreads!
I'd love for you to recommend me more books!

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

 But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

 Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

 But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

Penny has a secret.

Under the alias GirlOnline, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad, whirlwind family - and the panic attacks she's suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever.

There are so many more, I thought I'd only share a few for now in order to not overwhelm you but I will keep talking about them. And on Thursday I'll post about one of them!

Before Thursday there will be another (normal) blog post so make sure you keep an eye out!