My Heart & Other Black Holes | Jasmine Warga | Review

Wednesday, 13 January 2016

My Heart & Other Black Holes | Jasmine Warga | Review

*Trigger warning: This book contains discussions and glorification of suicide.*

Aysel wants to die. She is convinced she has the same darkness inside of her that her father has and wants to protect everyone around her by ending her life. There is only one problem, she needs somebody to make sure she goes through with it. Enter Roman - a boy she met on an online chatroom designed to create Suicide Partners. Only Roman isn't what she expected - he's good looking, is popular, has talents and dreams, why does he want to die? As the two become closer, Aysel begins to question whether they are doing the right thing and we're left wondering whether the two will go through with it or not. 

I enjoyed this book. It's the first book I've actually finished in a while and it didn't take me long to whip through it. However, it didn't blow me away and I was kind of hoping it would. The topic is very dark and one that is quite close to my heart. The portrayal of teenagers with depression who are contemplating suicide was a realistic one, in my opinion. Particularly through the descriptions of Roman but less so through Aysel's voice. The ending lacked for me and I was left feeling as though the story wasn't quite over, even when I turned the last page. I still really enjoyed reading this book and getting to know the two main characters and their struggles. I would highly recommend picking up this book - it won't change your life, but it's still a good read.

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Better With Age | Phyllis Strupp | Review

Monday, 11 January 2016

Better With Age | Phyllis Strupp | Review

*Image and book provided by NetGalley.

Summary:

"Use it or lose it" is a phrase we often hear when it comes to our brains. But are there better ways than others to engage our brains? Are there parts of our brains that are more important to keep active? In Better With Age, Strupp provides readers with several examples of the best way to "use it". 

Review:

This book ended up being a better read than I thought. I was worried that it would be full of "you can do it" fluff speak with no actual substance. Instead, I got a well thought out book that balances scientific knowledge with anecdotal experiences to provide some very good guidelines for readers. Better With Age is a bit more of a workbook, but the engagement questions at the end of each chapter really are good food for thought. 

Strupp discusses a lot of aspects of mental health and admits when parts of the brain are still too unknown for her suggestions to be one-hundred percent true. She is even nice enough to provide a section of suggested reading for further research. The glossary at the end of the book is also helpful for those of us who can easily trip over scientific terminology. 

I will not give away any of Strupp's suggestions, but I did find them to be interesting and, given my family's history with Alzheimer's, rather applicable. Strupp has done her research and has a lot of experience in this arena. So if you are worried about your long-term mental health, I highly recommend this book. I'll probably be picking up a physical copy for a couple of people I know.

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All The Bright Places | Jennifer Niven | Reviewed by Christina

Wednesday, 11 March 2015

All The Bright Places | Jennifer Niven | Reviewed by Christina

All The Bright Places moved me. So much. Theodore Finch is known for being a bit wacky & unpredictable. Nicknamed Theodore "Freak", Finch is used to being noticed for all the wrong reasons and spends most of his time thinking of ways to kill himself. Violet Markey can't wait for Graduation after the death of her sister. Although a typically "popular" girl, Violet is unhappy and can't see a way out. When the two meet in an unfortunate circumstance on the ledge of the school bell tower, it isn't clear who saved who but when the two otherwise strangers get together for a school project, they discover things about themselves and each other that they never knew. 

The two characters in this book are just lovely. I felt myself more drawn to Finch than I was to Violet, but I still loved them both just the same. I really enjoyed being inside each character's head and understanding their thoughts, as the story is told from alternating points of view. The adults in this book were probably the most disappointing aspect and whilst I understand that it was probably intentional that almost every adult in this book was useless, it really annoyed me and I wanted to scream at the school Counselor and Finch's mom numerous times throughout the book. The only adults in this book that were anywhere near acceptable were Violet's parents - who were going through a great deal themselves and despite wanting to protect their now only child, still managed to pull it together and actually be responsible adults. 

The plot held on to my heart throughout and ripped it out at the end with a sort of predictable conclusion. I saw it coming throughout the second-half of the book and understood the downward spiral, but I equally enjoyed watching it play out and dreaded what was coming. The quotes and references in this book were one of my favourite aspects - along with the facts about suicide as they added an extra layer to the story that I wasn't expecting. I don't like when people compare books to other books, but I would say that if you enjoy John Green's style of writing, you will enjoy All The Bright Places. 

Germ Magazine, the online publication that is written by Violet has actually been created IRL by Jennifer Niven, which I think is amazing! So if you've read this book, definitely check out the online Magazine too. I've also just heard that the book is being made into a film and that Elle Fanning is starring in it - so I'm super excited for that!

Trigger Warning: I wouldn't advise reading this book if you are at all sensitive to issues of mental health & suicide. 

This review was written by regular reviewer Christina, read more about her here. 

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The Silver Linings Playbook | Matthew Quick | Review

Monday, 20 May 2013

The Silver Linings Playbook | Matthew Quick | Review

Pat Peoples believes everything will work out in the end, he believes that his life is like one of those feel good movies that always have a happy ending. So as he embarks on a journey to get back with his wife Nikki back after spending a lengthy stretch in a mental health facility, nobody wants to let Pat find out the truth. The truth which doesn't look like it has any silver lining. But then Pat meets Tiffany, a young lady who has struggles with everything life has thrown at her lately. Their friendship grows and the real truth starts to reveal itself.

The Silver Linings Playbook is not one of those books that I would have immediately picked up in a book store.  However after watching the film I was convinced that I needed to read the book. I’m glad I did especially as the book gives so much more detail about the characters – which are the most interesting part of this book.  The way the book tackles the serious issues, shows how these characters interact or close themselves off are what kept me reading and enjoying every page.

If I had not watched the film first (big mistake I know – I should of known better) I think I would have really enjoyed rediscovering Pat’s old life with him and being taken on that journey.  Hidden elements of his past are slowly revealed to us and it really allows the reader to play the guessing game. I would of enjoyed trying to work it all out before Pat did (the competitive side of me would of reared its ugly head).

If I could pick out one aspect of The Silver Linings Playbook which I found frustrating it would be all the details of the classic novels that Pat reads. Now don’t get me wrong I love how they have included these books and that he is reading them – but some of them I haven’t read and now I don’t feel I need to as the plots have already been revealed to me in quite some detail.

I would definitely recommend The Silver Linings Playbook, especially if you like to read something a little different every now and then. 

This post was written by regular reviewer Laura, get to know her here.
Image from Goodreads

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Wintergirls | Laurie Halse Anderson | Review

Friday, 7 December 2012

Wintergirls | Laurie Halse Anderson | Review

'You’re not dead, but you’re not alive, either. You’re a wintergirl, Lia-Lia, caught in between the worlds. You’re a ghost with a beating heart. Soon you’ll cross the border and be with me. I’m so stoked. I miss you wicked.'  - Laurie Halse Anderson.

Lia Overbrook is being haunted. Her best friend, Cassie, has just been found dead, captured by demons she died blaming Lia for imposing on her, and now her ghost won't leave Lia alone, stalking her through the halls at school, in her therapist's office, at 'family meals'.

Wintergirls is the most recent of Laure Halse Anderson's (of 'Speak' fame) Young Adult novels, well-acknowledged for their willingness to combat 'tough issues'; Wintergirls is no exception, and follows 18 year old Lia as she struggles through an eating disorder (anorexia nervosa, to be precise). Supposedly in recovery, the death of her estranged best friend, Cassie, a bulimic who blamed Lia for her own eating disorder, puts Lia under even more pressure than her final year of high school was already subjecting to, and she finds herself wavering from a 'healthy path'.

In Wintergirls, we see the impact that coming from a broken, blended family has on Lia, coupled with her best friend's death, and her attempts at 'getting better', and Laurie Halse Anderson manages to address the real-life issues surrounding this particular branch of mental health wonderfully, navigating through treatment paths, an uncertain mental illness, and the seedy underbelly of the internet in supporting girls with these health issues, wonderfully.

Wintergirls is intense, gritty, and very realistic; far from a 'pleasant' or easy-going read, it provides an insight into a branch of mental health which I'm sure would startle anyone with a limited knowledge of these kind of problems.

Whilst I did find it to push some boundaries just a little too far in some areas (there is a lot of blood in some sections of the book, so be wary, if, like me, you're slightly squeamish), it's firmly on my list of favourite books, with well-written prosody and a slightly disjointed, if confusing, narrative, which does, at times, give a very real insight into the world of someone with this nature of mental health issues. 5/5 stars

This review was written by regular reviewer Francesca, get to know her here.
Photo © Francesca Sophia.  

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Thirteen Reasons Why | Jay Asher | Review

Sunday, 2 December 2012

Thirteen Reasons Why | Jay Asher | Review

 “To miss her each time I pull in a breath of air. To miss her with a heart that feels so cold by itself, but warm when thoughts of her flow through me.” source.

You may have heard about Jay Asher's debut novel Thirteen Reasons Why for a few reasons. 1) the book drags controversial issues into the spotlight, 2) a movie adaption is planned for the near future to star Selena Gomez and 3) the book has gone on to win multiple awards since its 2007 release.

The book follows Clay Jensen on what turns out to be a scary ride. It's made clear that a fellow student of Clay's, Hannah Baker, commit suicide. When Clay returns home one day from school to find a box of cassettes addressed to him from Hannah he's intrigued and compelled to listen. The 13 tapes take him on an adventure across his town to places that affected and changed Hannah's life. Each tape contains a story about a certain person and how they contributed to her death. Hannah refers to the stories as a "snowball", as time went on and each person hurt her, her depression grew bigger. The tapes were sent to each person from the stories in chronological order, forcing each person to face the negative effect they had on Hannah. The cliffhanger of the book is Clay's tape, what will it say? Will it be bad? What could he have done to hurt Hannah, girl he hardly knew.

The format of the book is complex but easy to follow once grasped. Clays' dialogue and internal thoughts are portrayed in the text as they usually would. Hannah's voice and stories are combined throughout the text in italics or as separate paragraphs making it easy to distinguish between the two story tellers. It's really interesting to see each story unfold from two different points of view. Hannah's story telling of events combined with Clay's perceived opinions contribute to a captivating read.

The book intrigued me when I first picked it up because of personal circumstances, as is the same for a lot of people. In a world where depression and other mental health problems are prominent, it's highly possible we all know someone who has attempted or succeeded suicide. The book is small and highly captivating, leaving it a short read for individuals. I liked the book, I thought the message was loud and clear for the readers to grasp. It was also nice to see an issue like suicide, which is highly debated, raised in public light.

13 Reasons Why deserves 5 stars. Jay Asher's book may be challenging to read, but it's not everyday you come across a book like this.

Recommended For

Those of you who enjoyed Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns by John Green, Go Ask Alice by Anonymous and Somebody's Crying by Maureen McCarthy. If you're a fan of light mystery, dark humour or even teen issues I'd recommend 13 Reasons Why to you. The book isn't coming of age, but rather a story of teenage relationships and issues.

This review was written by regular reviewer Taylah, get to know her here.
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