Top Ten Tuesday: YA Characters Who Battle Mental Health Issues
2. Adam in The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Totem (2013)---Adam struggles with OCD yet he can help others members of his support group as he fights for equilibrium in his life.
3. Darius Kellner in Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram (2018)--- Darius has clinical depression and he is becoming more and more isolated. When his family makes a trip to their homeland, Iran, he finds acceptance and friendship and comes to embrace himself.
4. Aza in Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (2017)---Aza struggles with OCD and obsessive thoughts. She finally gets help for herself and acknowledges that this is something she will work on for her whole life.
5. Vivi in When We Collided by Emery Lord (2017)---Vivi spirals into a manic phase of her bipolar disorder. Jonah, a new love interest who is struggling with depression himself, notices and gets the adults activated to get her help.
6. Henry Denton in We Are the Ants (2016)---Henry thinks he has been abducted by aliens and the survival of the world is in his hands. He is never quite sure about reality (nor is the reader) but he is certainly dealing with deep depression over the suicide of his dear friend. Eventually he gets to help he needs to stay firmly in reality.
7. Vicky Cruz in The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork (2016)---Vicky attempts suicide and survives but she has a lot fo work ahead of her and she finds help in a small group run by a doctor. She is not only able to find helrself but helps others to find themselves.
8. Violet Marsh in All the Bright Places by Jennifer Nevin (2015)--- Violet meets Theodore when they were both on the school tower and it is not clear who saved whose life but the two seem to have a good impact on the other, that is until Theodore doesn't make it. Violet is able to reach out for help this time.
9. Caden Bosch in Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman (2015)--- Caden's life seems to be split in half---half regular life, and half life on the ship traveling to the lowest point on the planet under the ocean. He eventually gets help for this schizophrenia. Shusterman wrote in consult with his son who is a diagnosed schizophrenic.
10. Lia by Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (2009)---Lia has an eating disorder that completely dominates her life. After the death of a friend, she spirals down until her family is finally able to get through to her and get her the help she needs to start taking steps toward health.
-Anne
Fabulous list. The only one I haven't read yet is Darius the Great, and it's on my summer TBR. I recently read Brave Face (depression and suicidal ideation), Birthday (depression and suicide attempt), and Saving Red (bipolar disorder), all of which were good.
ReplyDeleteI read a surreal book by A.S. King called Dig which had four very screwed up characters but I wasn't sure if they were really mentally ill/just screwed up.
DeleteWonderful list. And just in time for me to read as research for the novel I'm writing!
ReplyDeleteOh, and don't forget about The Bell Jar.
Oh goodie. You are writing a novel?!
DeleteWhat an original idea for a list! The novels you read sound much more interesting than my usual haunts (war novels and science fiction).
ReplyDeleteI really loved We Are the Ants.
ReplyDeleteMe, too. I became a fan of the author because of the book.
DeleteI’ve only read Wintergirls from your list and that was a powerful read. Experiencing Lia’s struggle was tough.
ReplyDeleteI loved AtBP and met the author. That book meant so much to me in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteGenesis @ Whispering Chapters
I really liked the book ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES. It made me want to visit weird places in my state (WA) and I did.
DeleteExcellent list! I really like what you've done with it.
ReplyDeleteTurtles All The Way Down sounds great- I'm glad to see OCD rep and even though I've heard good things, I've never read Green yet!
ReplyDeleteAn excellent and important topic - great recommendations for people looking for this, as I know I have been in the past. I liked Darius and Lia too. Favorites I would add to this category:
ReplyDelete-Jade DeLuna from The Nature of Jade (anxiety)
-Mira from Fans of the Impossible Life (depression)
havent read any of these but I have a few on my shelf and kindle.
ReplyDeleteExcellent topic. I'd really recommend Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne and Underwater by Marisa Reichardt as both deal with anxiety disorders. They're super powerful!
ReplyDeleteI need to read The Memory of Light one of these days.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic to focus on!
ReplyDeleteI love that mental illness is being included more in books. I feel it's really important, especially in YA books, because kids often feel they are odd and reading about things might encourage them to talk about their own issues.
ReplyDeleteAn important topic. I haven't read any of these. The books I know of that deal with mental health issues are I Know This Much is True and When Elephants Fly.
ReplyDeleteI finally read "When We Collided" (maybe a year ago??) and didn't care for it as much as I anticipated. But the personalities were certainly memorable. Thanks so much for visiting Finding Wonderland. :)
ReplyDeleteWintergirls and Turtles were both enlightening books in helping me understand mental illness. Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half about experiencing depression in young adulthood was as well. I haven't read Shusterman's books other than the Scythe series, but I love his writing. Gonna have to get to Challenger Deep soon.
ReplyDeleteJay @ The Scented Library
The only one of these I have read is All the Bright Places. I really want to read Challenger Deep. 📚
ReplyDeleteSuch a great list of books! Some of my favorites that you listed are Winter Girls, Unlikely Hero, Darius, When We Collided, and the Memory of Light.
ReplyDelete