Mental Illness

Mental illnesses are common, yet the stigma of discussions around mental health remains. We hope this compilation inspires conversations about mental health, whether you are a professor looking to round out a syllabus or someone hoping to better understand your own experiences. Read on to discover study guides for fiction and nonfiction titles spanning a variety of important topics, such as suicide, schizophrenia, depression and anxiety, trauma, and bipolar disorder.

Publication year 2016Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: New AgeTags Self Help, Philosophy, Psychology, Education, Education, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness

Publication year 1998Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Mental Illness, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Biography

John Nash is born and raised in Bluefield, West Virginia. As a child, he is introverted and quiet, preferring reading and performing experiments to playing with other children. He is obsessed with codes and patterns and enjoys playing pranks on his sister and schoolmates. Intending to become an engineer like his father, Nash secures a scholarship to study at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. After a year, he abandons engineering to major in mathematics. He... Read A Beautiful Mind Summary


Publication year 2002Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: DisabilityTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction, Grief / Death, Depression / Suicide, Health / Medicine, Mental Illness, American Literature, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Hattie Owen’s life changes the summer she turns 12 and meets the young uncle she never knew existed in Ann M. Martin’s middle-grade novel, A Corner of the Universe (2002). Uncle Adam has been kept a secret because of his mental problems. Adults have trouble handling his emotional extremes, but shy Hattie finds a true friend in her exuberant uncle. Adam teaches Hattie to explore life beyond the safety of her front porch. As Hattie... Read A Corner of the Universe Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self DiscoveryTags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

A Heart in a Body in the World is a young adult novel by Deb Caletti, published in 2018. The novel is a work of contemporary realism and is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book.Plot SummaryThe novel follows the story of Annabelle Agnelli, a high school senior living with her mother Gina and her brother Malcolm in Seattle, Washington. Annabelle is a talented cross-country runner, a strong student, and popular at her school. One evening... Read A Heart in a Body in the World Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: MothersTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

A List of Cages is a 2017 young adult novel by Robin Roe. The story centers on the friendship between two teenagers, Adam Blake and Julian Harlow. Adam and Julian first become friends when Adam is Julian's reading buddy in grammar school. The friendship deepens when Julian's parents die, and he lives in Adam’s house as a foster child. Although they knew each other in grammar school, the main action of this story takes place... Read A List of Cages Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: DisabilityTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Drama / Tragedy, Relationships, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Depression / Suicide, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Allegedly (2017), a young adult contemporary novel by Tiffany D. Jackson, tells the story of Mary Beth Addison, an African American teenager who has spent the last six of her 15 years in custody for allegedly murdering a white baby, Alyssa Richardson. Currently, Mary lives in a group home in Brooklyn with her foster mother and five roommates, who at times, endanger Mary’s life. Mary’s mother, Dawn Cooper—Momma—struggles with mental illness, but she visits Mary... Read Allegedly Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Romance, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

All the Bright Places (2015) is a young adult novel with elements of romance written by Jennifer Niven that deals with the topic of teen suicide. The book was winner of the Goodreads Choice award and has become a popular read among the BookTok community. Niven tells the story from two different voices, those of high school students Theodore Finch (who goes by “Finch”) and Violet Markey. The characters first meet at the top of their... Read All The Bright Places Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: FamilyTags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Mental Illness

Bryn Greenwood’s novel All the Ugly and Wonderful Things (2016) acknowledges and inverts the features of fairy tales and romance novels to depict a relationship that challenges accepted social values and questions the definition of love itself. Sunk in the depravity and degradation of her father’s drug-dealing lifestyle, eight-year-old Wavy finds her only solace in a questionable attachment to Kellen, a 24-year-old man who is also isolated and longing for some scrap of beauty in... Read All the Ugly and Wonderful Things Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Romance, Grief / Death, Depression / Suicide, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Disability, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: FamilyTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Korean Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Mental Illness

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mental Illness

Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionTags Depression / Suicide, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Humor

A Long Way Down is a 2005 novel by international best-selling British author Nick Hornby. This dark comedy incorporates themes of existentialism and mental illness, including suicide and depression, in Hornby’s signature upbeat style. The novel follows four characters in a first-person, round-robin style narration in which each character advances the plot in succession. The story takes place in modern-day England. The four main characters—Martin, Maureen, JJ, and Jess—meet each other for the first time... Read A Long Way Down Summary


Publication year 1956Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Mental HealthTags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Satire, Politics / Government, Mental Illness, The Beat Generation, WWII / World War II

Publication year 2019Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Society: ColonialismTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Mental Illness, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 1995Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Psychology, Mental Illness, Science / Nature, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Biography

An Unquiet Mind, written by Kay Redfield Jamison and first published in 1995, is a memoir about a clinical psychologist’s experience living with manic-depressive illness. The book details her life, from her early experiences as a child, through the beginning of her mood swings, her diagnosis of manic-depressive illness, her struggles with the disease, and her eventual management of and control over it, following years of therapy and medication. Aside from having experienced it, Jamison... Read An Unquiet Mind Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: GuiltTags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Humor

Publication year 2006Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Addiction / Substance Abuse, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Play: Drama, Inspirational, Biography, Mental Illness

Publication year 1965Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Free verse, Animals, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Confessional, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), American Literature, History: World, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: ForgivenessTags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness

Ask Again, Yes, a New York Times best seller, is a multigeneration family epic that covers over 40 years in the lives of two Irish American families. A work of domestic realism comparable to works by Anne Tyler and Ann Padgett, the novel was placed on best novel of the year lists by both People magazine and National Public Radio, and it was also optioned to be developed as a limited television series.In 2011, author... Read Ask Again, Yes Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Inspirational, Sociology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2010Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Relationships: MarriageTags Relationships, Self Help, Psychology, Science / Nature, Love / Sexuality, Psychology, Mental Illness

Publication year 2007Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Addiction / Substance Abuse, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology, Biography, Mental Illness

Published in 2008, David Sheff’s memoir, Beautiful Boy, explores his experiences of coming to terms with his son’s addiction to methamphetamine. Sheff and his wife Vicki are overjoyed when they have their son, Nic. For the first three years, they live a happy, contented life, providing Nic with everything he needs. However, when Sheff and Vicki's marriage collapses, Nic, now aged three, is deeply affected by the change. This worsens when Sheff and Vicki move... Read Beautiful Boy Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Romance, Parenting, Depression / Suicide, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: MarriageTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Romance, Relationships, Mental Illness, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Grief / Death, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Behind Her Eyes, a psychological thriller, was written by Sarah Pinborough and published in 2017. The book has sold over 1 million copies worldwide and was adapted for a TV series by Netflix. While clearly a best seller, there is great divergence of opinion on the book’s very unexpected twist at the end, with the publishers using the hashtag #WTFThatEnding to promote the book.Plot SummaryLouise is a single mother living in London and working as... Read Behind Her Eyes Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: FamilyTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Climate Change, Grief / Death, Mental Illness, Science / Nature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2022Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fame, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Arts / Culture, Modern Classic Fiction, Biography, Mental Illness

Publication year 1929Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Mental HealthTags Relationships, Depression / Suicide, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Humor, Classic Fiction

“Big Blonde” is a short story written by Dorothy Parker. It was first published in 1929 in The Bookman (a prestigious New York City literary magazine) and won the O. Henry competition for the best story that same year. It was later published in Parker’s 1930 short-story collection Laments for the Living.This study guide refers to the online flipbook version of “Big Blonde.”Content Warning: The source text contains references to domestic violence, alcohol addiction, and... Read Big Blonde Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Disability, Relationships: Family, Relationships: FriendshipTags Disability, Psychology, LGBTQ, Science / Nature, Psychology, Mental Illness, Biography

Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant is Daniel Tammet’s memoir and his first published book. In it, he recalls his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood leading up to the point in his life when he became independent with a partner and a career. Born on a Blue Day was a New York Times best seller following its publication in 2006.Tammet is, as identified in the subtitle, an autistic savant... Read Born on a Blue Day Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Music, Arts / Culture, Mental Illness, Social Justice, History: U.S., Biography

Publication year 1992Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: FamilyTags Christian literature, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology, Relationships, Mental Illness, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2012Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: MusicTags Psychology, Mental Illness, Science / Nature, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Biography

Brain on Fire (2012) is a memoir by New York Post writer Susannah Cahalan that details her struggle with a rare autoimmune disease, anti-NMDA-receptor autoimmune encephalitis. Cahalan recollects the journey through illness that took her from a normal, 24-year-old journalist to a misdiagnosed psychotic patient, and back again. In 2018, Netflix released a film based on Cahalan’s story, produced by Cahalan and Charlize Theron.Plot SummaryCahalan wakes in a hospital with no understanding of how she... Read Brain On Fire Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionTags Self Help, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Religion / Spirituality

Published in 2017, Brené Brown’s Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone presents insights and strategies for finding what Brown refers to as true belonging in a time of increasing cultural polarization in America. Based on Brown’s grounded theory research, true belonging is a practice that involves believing in and belonging to oneself so fully that one can share one’s innermost, authentic self with the rest of the... Read Braving the Wilderness Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: GuiltTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Breathing Underwater is a 2001 young adult novel by author Alex Flinn that tells the story of Nick Andreas, a wealthy teenage boy who struggles with his abusive father and abuses his girlfriend, Caitlin. When she files a restraining order and he must take a court-ordered family violence class, Nick begins to reevaluate his behavior and troubled past. As Nick is forced to face his emotional damage, he learns that change and growth are possible. Flinn’s... Read Breathing Underwater Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Society: CommunityTags Self Help, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness

Challenger Deep, a 2015 novel by Neal Shusterman, offers an account of mental illness as experienced by a teenage boy. Shusterman’s son Brendan was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at age 16. His experience with the illness influenced Neal to write Challenger Deep. Brendan’s drawings appear throughout the book as Caden’s artwork. The book garnered the 2015 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.Plot SummaryWhen the novel begins, Caden is 15 years old. He is a... Read Challenger Deep Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Romance, LGBTQ, Relationships, Depression / Suicide, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 1986Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Psychology, Mental Illness, Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2004Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2006Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: CommunityTags Journalism, Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine

Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness, published in 2006, is a blend of memoir and journalism by author and Washington Post journalist Pete Earley. The book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2007 and recounts the struggles of Earley’s son, Mike, to receive treatment for his mental illness, which results in Mike’s arrest. Earley juxtaposes Mike’s story with the stories of Miami residents with mental illnesses as they navigate life in... Read Crazy Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

Darius the Great Is Not Okay is a coming-of-age novel by Iranian American writer Adib Khorram. Originally published in 2018 by Dial Books, the novel echoes Khorram’s experiences growing up in a multiethnic family with a history of mental illnesses. The book, which is Khorram’s first, won the William C. Morris YA Debut Award in 2019 and is a popular BookTok read. A sequel entitled Darius the Great Deserves Better was published in August 2020. Content... Read Darius the Great Is Not Okay Summary


Publication year 1989Genre Book, NonfictionTags Depression / Suicide, Health / Medicine, Mental Illness, Psychology, Psychology, Biography

In December 1985, prominent novelist William Styron, in the depths of severe depression, found himself at a crossroads. Prepared to commit suicide, Styron opted instead to seek treatment. After seven weeks in a psychiatric ward, Styron reentered the world with a renewed sense of self and a will to live. When Primo Levi, a prominent Italian scientist, writer, and Holocaust survivor, killed himself in 1987, Styron responded to the widespread criticism of Levi’s suicide with... Read Darkness Visible Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

Dear Evan Hansen is a novel published in 2018. It was written by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul. The authors adapted the novel from the original Broadway musical of the same name, which they also wrote. The musical premiered in July 2015 in Washington, DC, debuted on Broadway in 2016, and later won six Tony Awards in 2017, including Best Musical. This guide refers to the Poppy/Little, Brown, and Company edition... Read Dear Evan Hansen Summary


Publication year 1978Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Mental HealthTags Black Arts Movement, African American Literature, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness

Publication year 1918Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Mental Illness, Chinese Literature, History: World

Lu Xun's "Diary of a Madman" was first published in China in 1918, during a period of significant cultural and political upheaval in the country. The Qin dynasty, in power since 1644, had recently collapsed from internal and external pressures in the 1912 Xinhai Revolution, marking a dramatic break from the past. New ideas about government, philosophy, and science prompted many Chinese intellectuals to reflect on long-held traditions and look toward a rebirth of the... Read Diary of a Madman Summary


Publication year 1835Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Russian Literature, Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 1964Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: CourageTags Psychology, Education, Parenting, Disability, Education, Psychology, Mental Illness, Biography

Publication year 1605Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: FriendshipTags Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Class, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Renaissance, Religion / Spirituality, Satire

Don Quixote is a novel in two parts by Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes published between 1605 and 1615. The novel portrays the life of a middle-aged Spanish man who decides to become a knight, just like the characters in the works of fiction he loves. Considered to be a foundational work of Western literature and one of the first modern novels, Don Quixote is one of the most translated books of all time. It... Read Don Quixote Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Health / Medicine, Psychology, Science / Nature, Self Help, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Music, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Relationships: SiblingsTags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction, Music

Publication year 1996Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: GuiltTags Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Self Help, Food, Biography

Drinking: A Love Story is Caroline Knapp’s 1997 memoir about her alcoholism and recovery. Knapp examines how her relationship with alcohol turned into a dangerous love affair that threatened to destroy her life. She also explores important aspects of her family life and romantic relationships, both of which contributed to her addiction and were impeded by her drinking.Knapp begins the book with a prologue that helps the reader understand why she quit drinking. She explains... Read Drinking: A Love Story Summary


Publication year 2003Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Humor, LGBTQ, Psychology, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Psychology, Mental Illness, Biography

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Immigration, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Disability, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionTags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is a 2017 comic novel about human connection. The title character, Eleanor Oliphant, narrates the story, introducing herself as an office worker with a solitary life in present-day Glasgow, Scotland. Eleanor spends her free time doing crosswords, listening to the radio, drinking vodka, and reading classic literature. She does not socialize with anyone, and her only family is a spiteful mother who calls from prison once a week. One night... Read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Bullying, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Every Last Word, by Tamara Ireland Stone, is a young-adult novel published in 2015. Samantha McAllister, the book’s protagonist, is a junior in high school who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). While Samantha appears like any average teenage girl, underneath the surface she is different from the majority of her peers: dark thoughts, incessant worries, and an obsession with the number three plagues nearly all of her waking moments. Through Samantha’s struggle to navigate... Read Every Last Word Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Love / Sexuality, Religion / Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Society: ImmigrationTags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Society: ImmigrationTags Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Historical Fiction, Depression / Suicide, Health / Medicine, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Social Justice, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1996Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Masculinity, Society: Community, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: GenderTags Satire, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Fight Club (1996) is the debut novel of American author Chuck Palahniuk. Three years later, American filmmaker David Fincher directed the film adaptation starring Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden, Edward Norton as the Narrator, and Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer. This study guide uses the 2018 paperback edition published by W. W. Norton & Co.Fight Club is a contemporary work of literary fiction that contends with masculinity, materialism, consumer culture, and modern disillusionment. Inspired... Read Fight Club Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Immigration, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Children's Literature, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Mental Illness, Realistic Fiction, Korean War

Publication year 1990Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: DisabilityTags Lyric Poem, Mental Illness, American Literature

Publication year 2017Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: The Future, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Depression / Suicide, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Diversity, Realism, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

The young adult novel Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock depicts the day 18-year-old Leonard Peacock plans to carry out a murder-suicide. Author Matthew Quick wrote this and other popular titles, including Silver Linings Playbook, adapted into the Oscar-winning film. This guide refers to the 2013 hardback first edition from Little, Brown and Company.Plot SummaryNarrator and protagonist Leonard Peacock sits alone in his home the morning of his birthday. Later that day, he plans to kill himself... Read Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Magical Realism, LGBTQ, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2022Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: MidlifeTags Arts / Culture, Humor, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Biography, Mental Illness

Publication year 2019Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Indigenous, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Community, Relationships: FamilyTags Inspirational, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Biography

Publication year 1990Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: New AgeTags Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness

Publication year 2006Genre Graphic Memoir , NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Femininity, Identity: MasculinityTags LGBTQ, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Parenting, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Gender / Feminism, Biography

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (2006) is a graphic novel memoir written and illustrated by underground cartoonist Alison Bechdel. The book centers on Bechdel’s relationship with her late father Bruce Allen Bechdel, who died in what she believes was a death by suicide. Fun Home is a non-linear narrative that rehashes events from Alison Bechdel’s youth and adolescence. Her memories are presented in the comic panels, overlayed with her prosaic, retrospective musings in text boxes... Read Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Community, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Girl in Pieces is the New York Times bestselling young adult contemporary novel by Kathleen Glasgow originally published in 2016. It was a New York Public Library Best Book for Teens selection and Amelia Bloomer Project Award Selection. The novel explores a teen’s recovery journey from self-harm, exploring the roles of community, healthy patterns, and acceptance of dualities. Glasgow is also well-known for her other novels, including You'd Be Home Now (2021) and How to... Read Girl in Pieces Summary


Publication year 1993Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Psychology, Gender / Feminism, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Health / Medicine, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Classic Fiction, Biography

Susanna Kaysen’s 1993, Girl, Interrupted, is a memoir that explores Kaysen’s time as a teenage psychiatric patient in McLean Hospital in the late 1960s. Kaysen explores the murky definitions of mental health and illness, as she recounters her experience of being diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and makes compelling arguments about the subjective nature of personality, behavior, and disorder. Girl, Interrupted is a bestselling book and was adapted into the 1999 film starring Winona Ryder... Read Girl, Interrupted Summary


Publication year 1971Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Depression / Suicide, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction

Initially advertised as an anonymous, true story of a teenage girl, Go Ask Alice (1971) by Beatrice Sparks is an epistolary novel, or a fictional work structured as a diary. The diary entries chronicle two years of a teen girl’s experience with social acceptance, family relationships, and drugs—primarily marijuana, LSD, and amphetamines. Although Beatrice Sparks initially claimed to be the diary’s editor, considerable evidence suggests that she’s the sole author of the fictional work. Nevertheless... Read Go Ask Alice Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Goodbye Days is a young adult novel by Jeff Zentner. Published in 2017, it follows a teenage boy, Carver Briggs, who is grappling with the deaths of his three best friends. All three boys died in a car crash on their way to pick up Carver from work. Carver’s survivor’s guilt is exacerbated by the fact that he’s facing a possible criminal investigation for “negligent homicide” for his supposed role in the accident. Carver texted... Read Goodbye Days Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: ForgivenessTags Humor, Health / Medicine, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Goodbye, Vitamin is Asian American author Rachel Khong’s debut novel. Khong, whose grandmother had Alzheimer’s disease, explores how Alzheimer’s disease affects a family in this work of literary fiction. Written as a series of diary entries, Khong’s protagonist, Ruth Young, meditates on memory, forgiveness, and the challenges inherent in familial relationships as she navigates an adulthood that is not turning out as planned.Published in 2017, Goodbye, Vitamin received positive reviews and was named one of... Read Goodbye, Vitamin Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Yessenia Lopez—a 16-year-old, wheelchair-bound Puerto Rican girl from inner city Chicago—arrives at ILLC from juvie after violently assaulting her classmate in school. With absent parents and a recently deceased guardian (Tía Nene), she is explosive and struggles to get along with her peers. However, she develops friendships with a few of her roommates and caring adult employees, like Joanne and Jimmie. Though she hates ILLC and finds it to be demeaning, she has nowhere else... Read Good Kings Bad Kings Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self DiscoveryTags Psychology, Biography, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Psychology, Self Help

Publication year 1975Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: FamilyTags Lyric Poem, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Mental Illness, Gender / Feminism, Arts / Culture, Mythology

Louise Glück is among the most lauded poets in the American canon. Glück’s writing is often surgically precise in terms of formal craft, and reveals a deep emotional complexity. She addresses sadness, mourning, trauma, and individual suffering metaphorically through the natural world, mythology, autobiographical events, or universal truths. She is known for alluding to cultural myths and personas in her work, some of which appear in “Gretel in Darkness” through the perspective of young Gretel... Read Gretel in Darkness Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Graphic Memoir , NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Guts is the third mid-grade graphic memoir in a trilogy by author/illustrator Raina Telgemeier through which she relates the true story of her childhood. Guts specifically records Raina’s fourth- and fifth-grade years, when she transitioned from nine to 10 years old. During this period, she first experiences gastrointestinal issues, eventually diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Panic attacks accompany the IBS, and the two conditions exacerbate each other, intensifying her distress. Her narrative chronicles how... Read Guts Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & AngerTags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, Mental Illness

Jennifer Brown’s debut novel Hate List tackles the subject of a mass shooting at the fictional Garvin High School. The shooting leaves multiple students and a beloved teacher dead and culminates in the suicide of the shooter, troubled outsider Nick Levil. Nick’s final victim is his girlfriend, Valerie Leftman, an unintended target who survives the shooting. In one final attempt to stop the shooting, Valerie calls out to Nick, taking a shot meant for her... Read Hate List Summary


Publication year 1992Genre Poem, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Lyric Poem, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine

Publication year 2018Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionTags Mental Illness, Gender / Feminism, Biography

Heart Berries is a memoir written in connected, lyrical vignettes by Terese Marie Mailhot. It was published in 2018. The book tells the story of Mailhot’s life as a First Nations woman who moves from Canada to the American Southwest, struggles with bipolar disorder, and comes to terms with her past traumas and tumultuous, sometimes violent marriage. Plot SummaryThe beginning of the book chronicles Mailhot’s love affair with a White man named Casey, who leaves... Read Heart Berries Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Children's Literature, Mental Illness, Arts / Culture

Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction is a 2018 graphic memoir by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. A finalist for the National Book Award, it earned praise for its compassionate and honest portrayal of a child growing up in a family marked by addiction and abuse. This guide refers to the 2018 Graphix edition.Plot SummaryThe story traces Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s childhood and his family. Beginning and ending with... Read Hey, Kiddo Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: FamilyTags Psychology, Mental Illness, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Biography

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, LGBTQ

Highly Illogical Behavior is the third Young Adult novel by John Corey Whaley, a former teacher turned full time YA novelist. Published in 2016, Highly Illogical Behavior was named an NPR Best Book of 2016, a Chicago Public Library Best Teen Fiction of 2016, among other accolades. Published by SPEAK, an imprint of Penguin Random House, this novel represents the Young Adult fiction genre often referred to as “Teen Fiction.” Like many YA novels, Highly... Read Highly Illogical Behavior Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self DiscoveryTags Romance, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: FriendshipTags Romance, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness

Jennifer Niven’s 2016 book, Holding up the Universe, is a young adult novel that explores the love story between two teenagers living in Amos, Indiana. The story follows Jack Masselin, a 17-year-old popular boy who secretly has a neurological disorder called prosopagnosia that inhibits his ability to recognize faces, and Libby Strout, a 16-year-old overweight girl who had to be lifted from her home by crane after a panic attack. The experience led to Libby... Read Holding Up The Universe Summary


Publication year 1849Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: ClassTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Bullying, Mental Illness, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Disability, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Fantasy

“Hop-Frog” (originally titled “Hop Frog; Or, the Eight Chained Ourang-Outangs”) is among the last short stories by American horror and fiction author Edgar Allan Poe. First published in The Flag of Our Union in 1849, “Hop-Frog” explores themes of revenge, “madness,” and dehumanization. Poe explores similar themes in another short story published several years earlier, “The Cask of Amontillado,” a tale of betrayal and vengeance. Such thematic elements recur often in Poe’s work, given that... Read Hop-Frog Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: SexualityTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Publication year 1956Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags The Beat Generation, Lyric Poem, Mental Illness, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Social Justice, American Literature, Education, Education, History: World, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

American Beat-era poet Allen Ginsberg began writing “Howl” as a private recollection for friends, though he later published the long poem in his 1956 book Howl and Other Poems. Also known as “Howl: For Carl Solomon,” the poem cemented Ginsberg’s status as a prophet-poet in the romantic literature vein of Walt Whitman and William Blake (two major influences). “Footnote for Howl,” written in 1955, is the final portion, though it’s not always included with the... Read Howl Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionTags Psychology, Depression / Suicide, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence (2018) was written by Michael Pollan after curiosity and a personal desire to experience psychedelics for himself prompted exploration into psychedelic research. Pollan uses multiple forms of narrative to weave a story that’s part history, part memoir, part biomedical nonfiction, and part travelogue. The book follows the history of LSD and psilocybin as well as... Read How to Change Your Mind Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Self Help, Psychology, Disability, Health / Medicine, Parenting, Psychology, Mental Illness

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: FamilyTags Grief / Death, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 1948Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: MidlifeTags Self Help, Psychology, Inspirational, Mental Illness, Education, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Health / Medicine

Publication year 2017Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Biography

Content Warning: Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body describes and references rape and sexual violence, emotional abuse, and verbal abuse.Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body (2017) is a memoir by Roxane Gay that addresses the emotional, physical, and psychological effects of sexual assault—and how they tie into self-image. Though Gay’s memoir centers her body, food, and self-image, she also confronts society’s fatphobia—the world’s unwillingness to accept fat people as they are due to assumptions about... Read Hunger Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Graphic Novel/Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: FearTags Humor, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Mental Illness, Depression / Suicide, Animals, Biography

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is Erika L. Sánchez’s debut novel. Published in 2017, the book is a young adult coming-of-age story set in contemporary Chicago. It is told from the perspective of 15-year-old Julia Reyes as she navigates her grief and struggles with mental health, familial relationships, and cultural expectations after her older sister Olga’s unexpected death. The book has won several awards, including the Thomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award... Read I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Mental Illness

Publication year 1891Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Mental Illness, American Literature

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Mental Illness, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships

Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self DiscoveryTags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2022Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Fame, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, Biography, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mental Illness, Depression / Suicide, Philosophy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

In his 2016 psychological thriller I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Iain Reid writes about the struggles of depression, social anxiety, and loneliness. Jake, a former physics postdoctoral student and avid writer, works as a janitor in a rural high school. As he contemplates suicide, Jake fictionalizes his memories into a story with characters who represent different aspects of his identity as a way to help him make his decision. In addition to this narrative, Reid... Read I'm Thinking of Ending Things Summary


Publication year 1985Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Society: WarTags Historical Fiction, Military / War, Mental Illness, Education, Education, American Literature, Southern Literature

In Country, published in 1985, is Bobbie Ann Mason's debut novel. The story takes place in Hopewell, Kentucky, in 1984, 10 years after the end of US involvement in Vietnam. Mason grew up on a dairy farm outside Mayfield, Kentucky, and is thus well-acquainted with the rural South and its people. The classic coming-of-age story follows protagonist Samantha Hughes (known as Sam) as she seeks to discover the truth about her father and his death... Read In Country Summary


Publication year 1964Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Mental Illness, Psychology, Depression / Suicide, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Classic Fiction

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Joanne Greenberg, originally under the pen name Hannah Green, and first published in 1964. The novel centers around the teenage Deborah, who experiences a conflict between The Inner World Versus the Outer Reality, loses her abilities of Connection and Communication temporarily to illness, and demonstrates A Fight for a Life through her time in a mental healthcare facility following a mental health... Read I Never Promised You a Rose Garden Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Military / War, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Publication year 2008Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Music, Society: CommunityTags Health / Medicine, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Self Help, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness

Gabor Maté’s In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addictions is an unconventional nonfiction book on how to treat addiction, how addicts can better assimilate into society, and how society can dispel many of the myths that surround addiction. Maté works as an addiction specialist at the Portland Hotel in Vancouver, Canada.  Much of the book, published in 2010, focuses on Maté’s evidence that childhood stressors increase the likelihood that one will become... Read In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Mental Illness, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Romance

It’s Kind of a Funny Story was Ned Vizzini’s second Young Adult novel, published by Hyperion in 2006. It is a critically acclaimed Young Adult novel and coming-of-age story that was given a starred review by the American Librarians Association and adapted into a film of the same name (2010).Other work by this author includes the novel, Be More Chill.Content Warning: This novel and study guide include topics and themes that may be sensitive for... Read It's Kind of a Funny Story Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self DiscoveryTags Psychology, Parenting, Relationships, Psychology, Mental Illness, Self Help, Health / Medicine

Publication year 2010Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Mental HealthTags Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Matt de la Pena’s young adult novel I Will Save You (2010) follows the narrator, Kidd Ellison, after he runs away from a group home to live and work at a campground on the beach. Harboring memories of a traumatic past, he forges new relationships and fosters old ones that test his self-understanding. Through flashbacks, dreams, and journal entries mixed with the present day, the narrative explores themes such as The Impact of Trauma on... Read I Will Save You Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self DiscoveryTags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2006Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Self Discovery, Relationships: FamilyTags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Music, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen is a contemporary YA coming-of-age novel published in 2006. The story follows protagonist Annabel Greene, a 16-year-old model who is isolated at school due to a secret trauma that ended her friendship with Sophie. While Annabel tries to forget the past, her older sister, Whitney, deals with anorexia and bulimia. Her eating disorder weighs down the family, and Annabel can’t add another burden on them. When Annabel meets Owen, a... Read Just Listen Summary


Publication year 1965Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Lyric Poem, Depression / Suicide, Grief / Death, Education, Education, American Literature, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & AngerTags Crime / Legal, Psychology, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychology, Mental Illness

Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Psychology, Self Help, Philosophy, Sociology, Health / Medicine, Health

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: FriendshipTags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart was originally published in 2016. A coming-of-age novel set in contemporary America, the book tells the stories of two unique and inspiring teenagers who find themselves and each other. Lily and Dunkin was named one of NPR’s Best Kids’ Books of 2016, one of Amazon’s Top 20 Children’s Books of 2016, and one of YALSA’s picks for Best Fiction for Young Adults in 2017. This guide is based on... Read Lily and Dunkin Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Mental Illness, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: CommunityTags Self Help, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Sociology, Philosophy, Depression / Suicide, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Self Discovery, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: FamilyTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2019Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Psychology, Self Help, Psychology, Biography, Mental Illness

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed (2019) is a nonfiction book by American writer and psychotherapist, Lori Gottlieb. A combination of memoir and popular science, it brings together Gottlieb’s personal life experience and her therapeutic work to illuminate the role therapy can play in everyone’s lives. The work has become a New York Times bestseller and Time magazine Must-Read Book of the Year. It was shortlisted for... Read Maybe You Should Talk to Someone Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: DisabilityTags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Monday’s Not Coming (2018) is a young adult novel by Tiffany D. Jackson. She employs a nonlinear narrative to explore issues of race, mental illness, and media bias. Claudia Coleman narrates the story of how her best friend, Monday Charles, disappeared for a year, and no one but Claudia seemed to notice or care.Published by Harper Collins, Monday’s Not Coming earned Jackson the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe award for new talent. It was also nominated... Read Monday's Not Coming Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags LGBTQ, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

More Happy Than Not (2015) is Adam Silvera’s debut novel. It was well received and marked Silvera’s entrance into the growing field of queer young adult fiction. In the Author’s Note, Silvera speaks about his own sexuality and the difficulty of feeling “wrong” when surrounded by his straight friends. This insight and a deft writing hand have allowed him to produce several books featuring young queer protagonists, such as the acclaimed They Both Die at... Read More Happy Than Not Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: MusicTags Realistic Fiction, Travel Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

David Arnold’s 2015 debut novel, Mosquitoland, is a coming-of-age story that’s intended for a young adult audience. The novel was one of NPR’s and Amazon’s best books of 2015. This guide refers to the 2015 Penguin Random House edition. Plot SummaryThe story follows 16-year-old Mary Iris Malone, also referred to as Mim, as she travels alone from Jackson, Mississippi, to Cleveland, Ohio. Shortly before her journey, her parents divorced, and her father remarried and moved... Read Mosquitoland Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Publication year 2018Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: ImmigrationTags Immigration / Refugee, Latin American Literature, Children's Literature, Mental Illness, Biography

Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Society: CommunityTags Social Justice, Race / Racism, Self Help, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, African American Literature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: ApathyTags Addiction / Substance Abuse, Grief / Death, Class, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 1998Genre Play, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: AgingTags Play: Drama, Drama / Tragedy, Depression / Suicide, Relationships, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction

’Night, Mother by Marsha Norman opened on Broadway in 1983, earning the Tony Award for Best Play and the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play takes place in real time, with no intermission or breaks in the action, to depict the unrelenting emotional exchange between Thelma and her daughter, Jessie, after Jessie announces that she plans to commit suicide. As Jessie sets her affairs in order, Thelma tries unsuccessfully to stop Jessie’s plan from... Read Night, Mother Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers, Society: WarTags History: World, Mental Illness, Historical Fiction, Military / War, American Civil War

Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Society: CommunityTags Self Help, Psychology, Health, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine

Publication year 1948Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Japanese Literature, Depression / Suicide, Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Asian Literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1957Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Community, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: ApathyTags Free verse, Lyric Poem, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Classic Fiction

Genre Novel, FictionTags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

OCDaniel (2016), a young adult novel by American author Wesley King, follows Daniel Leigh, a teenager with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), who struggles with the symptoms of his condition along with his social rejection for being odd. More than anything else, Daniel wants to be “normal” and to meet the expectations of his father. Daniel’s world changes when he befriends Sara Malvern, a selectively mute girl known to the school as “Psycho Sara.” Daniel and Sara embark... Read OCDaniel Summary


Publication year 1973Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Nation, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: FearTags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Arts / Culture, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Depression / Suicide, History: U.S., Mental Illness, History: World

Publication year 1901Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental HealthTags Psychology, Philosophy, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Education, Education, Science / Nature, French Literature, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1962Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Health / Medicine, Relationships, Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a historical fiction novel by Ken Kesey, published in 1962. Kesey drew on his experiences working in a veterans’ hospital to develop a critique of then-current psychiatric practices. The novel’s central conflict between a domineering nurse and an unruly patient can also be read as an allegory for the emerging culture wars of the 1960s. The novel was adapted into a Broadway play one year after its publication... Read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: FamilyTags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Mental Illness

Publication year 2004Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Education, Education, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine

Opening Skinner’s Box: Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century by Lauren Slater is a work of narrative non-fiction published in 2004 by W.W. Norton & Company. Slater, an American psychotherapist, examines 10 landmark psychological experiments—from B.F. Skinner’s infamous boxes to Harry Harlow’s primates—and, in doing so, she explores larger philosophical questions related to human freedom, the limits of science, and truth in art.Slater provides biographical details of the scientists behind each landmark experiment. She... Read Opening Skinner's Box Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Memoir in Verse, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Biography, Mental Illness

Publication year 1532Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Gender / Feminism, History: European, Love / Sexuality, Military / War, Italian Literature, Renaissance, Mental Illness, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Romance, Humor, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Disability, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags Historical Fiction, Disability, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality, Bullying, Post-War Era, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, History: World

Petey is middle grade novel written by Ben Mikaelsen and published in 1998. Mikaelsen is the author of 10 novels for young adults and the winner of several awards for his work. Petey is dedicated to and based on the life of Clyde Cothern, a Montana man with cerebral palsy who was misdiagnosed as intellectually disabled and confined to Montana State Hospital in the 1920s. Mikaelsen and Cothern shared a close personal friendship, and while... Read Petey Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: FriendshipTags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Arts / Culture, Depression / Suicide, Grief / Death, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction

Picture Us in the Light is a young adult novel written by Kelly Loy Gilbert and published in 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Gilbert is the author of three young adult novels, all of which focus on the young Asian American experience. Picture Us in the Light is written in the first-person perspective of protagonist Danny Cheng, but Gilbert includes flashbacks to China to connect Danny to a past his parents have... Read Picture Us in the Light Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: ApathyTags Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Classic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness

Reality Boy (2013) is a young adult novel by American writer A.S. King. Told through the first-person perspective of Gerald Faust, a teenage boy who grapples with trauma, the narrative explores Gerald’s childhood abuse and the public spotlight which facilitated it when his family is selected for a reality television series. Gerald’s account takes place during his teenage years and features chapters that flash back to the filming of the series.Plot SummaryWhen Gerald Faust was... Read Reality Boy Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Disability, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: CourageTags Self Help, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Depression / Suicide, Inspirational, Mental Illness, Psychology, Biography

Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Social Justice, Self Help, Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Philosophy, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine

Publication year 1994Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Psychology, Gender / Feminism, Parenting, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, Sociology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Self Help

Reviving Ophelia was written in 1994 by Mary Pipher, a psychologist who works with women and teen girls, studying the ways cultural norms impact their mental health. The book comprises a collection of Pipher’s essays, which are based on the interviews and focus groups with adolescent girls she conducted with her daughter, Sara Pipher. She wrote the collection to bring awareness to the cultural trauma and dysfunction experienced by adolescent girls and to assist girls... Read Reviving Ophelia Summary


Publication year 2002Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Humor, Psychology, Psychology, Biography

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs was first published in 2002 as a memoir. After several of the figures it features sued for defamation and dishonesty of its claims, however, it was recategorized as a book. It can also be classified as a bildungsroman since it follows the adolescent growth of its narrator and protagonist. Running with Scissors was adapted into a feature film in 2006.This guide uses the 2002 Picador edition of the book.Content... Read Running With Scissors Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Self Discovery, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Self Help, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness

Publication year 1999Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: FamilyTags Psychology, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Parenting, Disability, Psychology, Mental Illness, Self Help

Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Self Discovery, Identity: LanguageTags Self Help, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Relationships, Psychology, Mental Illness

Publication year 1992Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Drama / Tragedy, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

She’s Come Undone is a realistic fiction novel written by Wally Lamb and originally published in 1992. Lamb demonstrates his penchant for creating detailed psychological character portraits in his debut novel, which is a coming-of-age story about a woman named Dolores Price. As the novel traces Dolores’s life from childhood through middle age in the mid-20th century, Lamb examines imbalanced power dynamics within relationships, intergenerational trauma and healing, the loss of innocence, and body image... Read She's Come Undone Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Bullying, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Mental Illness, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

First published in 2004, Shooter is a young adult novel by Walter Dean Myers about a school shooting. It delves into the perpetrator’s psychological profile as well as the cultural forces behind the violence. The story examines US gun culture, bullying, drug abuse, and dysfunctional family dynamics as causal factors. Myers tells the story through official interviews, police reports, newspaper clippings, and a diary.Myers has written more than 70 books for children and young adults... Read Shooter Summary


Genre Novel/Book in Verse, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Shout: The True Story of A Survivor Who Refused to be Silenced by Laurie Halse Anderson is a memoir written in verse published in 2019. Anderson wrote it as both a personal narrative and a call to action in the wake of the 2017 #MeToo movement, which supported survivors of sexual assault who came forward to share their stories publicly. Shout received widespread critical acclaim and was named Time’s Best Book of the Year 2019.Laurie... Read Shout Summary


Publication year 1948Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Society: Immigration, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Russian Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction

“Signs and Symbols,” by Russian American author Vladimir Nabokov, is a short story that uses irony, complex symbolism, and an ambiguous ending to address the themes of Responses to Suffering, Alienation and Loneliness, and Death, Life, and In Between, while also providing meta-commentary on the process of literary analysis. These themes are mainstays of Nabokov’s fiction, including his best-known novel, Lolita.Published originally as “Symbols and Signs” in the New Yorker magazine on May 7, 1948... Read Signs and Symbols Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Humor

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Mental Illness, Arts / Culture

Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Mental Illness, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Small as an Elephant is a middle grade realistic fiction novel written by Jennifer Richard Jacobson and originally published in 2011. In addition to writing, Jacobson teaches literacy workshops across the US. She grew up in Maine, which is the inspiration for the setting of many of her stories. Small as an Elephant examines several themes related to unstable attachment, support, and hardship. The novel received more than 10 awards, including the Maine Lupine Award... Read Small as an Elephant Summary