Famous people get depressed. The elderly get depressed. Mismedication hurts. Depression hurts. As the title says, the award-winning novelist makes the darkness visible and also tangible in this slender volume.

I read this for the first time when I was in high school. It cracked open my world and my heart.

Eye-opening, thought provoking, funny, and strange. This book also taught me how to recognize the symptoms of an anxiety attack. From the author of "The Men Who Stare At Goats."

When people commit heinous acts, it's easy to brand them monsters. In this graphic memoir, Backderf recalls (and researches) his time as a high school friend/bully of the notorious serial killer Jeffery Dahmer. Thought provoking, painful, and at times deeply uncomfortable, it is nevertheless humane.

Funny, sad, weird, and ultimately hopeful, if also annoyed, Brosh writes and draws her life with her S.O. and her dogs. The way she explores severe depression helped me understand what it can look and feel like. It is well worth reading.

A slow-burning thriller for people who prefer books about psychology, Ireland, and multiple viewpoints as well as a fascinating introduction to multi-generational mental illness as a result of terrorism.

I read this because I knew I wouldn't see the movie. I'm glad I read the book. It's about so much. Love, family, forgiveness, anger, friendship, dancing, healing-it's all in there.

Mona Starr loves art. She loves hanging out with her friends. She doesn't love how sometimes it's hard to get her thoughts to quiet down, be gentle, or stop overwhelming her. This story has setbacks and triumphs, and a playlist from the author in the back.

Corey Egbert grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (Full disclosure: I am a member of same.) When his mom kidnaps him and his younger sister, claiming their father is evil and that she's received revelations that she needs to get them away from him, they go on a multi-state road trip with no plans of going home again. Based on the author's real life, Egbert wrestles with his faith in God, in his own worth, and in his mom's sanity. This last is a viable question, and worth reading. I especially appreciated how he didn't demonize the faith of his youth, while         presenting great questions about how far to obey, and the importance of one's own testimony. 

After moving on her own to London, a young witch struggles with a conniving supervisor, an unhealthy romance, and a housemate who believes the apartment is never neat enough. These combine to a bout of depression. Searching for ways to solve her problems, she enters therapy. 

Contains both profanity and helpful resources for those seeking mental health assistance for themselves or others. Translated from the Spanish.