24 YA Books That Open Up an Honest Conversation About Depression

YOU ARE READING: 24 YA Books That Open Up an Honest Conversation About Depression AT PhebinhvanhocEN

talking about mental health is not easy. it is a subject that has been stigmatized for a long time, long enough that some cultures even turn a blind eye. but mental health is just as important, if not more so, than physical health. and one of the most common problems affecting our generation in particular is depression.

You are reading: Books about depression teenage

We get it: it’s hard to open up and even harder to express how you feel, especially since depression manifests differently for everyone. but we assure you that when you do, you learn that you are not alone even if you feel like you are. If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry, lit is already a great resource!

We’ve rounded up some of the best books for young adults that open up an honest conversation about depression. And remember, readers, to reach out to your family, your friends, and most importantly, your heart and mind.

24 excellent books

that treat depression and mental health

1. girl on the line by faith gardner

Life’s tough when you didn’t expect to be living it. But now that Journey has a future, she apparently also has to figure out what that future’s supposed to look like.

some days the pain feels as fresh as it did that day: the day you tried to kill yourself. His parents don’t know how to talk to him. her best friend tells all the wrong jokes. her bipolar disorder ii her feels like she’s swallowing her whole.

but other days, they feel like revelations. like meeting the stunning etta, a city college student who is a world unto herself. or walk into the volunteer hotline office and discover a community as strong and broken as she is.

or discover the light within herself that she didn’t know existed.

shop girl online now!

2. the lightness of the hands of jeff garvin

Sixteen-year-old Ellie Dante is desperate for something in her life to finally go right. Her father was a famous stage magician until he attempted an epic illusion on live TV—and failed. Now Ellie lives with her dad in a beat-up RV, attending high school online and performing with him at birthday parties and bars across the Midwest to make ends meet.

But when jobs dry up, her insurance lapses, throwing Dad’s heart condition out of control and forcing Ellie to battle her Bipolar II disorder without medication.

Then, Ellie gets a call from a famous magic duo, offering her fifteen thousand dollars and a chance at redemption: they want her father to perform the illusion that ruined his career, on their live television special, which will be shoot in Los Angeles in ten days.

ellie knows her father will refuse, but she accepts the deal anyway, then lies to persuade him to head west. With the help of her online-only best friend and an unusual guy she bonds with along the way, Ellie makes a plan to arrange her comeback. but when her lie is discovered, she will have to face her illness and her decisions to save her father and herself.

buy the lightness of hands now!

3. unlimited black girl by echo brown

Echo Brown is a wizard from the East Side, where apartments are small and parents suffer addictions to the white rocks. Yet there is magic . . . everywhere. New portals begin to open when Echo transfers to the rich school on the West Side, and an insightful teacher becomes a pivotal mentor. Each day, Echo travels between two worlds, leaving her brothers, her friends, and a piece of herself behind on the East Side. There are dangers to leaving behind the place that made you. Echo soon realizes there is pain flowing through everyone around her, and a black veil of depression threatens to undo everything she’s worked for.

Heavily autobiographical and infused with magical realism, black girl unlimited fearlessly explores the intersections of poverty, sexual violence, depression, racism, and sexism, all through the arc of a transcendent coming of age.

buy unlimited black girl now!

4. all the bright places by jennifer niven

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death. Every day he thinks of ways he might kill himself, but every day he also searches for—and manages to find—something to keep him here, and alive, and awake.

violet markey lives for the future, counting down the days until graduation, when she can escape her small town indiana and her grief over the recent death of her sister.

When the finch and the violet meet on the ledge of the school’s bell tower, six stories above the ground, it’s unclear who saves whom. soon it is only with violet that the chaffinch can be itself. And it is only with finches that Violet can forget to count the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s world begins to shrink. . . .

buy all the bright spots now!

5. release by patrick ness

Adam Thorn doesn’t know it yet, but today will change his life.

Between his religious family, a deeply unpleasant ultimatum from his boss, and his own unrequited love for his kind of ex, Enzo, it seems Adam’s life is falling apart. he at least has two people to keep him sane: his new boyfriend (he loves linus, right?) and his best friend, angela.

But throughout the day, old memories and new heartaches collide, and Adam’s life is thrown into chaos. the bonds of his world are untied one by one; however, despite all that he has to let go of, he too can find freedom in release.

buy the release now!

6. the fire never goes out by nd stevenson

In a collection of personal essays and mini-comics spanning eight years of his young adult life, author and illustrator nd stevenson traces the ups and downs of being a creative human being in the world.

Whether it’s hearing the wrong name at her art school graduation ceremony or becoming a national book award finalist for her first graphic novel, nimona, she captures the moments big and small. that make up a true life, with a wit, wisdom, and vulnerability that are all his own.

buy the fire never goes out now!

7. it’s kind of a funny ned vizzini story

Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan’s Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future.

Determined to succeed in life, which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college and getting the right job, Craig studies day and night to pass the entrance exam, and he does. that’s when things start to get crazy.

at his new school, craig realizes he’s not bright compared to the other kids; he is just average, and maybe not even that. he soon sees his once-perfect future crumble.

buy it, now it’s a funny story!

8. Emily X.R.’s Amazing After Color frying pan

Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird.

Leigh, who is half Asian and half white, travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. there, she is determined to find her mother, the bird. In searching for her, she ends up chasing ghosts, uncovering family secrets, and forging a new relationship with her grandparents. And while she grieves, she must try to reconcile the fact that on the very day she kissed her best friend and lifelong secret crush, Axel, her mother was taking her own life. of her.

buy the amazing color of after now!

9. my heart and other black holes by jasmine warga

Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicidal Couples, Ella Aysel Ella is convinced that she has found the solution: Roman, a teenager haunted by a family tragedy, is looking for a partner.

Although Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly begin to fill each other’s broken lives. But as her suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question if she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can unlock the potential of his energy together.

buy my heart and other black holes now!

10. forgive me, leonard peacock by matthew quick

In addition to the P-38, there are four gifts, one for each of my friends. I want to say good-bye to them properly. I want to give them each something to remember me by. To let them know I really cared about them and I’m sorry I couldn’t be more than I was—that I couldn’t stick around—and that what’s going to happen today isn’t their fault.

Today is Leonard Peacock’s birthday. It’s also the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather’s p-38 pistol.

Maybe one day you’ll believe that being different is okay, even important.

but not today.

buy forgive me leonard peacock now!

11. just breathe for cammie mcgovern

David Scheinman is the popular president of his senior class, battling cystic fibrosis.

jamie turner is a quiet sophomore struggling with depression.

The pair soon realize that they can be more of themselves with each other than with anyone else, and their unlikely friendship begins to turn into something much more.

but neither jamie nor david dare reveal the secrets that weigh dearest on their hearts, and their time for honesty may be running out.

shop just breathe now!

12. happier than not by adam silvera

In the months after his father’s suicide, it’s been tough for 16-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again—but he’s still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he’s slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely.

when genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, thomas. Aaron’s team notices, and they’re not exactly thrilled. but aaron can’t deny the happiness thomas brings or how thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions his friendship with his girlfriend and his friends creates. Since Aaron can’t stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute’s revolutionary memory-altering procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he really is.

why does happiness have to be so difficult?

shop happier than not now!

13. deep challenger by neal shusterman

Caden Bosch is on a ship that’s headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.

caden bosch is a bright high school student whose friends start to notice his strange behavior.

caden bosch is appointed the ship’s resident artist to document the voyage with images.

caden bosch pretends to join the school track team, but spends the day walking for miles, lost in thoughts running through his head.

caden bosch is torn between his loyalty to the captain and the allure of the mutiny.

bosch chain is torn.

buy challenger deep now!

14. dear evan hansen: the novel by val emmich, steven levenson, benj pasek, justin paul

When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family’s grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend.

Suddenly, Evan is no longer invisible, even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy’s parents, with her beautiful home across town, have taken him in as their own, desperate to learn more about his enigmatic son from his closest friend. As Evan sinks deeper and deeper into his whirlwind of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he’s doing can’t be right, but if he’s helping people, how wrong can it be? p>

No longer mired in the anxiety that once crippled him, this new Evan has a purpose. and a website. he’s confident is a viral phenomenon. every day is amazing. until everything is in danger of falling apart and he comes face to face with his biggest obstacle: himself.

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15. will grayson, will grayson by john green and david levithan

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

hilarious, moving and deeply insightful, the collaborative novel from john green and david levithan is packed with a double helping of heart and humor that has won them both legions of loyal fans.

buy will grayson, will grayson now!

16. destroy all monsters by sam j. miller

Solomon and Ash both experienced a traumatic event when they were twelve.

ash lost all memory of that event when he fell from solomon’s treehouse. Solomon has since withdrawn further and further into a world he seems to have created in his own mind. one that isolates him from reality, but he crawls with enemies and monsters. . . in both animal and human form.

As Solomon drifts deeper into the place he calls the dark side, Ash realizes that his only chance to free his best friend from his pain is to remember exactly what happened that day in his house. backyard and face the truth, together.

fearless and insightful, sam j. Miller’s follow-up to his award-winning first novel, The Art of Starving, revolves around an intimate and powerful story that will linger with readers.

buy destroy all monsters now!

17. darius the great is not okay by adib khorram

Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He’s a Fractional Persian—half, his mom’s side—and his first-ever trip to Iran is about to change his life.

darius has never really fit in at home and is sure things will be the same in iran. His clinical depression doesn’t exactly help matters, and trying to explain his medication to his grandparents just complicates things.

then darius meets sohrab, the boy next door, and everything changes. Soon, they spend their days together, playing soccer, eating faludeh, and talking for hours on a secret rooftop overlooking the city’s skyline. Sohrab calls him Darioush, the original Persian version of his name, and Darius has never felt more himself than now that he is Darioush with Sohrab.

buying darius the great is not right now!

18. eliza and her monsters by francesca zappia

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, awkward, and has no friends. Online, Eliza is Lady Constellation, the anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monster Sea. With millions of followers and fans around the world, Eliza’s personality is popular. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community.

then wallace warland transfers to her school and eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worth it. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built – her history of hers, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity – begins to unravel.

buy eliza and her monsters now!

19. the survival list by courtney sheinmel

Sloane Weber is devastated when her older sister dies by suicide. Talley was a bright light who made everyone want to step closer. Why had she made that unthinkable choice?

the only clue talley left for sloane is a puzzle: a list of random places and names, along with the phone number of a boy named adam, who lives in california and says he doesn’t know talley.

sloane heads west, enlists adam’s help, and together they search for answers. But while Sloane is attracted to Adam, she can’t shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Is Sloane ready to learn the truth about Adam, her sister, or the secrets her family has been hiding for years?

buy survival list now!

20. girl to pieces by kathleen glasgow

Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen she’s already lost more than most people do in a lifetime. But she’s learned how to forget. The broken glass washes away the sorrow until there is nothing but calm. You don’t have to think about your father and the river. Your best friend, who is gone forever. Or your mother, who has nothing left to give you.

Each new scar makes Charlie’s heart a little harder, but it still hurts a lot. it hurts enough that you don’t care anymore, which is sometimes what has to happen before you can find your way back from the brink.

A deeply moving portrait of a young girl in a world that owes her nothing and has taken so much from her, and the journey she undertakes to put herself back together. Kathleen Glasgow’s debut is heartbreakingly real and unflinchingly honest. It’s a story you won’t be able to take your eyes off.

buy girl in pieces now!

21. when the stars take you by ronni davis

Eighteen-year-old Devon longs for two things.

the stars. and the boy she fell in love with last summer.

When ashton breaks devon’s heart at the end of the most romantic summer ever, she believes her heart will never heal again. But over the course of the next year, Devon finds himself slowly putting the broken pieces back together.

It’s her senior year now, and she’s determined to enjoy every moment of it as she prepares to study galaxies in the future. That is, until Ashton shows up on the first day of school.

can she forgive and open her heart to him again? Or are they doomed to repeat history?

shop when the stars take you now!

22. alice oseman solitaire

My name is Tori Spring.

I like to sleep and I like to blog. last year, before all that stuff with charlie and before i had to face the harsh realities of exams and college applications and the fact that one day i really have to start talking to people, i had friends.

I guess things were very different, but that’s over now.

Now there is the solitaire. and michael holden. i don’t know what loner’s trying to do, and i don’t care about michael holden. not really.

buy solitaire now!

23. boost by ellen hopkins

Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act—suicide.

Vanessa is beautiful and smart, but her secrets keep her answering the call of the sword.

tony, after suffering a painful childhood, he can only find peace through pills.

and conner apparently has the perfect life. but dig a little deeper and find a boy who is in constant battle with his parents, his life, himself.

In an instant, each of these young men decided enough was enough. they grabbed the blade, the bottle, the gun and tried to finish it all off. now they have a second chance, and maybe, with the help of others, they can find their way to a better life, but only if they are strong and can fight the demons that brought them here in the first place.

buy impulse now!

24. suicide notes by michael thomas ford

Fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year’s Day to find himself in the hospital—specifically, in the psychiatric ward. Despite the bandages on his wrists, he’s positive this is all some huge mistake. Jeff is perfectly fine, perfectly normal; not like the other kids in the hospital with him.

But over the course of the next forty-five days, Jeff begins to understand why he ended up here and realizes he has more in common with the other kids than he thought.

buy suicide notes now!

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, don’t be afraid to ask for help. In the United States, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1.800.273.talk (8255). For international suicide prevention hotlines, visit suicide.org.

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