Kim Reads Books About Things

A stunning depiction of life with a mood disorder that takes apart the "tortured artist" cliche and really analyzes all of its facets. I shy away from a lot of books about mental health issues lately because they tend to be grim (and more often than not, poorly researched), but Forney's memoir here is anything but. It's never too heavy that one can't read it, even if the subject matter hits very close to home It also boasts very smart discussions of medication pros/cons, the way it feels to disclose a mental illness to friends/co-workers... and since it's a memoir, it feels completely authentic and BS-free. Is it any surprise that I loved it, then, since I like my books about mental illness to be BS-free? A must if you're interested in the topic, if you have a mood disorder, or if you just like graphic novels, or anything like that.

And even more on the plus side, it ends with a very uplifting and reassuring conclusion. As a person who's had depression since she was eleven, I feel like we need to see more of this: books that acknowledge that things like bipolar disorder and depression are things that are hard to live with, but with proper support (be it medication, therapy, supportive people around you) you can live a very balanced and fulfilling life.

So, so good and important.