6 Gripping YA Books about Depression and Anxiety Struggles
Find your next great read by exploring my reviews of these YA books about depression and anxiety.
With COVID-19 quarantines, school disruptions, and social distancing from friends, today’s teens are struggling with depression and anxiety at higher levels than ever before. Suicides among our young people are on the rise. Mental illness is isolating enough without the added complexity of a global pandemic.
Reading stories about depression, anxiety, and even suicide is one way to find hope in the darkness. For readers, books offer entertainment and escape, and connecting with characters who also suffer with depression, anxiety, OCD, or other mental illness can help you recognize that you’re not alone. The young adult books about depression are as varied as the individuals who experience it. For some, anxiety and depression are best friends; for others, depression and suicide carry on a dangerous flirtation.
If you currently have thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
So what are the best YA books about depression and anxiety struggles? Here are reviews of my favorites in this category.
1. Straight A's by Khristina Chess
Fans of It’s Kind of a Funny Story will enjoy this high-stakes story about an anxious teen on track for class valedictorian.
When Kim realizes she might get a B in calculus, she makes secret preparations to commit suicide. As academic pressures mount and depression threatens to overwhelm her, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with the cute new guy in Writer’s Club.
If the semester doesn’t end in her favor, can a poet help her realize that her life means so much more than a letter grade?
Don’t miss this hopeful, sweet, and romantic YA novel about one teenager’s struggle to find a path out of the downward spiral of despair.
2. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
You are all the colors in one, at full brightness. – Jennifer Niven, All the Bright Places
Theodore Finch has more than a touch of the blues.
Violet Markey wants to escape the grief that lives in her hometown where her sister recently died.
Together they embark on a school project journey to explore the natural wonders of their state, but in the process they make a few unexpected discoveries about one another.
3. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
A humorous and hopeful novel about a boy whose suicidal episode sends him on an interesting journey through an adult psychiatric ward in a New York City hospital and back to life.
Tentacles is my term—the Tentacles are the evil tasks that invade my life. Like, for example, my American History class last week, which necessitated me writing a paper on the weapons of the Revolutionary War, which necessitated me traveling to the Metropolitan museum to check out some of the old guns, which necessitated me getting in the subway, which necessitated me being away from my cell phone and e-mail for 45 minutes, which meant that I didn’t get to respond to a mass mail sent out by my teacher asking who needed extra credit, which meant other kids snapped up the extra credit, which meant I wasn’t going to get a 98 in the class, which meant I wasn’t anywhere close to a 98.6 average (body temperature, that’s what you needed to get), which meant I wasn’t going to get into a Good College, which meant I wasn’t going to have a Good Job, which meant I wasn’t going to have health insurance, which meant I’d have to pay tremendous amounts of money for the shrinks and drugs my brain needed, which meant I wasn’t going to have enough money to pay for a Good Lifestyle, which meant I’d feel ashamed, which meant I’d get depressed, and that was the big one because I knew what that did to me: it made it so I wouldn’t get out of bed, which led to the ultimate thing—homelessness. – Ned Vizzini in It’s Kind of a Funny Story
That is the wonderful, funny, and utterly unique voice of the narrator of this novel, Craig Gilner, who has ambitious goals for his life, but also anxiety and depression. He’s trying. Really. But things like The Tentacles get in the way.
This sweet, insightful book about a quirky guy is a must-read for anyone interested in YA books about depression and anxiety. Buy it. Read it. Ned Vizzini’s writing is masterful.
4. By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters
A brutal novel that will appeal to fans of Wintergirls–this short, enthralling book tells the story of a bullied girl who failed her first suicide attempt but intends to get it right next time.
Daelyn is going to kill herself in 23 days.
A website named Through the Light provides support to wanna-be suicide “completers” like Daelyn, and she spends a lot of free time there. Counting down the days.
Then she meets a boy. She tries to ignore him, but he’s pushy. Persistent. Charming, even.
But is he charming enough to keep her from going through the light when the countdown ends?
This raw book is a fast read. It’s not easy, happy, or hopeful, but it’s an authentic and real look at depression and suicide.
5. This Is Not A Love Letter by Kim Purcell
A hard-hitting story that combines mental illness and racism. Recommended for fans of John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down.
Chris is missing.
While he’s gone, his girlfriend Jessie decides to write letters to him, so the entire book is a series of scenes narrated to Chris. The mystery of his disappearance deepens as more of the bullying that Chris had endured unfolds.
Heartbreaking, beautiful, and powerful, Jessie’s letters are her way of coming to terms with the fact that the boy she loved went running one night but never came home again.
6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Hannah Baker committed suicide, and she left behind 13 tapes explaining why she did it.
When Clay receives these tapes, he goes on a journey to understand why she did it. It’s a terrible story involving crimes, and with every tape, there is suspense in wondering how Clay contributed to this girl’s death.
Clay is a nice guy. He has a thing for Hannah. It doesn’t seem he could have anything to do with it, but this story shows how you often don’t know what another person is going through.
You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything… affects everything.” Jay Asher in Thirteen Reasons Why
This is one of the best YA books about depression and anxiety and suicide. After reading it, check out my post about why the mini-series is better than the book—and watch the show! (And in case you think YA is only for teens, check out my post on 13 Reasons Why Adults Love Reading YA.)
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Do you have any YA books about depression or anxiety struggles to add to my list?
Khristina Chess is the award-winning author of several YA novels about troubled teens turning corners. You can find her on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter as an active daily contributor in the #5amwritersclub.
With COVID-19 quarantines, school disruptions, and social distancing from friends, today’s teens are struggling with depression and anxiety at higher levels than ever before. Suicides among our young people are on the rise. Mental illness is isolating enough without the added complexity of a global pandemic.
Reading stories about depression, anxiety, and even suicide is one way to find hope in the darkness. For readers, books offer entertainment and escape, and connecting with characters who also suffer with depression, anxiety, OCD, or other mental illness can help you recognize that you’re not alone. The young adult books about depression are as varied as the individuals who experience it. For some, anxiety and depression are best friends; for others, depression and suicide carry on a dangerous flirtation.
If you currently have thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
So what are the best YA books about depression and anxiety struggles? Here are reviews of my favorites in this category.
1. Straight A's by Khristina Chess
Fans of It’s Kind of a Funny Story will enjoy this high-stakes story about an anxious teen on track for class valedictorian.
When Kim realizes she might get a B in calculus, she makes secret preparations to commit suicide. As academic pressures mount and depression threatens to overwhelm her, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with the cute new guy in Writer’s Club.
If the semester doesn’t end in her favor, can a poet help her realize that her life means so much more than a letter grade?
Don’t miss this hopeful, sweet, and romantic YA novel about one teenager’s struggle to find a path out of the downward spiral of despair.
2. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
You are all the colors in one, at full brightness. – Jennifer Niven, All the Bright Places
Theodore Finch has more than a touch of the blues.
Violet Markey wants to escape the grief that lives in her hometown where her sister recently died.
Together they embark on a school project journey to explore the natural wonders of their state, but in the process they make a few unexpected discoveries about one another.
3. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
A humorous and hopeful novel about a boy whose suicidal episode sends him on an interesting journey through an adult psychiatric ward in a New York City hospital and back to life.
Tentacles is my term—the Tentacles are the evil tasks that invade my life. Like, for example, my American History class last week, which necessitated me writing a paper on the weapons of the Revolutionary War, which necessitated me traveling to the Metropolitan museum to check out some of the old guns, which necessitated me getting in the subway, which necessitated me being away from my cell phone and e-mail for 45 minutes, which meant that I didn’t get to respond to a mass mail sent out by my teacher asking who needed extra credit, which meant other kids snapped up the extra credit, which meant I wasn’t going to get a 98 in the class, which meant I wasn’t anywhere close to a 98.6 average (body temperature, that’s what you needed to get), which meant I wasn’t going to get into a Good College, which meant I wasn’t going to have a Good Job, which meant I wasn’t going to have health insurance, which meant I’d have to pay tremendous amounts of money for the shrinks and drugs my brain needed, which meant I wasn’t going to have enough money to pay for a Good Lifestyle, which meant I’d feel ashamed, which meant I’d get depressed, and that was the big one because I knew what that did to me: it made it so I wouldn’t get out of bed, which led to the ultimate thing—homelessness. – Ned Vizzini in It’s Kind of a Funny Story
That is the wonderful, funny, and utterly unique voice of the narrator of this novel, Craig Gilner, who has ambitious goals for his life, but also anxiety and depression. He’s trying. Really. But things like The Tentacles get in the way.
This sweet, insightful book about a quirky guy is a must-read for anyone interested in YA books about depression and anxiety. Buy it. Read it. Ned Vizzini’s writing is masterful.
4. By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters
A brutal novel that will appeal to fans of Wintergirls–this short, enthralling book tells the story of a bullied girl who failed her first suicide attempt but intends to get it right next time.
Daelyn is going to kill herself in 23 days.
A website named Through the Light provides support to wanna-be suicide “completers” like Daelyn, and she spends a lot of free time there. Counting down the days.
Then she meets a boy. She tries to ignore him, but he’s pushy. Persistent. Charming, even.
But is he charming enough to keep her from going through the light when the countdown ends?
This raw book is a fast read. It’s not easy, happy, or hopeful, but it’s an authentic and real look at depression and suicide.
5. This Is Not A Love Letter by Kim Purcell
A hard-hitting story that combines mental illness and racism. Recommended for fans of John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down.
Chris is missing.
While he’s gone, his girlfriend Jessie decides to write letters to him, so the entire book is a series of scenes narrated to Chris. The mystery of his disappearance deepens as more of the bullying that Chris had endured unfolds.
Heartbreaking, beautiful, and powerful, Jessie’s letters are her way of coming to terms with the fact that the boy she loved went running one night but never came home again.
6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Hannah Baker committed suicide, and she left behind 13 tapes explaining why she did it.
When Clay receives these tapes, he goes on a journey to understand why she did it. It’s a terrible story involving crimes, and with every tape, there is suspense in wondering how Clay contributed to this girl’s death.
Clay is a nice guy. He has a thing for Hannah. It doesn’t seem he could have anything to do with it, but this story shows how you often don’t know what another person is going through.
You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything… affects everything.” Jay Asher in Thirteen Reasons Why
This is one of the best YA books about depression and anxiety and suicide. After reading it, check out my post about why the mini-series is better than the book—and watch the show! (And in case you think YA is only for teens, check out my post on 13 Reasons Why Adults Love Reading YA.)
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Do you have any YA books about depression or anxiety struggles to add to my list?
Khristina Chess is the award-winning author of several YA novels about troubled teens turning corners. You can find her on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter as an active daily contributor in the #5amwritersclub.
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