Help Me!

Help Me! #1

by Donna M. Zadunajsky

A novella about a boy named Mick and his struggles with life. His parent’s divorce and a friend’s suicide make his world unbearable. Each “cut” has a deeper meaning. A cry for help.
“I spin my dad’s Ruger SP101 revolver on the wood floor of my bedroom. Sometimes, just to see what it feels like, I place the tip of the gun against my temple, but I never once pull the trigger. NO!”
“I’m more into the slice of the blade against my skin and the blood running down my arm.”
“It relieves so much pressure.”
“And I can breathe again…”

Genres: Young Adult, Teen, Mental Illness

125 pages, Paperback

First published December 30, 2015

About the author

Donna M. Zadunajsky started out writing children’s books before she accomplished and published her first novel, Broken Promises, in June 2012. She since has written several more novels and her first novella, HELP ME! Book 1 in the series, which is about teen suicide and bullying.
HELP ME!, won Awards in:
The Great Northwest Book Festival-Winner
Global EBook Awards- Gold Medal Winner
The Great Southeast Book Festival-Winner
IPA Award- Winner in Grief Category
Reader Views Awards- In 3 different categories:
*Children-Teen 12-16 year olds
*Children-Young Adult 16-18 years old
*Best Teen/YA Book of the Year
eLit Awards- Silver Winner

Talk To Me, Book 2 was a Finalist in the Author U unpublished contest, 2016.
IPA Award- Winner in Death and Dying

The author is available for speaking on the matters of teen suicide, bullying and for author events.

Reviews

[Linda Strong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mick is depressed and suicidal following the loss of his best friend to suicide. His mother has sent him to live with his father to get a 'fresh start' away from his memories. Unfortunately, his memories have moved right along with him.

He has a secret ... he's a cutter. It's the only way he can live with the guilt that he didn't know what his friend was going to do. No one knows his secret .. not even his new best friend, Layla.

At first, Mick thought being in a new school would mean the bullying stopped. Seems like no matter where he goes, someone bigger, older, meaner doesn't like the way Mick talks, walks, dresses. The anonymous messages on social media just don't stop.

And then he finds his father's gun ......

The author has done a credible job in researching and then writing this story. Kudos to the author. Self harm, especially when it's due to bullying, is not an easy subject to write about ... or to read. It's a thought-provoking look at the relationship between teens and how they handle one of today's hardest issues.

Many thanks to the author / Netgalley for the digital copy of this novella. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this for review.

Help me! is a YA contemporary novella surrounding self-harm, suicide and depression. The premise sounded like it would give me an interesting perspective surrounding the feelings and behaviours associated with self-harm. However, I found it pretty disappointing and quite frankly, pointless.

The main issue I had with this novella was the writing in this book was quite bland and juvenile. I thought the author was showing and not telling. Therefore, I wasn't engaged for the majority of the story and quite bored.

The characters were quite one-dimensional with no depth. I felt like the main character was just making excuses for the way he was feeling. There was little/no explanation surrounding his mental illness. I felt quite frustrated with the main character making excuses for their illness and their constant pessimistic and wining attitude.

Whilst the POV switch added suspense, it was just a retelling of the first half but from a different perspective and when I eventually got to the epilogue I was extremely underwhelmed.

Whilst this book had a positive message of "it gets better if you just ask for help", it portrayed it in an unrealistic manner, suggesting it was easy to just ask for help. Maybe that's just my interpretation.

Whilst I appreciate the author bringing awareness to this important and devastating issue, it was poorly executed.

Speaking from experience, recovery has its ups and downs. Simply telling someone what is going on isn't going to instantly make you recover. You only get out what you put in. We still have good days and bad days despite being to manage our well-being quite effectively.

Overall, a very unrealistic portrayal of mental illness. I would not recommend. In my opinion, HELP ME! dismisses the difficulty in seeking help whilst being unrealistically optimistic.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I was provided an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

4.75*/5 but giving it 5 stars for how important I feel it is to read books like this.

"No one knows what someone might do. But if you do know someone who needs help, or someone you think is depressed, there's never a wrong choice. Tell a parent or another adult. Let them know that you or someone you know needs help and may be suicidal."

I finished this novella in an hour. Super quick read. Very personal and emotional for me.
I immediately started tearing up when starting this because I was so overwhelmed for what this book was going to bring.

The kids in this books are so young I was shocked by the thoughts they had and things they go through. I mean, thirteen?? So sad. I kept thinking of my brothers and sisters while reading this and had to stop sometimes since tears were obstructing my view of reading.

The book is in two parts. It starts off with Mick's story. Mick went through a lot, losing his best friend. We're very early introduced to everything he hates and all the problems he is/has gone through. After moving in with his dad, Mick eventually makes some friends. But there's only one friend he cares about so much, and that one is the only one that makes him feel good. Like all the bad doesn't exist. Layla.

Second part of the book is Layla's story. Layla is Mick's best friend. She ends up finding out about Mick's problem and doesn't want him to know she knows. So she confides in her mom and how to deal with this situation. I mean, she is only thirteen years old. Then one day, Layla sees something she doesn't think she can keep a secret.. Not if it means losing her best friend...

The ending of this book was overwhelming. I was happy and sad and I just don't know when I'll be okay. I highly recommend everyone to read books like this one. They're so informative and really helps a person understand what people with suicidal thoughts think and go through. (In a way)
Now. I will just lay here. Since I can't seem to bring myself to do much of anything else right now.

[Sandra "Jeanz" · Rating 3 out of 5]

INITIAL THOUGHTS
I really wanted to read and review this novella and feature it on my blog, to try and help to raise awareness for the subjects contained within it, from self harming, suicide, eating disorders, bullying, cyber bullying, homophobia, domestic violence.

MY REVIEW
I downloaded an e-copy of this novella from Netgalley for free in exchange for my honest review.
The cover features part of a young male, which shows them as quite thing, and has cuts and blood running down the arm that is visible on the cover. Upon reading the book this picture ties in with the main character Mick. The title Is eye-catching because of its orientation on the cover and the use of read and black colours. There is also a byline placed on the cover which say's "Once I Slice, it relieves so much pressure, I can breathe, again. . . . " The word "slice" is also highlighted more as that one word within the byline is red. The actual byline is from a sentence in the novella, when it is being told from Mick's point of view
Would the cover make me pick this book up from a book store shelf? Yes, I would naturally want to know who wanted the "help" and why they needed the help. as well as being inquisitive about why there is a cut on the persons arm, how it was done, why etc. So yes I would certainly pick this one up from a store shelf to read the blurb and learn more about it.
So the novella is roughly split in two and is from the point of view of a teenage boy Mick, and also the the point of view of a teenage girl called Layla.
Mick is 13 years old and now lives with his father. His parents are divorced. Mick used to live with his mother and her new husband and a younger half brother and half sister. But things have changed because of "the incident" Mick is glad they have and blames his mother for his parents splitting up. Mick tell's us "his story" how he has recently moved in with hos father and changed schools as his parents and other adults around him have decided it is "for the best" because of "the incident" . "The incident" was Mick's best friend, in fact it seem his only friend Ray recently committed suicide. Ray took a gun, put one bullet in it and played "Russian Roulette" with it, pulling the trigger until he killed himself. Mick has a secret. . . "Russian Roulette" with a gun was a game both boys used to play. If he had been with Ray that day it could have been either of them that died or maybe even both. Both boys were sick of the bullies and their taunts. Mick and Ray were both bullied at school in person, and at home on social media. One evening after school Ray took a gun he had access to and shot himself. To say Mick feel's a kind of a "survivors guilt" is an understatement. Mick's parents then decided it would be better for Mick to live with his father and start afresh at a new school too, where no one knows about Ray and away from the bullies too.
The problem is, as I am sure many parents have sadly discovered, there are bullies at every school. So Mick is once again the butt of the jokes and bullied about his weight. this time at the new school they say he is too skinny, which is weird to him as at his old school the bullies said he was too fat! Mick is finding it really difficult to control his anger, resentment, and hoplessness for not being able to prevent his friends death. Now Mick has come up with a way to release that ever mounting pressure within him. To ease all those feelings, Mick self harms. Mick takes a razor blade and slices into his skin. Mick began cutting as a release just a week after Ray's funeral. The bullies at his old school that he attended with Ray actually suggested that he should kill himself like Ray did! Mick is alone a lot of the time now. Micks father works long hours so it is easy for Mick to have the time and the privacy to take his razor blade and slice his arms or inner thighs. The only bright light in Micks world seems to be a girl he seems to have been crushing on forever...Layla Manning. Layla does talk to Mick and includes him in her circle of friends. Layla notices how quiet and depressed Mick seems and discusses him with her mother. It's when Layla gets a second or two glimpse during a video/skype type call (that is called Oovoo in this story)that proves to her just how seriously upset and unstable Mick is. I don't want to go on and say more as I think this is a story well worth reading yourselves. In my opinion it is a well researched, realistic story. Yes I would say it is based more around American teens as at the moment British teens thankfully do not have as much access to firearms.
It really struck a cord with me that Mick consider his most precious possession to be a razor blade. He takes great care of this razor blade, hiding it in an ipod case, which he keeps close to him, in his bedside drawer. On hand to use whenever he feels the need.
This book also includes some rather staggering facts about suicide such as the fact that suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in 15 to 24 year old's! and the fact that I person commits suicide every 17 minutes!
So did I enjoy the book? I think the word "enjoy" feels sort of the wrong word for this book. I did find it a fascinating, interesting and very realistic and believable read.
Would I recommend the book? In my opinion on one hand it is a book all school aged teens etc should be encouraged to read and discuss. Then again, on the other hand would the bullies just laugh at it and use it as an opportunity to bully the quieter teens etc that they already bully. It really is a catch 22 situation but we really cannot afford to ignore bullying of any kind. I also think the story proves a very sad but true fact that simply switching schools does not always work as there are bullies at all schools and establishments. It is probably better to put schemes in place to help the relevant teens deal with the bullies, the anger they have themselves and the depression as I also believe that bullying exists in all establishments be those be schools, children's groups, teen groups, and work places too.
Bullying, cutting, guns, eating disorders and domestic violence are all touched upon in this book. We see the same amount of time and the things that occurred through the eyes and point of view of Mick and then once again from the point of view of Layla.
Would I want to read more about the characters in this book? I think this story does actually come to its natural ending. Though I did wonder all the way through the book how/why Layla was so perceptive around Mick? Had she been bullied previously? Was her mother some sort of counselor?
Would I want to read another title by this author? I would certainly look at any other title written by this author and read the blurbs to learn more about them.

Final Thoughts
A well written and very thought provoking read, with realistic characters, in real-life situations. Would love to think this book being read in all schools would perhaps slow down or eradicate the worlds bullying problem. Sadly I am cynical, so hopefully, those being bullied will read this book and have the courage to speak up, speak out and ask for help
Both interesting, and captivating novella.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review*
This was a hard book to read, but at the same time it was impossible for me to put down. It deals with some incredibly tough subjects, including suicide, self harm, bullying and grief.
I'll admit right off the bat. This kind of story, packed full of emotion, and tackling tough issues, is the kind of thing that appeals to me. When I read something, I like to feel something.
This book definitely wins on that front. The story is told in two parts. The same events from two different views, and I really liked what this added to the story. Not only a sense of suspense, waiting to find out what was happening with Mick's story, but also showing how different people, have different ways of looking at the same situation, and how bullying and it's results, touch so many people. Not only the ones being bullied, but other people in their lives too.
This book is thought provoking on many levels. It brought tears to my eyes, and I felt it dealt with really difficult topics, in a sensitive way. It was well handled.
On a more negative side. There were moments that frustrated me. I wanted to scream, do more, help him. It made me think about how people may know about someone who's suffering, but they don't speak up, for whatever reason. It made me want to cry, because I know how true it is. People don't take things seriously enough, or they're worried about what will happen if they do speak out, but it frustrated me seeing nothing done to help this boy, who desperately needed help.
As far as the book goes, I did really enjoy it, and I think it's the kind of book that a lot of people could benefit from reading. Creating more of an awareness, of what bullying can do to people, and how many young people really do suffer.

[Jessyca Garcia]

Donna M. Zadunajsky’s book “HELP ME!” helped me see why people choose to cut themselves. The story is about 13 year-old Mick Connors. After Mick’s best friend commits suicide, Mick falls into a deep depression. He tries to ease his pain my cutting himself. Layla Manning is Mick’s crush and new best friend. She knows Mick harms himself and wants to help him before it is too late.

I think that “HELP ME!” is a good book for anyone who has ever considered suicide, self-harm or even if they know someone who has done it. Zadunajsky has a gift for writing in the voice of a teenager. This book is written for the young adults but parents should read it too to better understand what is going on in their child’s life. This book reminded me of my own high school years which was also filled with depression. Cutting is something I have always been curious about why people do. Zadunajsky helped me understand it better through Mick’s eyes. She explained his mindset and how he felt when he cut himself. I liked that Zadunajsky included actual facts about how many people commit suicide a year. Zadunajsky also touched on the effects of bullying in this book. More people need to be aware of their actions and the harm bullying causes. My favorite thing about this book was Layla’s quotes. The one that spoke to me the most and is now my favorite saying is “Before you leave me again, tell me, so I can let you know if I’m ready to watch you go…”
*I reviewed this book for Readers' Favorite

[Felicia Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Help Me! by Donna M. Zadunajsky was a very interesting read. I liked it because it read like a personal journal from the the first point of view of the main characters. I'm a huge fan of journaling, so the writing style felt voyeuristic. It was avant-garde in a sense that the writing style is not what I am used to reading in a book.

It's like reading a book on social media. As the reader, you're taken into the private thoughts and experiences of two main characters. Mick is suicidal and depressed after losing his best friend to suicide. Layla is Mick's new best friend that he acquires after he moves to his father's home following the loss of his late best friend. We get to see the perspectives of teenage life, love and friendship through the thoughts of Mick and Layla. I like the interchanging approach to the chapters so that we can see the point of views from both characters and know what they're both thinking and feeling within each scene that plays out. We're not left with many questions as both main characters cover their own thoughts and emotions, themselves, without leaving it to a third narrator's POV. The style is unique. Therefore, it made it feel personal.

Overall, it was a fast paced, good read. I hope that there's more to come.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would consider this a must read for teenagers. It's centered around bullying, self harm, and teen suicide. The novella is written in a journal style by different teenagers as they tell their story or the story of someone else. Some journals replay what happened by another teen's point of view.

The random quotes by Layla Manning throughout the story were very touching with plenty of important messages.

* I was provided an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher. It was my decision to read and review this book.

[SerialReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donna M. Zadunajsky took a picture of our society that will make you think and eventually, break your heart.
A book about ghostly parents and fragile kids, friendship, love and hope.

*This book was kindly sent to me via NetGalley by BookBuzz.net*

[Shelle Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Help Me is the story of Mick and Layla. Mick is fairly typical 13 year old eighth grader, but he is carrying a lot on his young shoulders. He has been bullied, perhaps because he was overweight or because his best friend was gay. His friend, not able to deal with the constant bullying, took his own life. Mick, now has to deal with the guilt that maybe he could have done something to stop that from happening, the frustration that those who drove his friend to the edge will not be held accountable for their actions and really don’t care that they played any part in his death and he also has to face that a new school, while it removed him from the worst of his tormentors, has bullies to take their place with a whole new list of reasons why they pick on him. His life has become a cycle of posting sad poetry online, clinging to the one or two good friends that he has, and using cutting as a release valve to keep his depression at bay and as a way to give himself some measure of control over his feelings.

Layla is a typical 13 year old eighth grade girl, who finds that peer pressure makes her do things and act in way that can hurt the people she cares about. She sees that Mick is in a dark place, but she has no idea what to do or what to say or even she if should do or say anything. She has a strong enough relationship with her mother to mention his odd behavior and ask for advice, but even then she doesn’t want to betray her friend and doesn’t give her mom the scariest information she has. In the end her friendship with Mick could be the only thing that can save his life.

This is a short powerful read, told from the perspective of each young person. The blunt honesty from each of them is to be admired. These kids were dealing with problems too big for them and they just didn’t know what to do. How many adults don’t have the life skills to handle what these kids had going? Mick’s parents are not bad parents because they missed what was happening. Mick’s need to find some control over the darkness he felt made him hide the worst of it from everyone he could. He knew what he was doing was wrong but it was the only thing that helped and he just didn’t know how to ask for help. Or, Maybe he didn’t know that he COULD ask for help.

It is fantastic that Layla felt comfortable with talking to her mom. Her mom defied the trending “not my kid, not my problem” attitude so prevalent today and did something with the information given to her. The school officials acted on the information immediately. This story provided many great examples of how the situation should be handled. However, as is so often the case, it may have just been too late. This novella should be required reading for eighth grade health classes, putting information in the hands of those who can make a difference before it is too late to help. When a child takes his or her own life, the devastation lives on in hearts of every friend and every teacher and counselor who saw something a bit off but didn’t want to overreact.

As a parent of child this age I can see the usefulness of using this as a discussion starter. Communication is the key. Recovery isn’t an easy thing, but knowing that you aren’t alone in how you feel and that what you feel is real and justified is the first step to getting better.

5 stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blown away when I started reading this novella . It is a story of Mick who is dealing with depression. He has been through a lot in his young life . his parents divorcing and then the death of his best friends suicide . He was also being bullied and his life was unbearable .

No one knows what he is going through and the only release is cutting . No one is knowing what is going on except his friends who think but have their own problems that they have to deal with .

This maybe a fictitious book with fictitious characters but the pain is real. For all those people that suffer from depression and bullying feel lost and have no way out . This has been hidden away in the darkness for way too long . It is time to bring it out and start talking about it . The taboo of depression needs to have the lid blown off and no one should hide anymore . This book makes you think about what if it was you , what would you do ? Would you be able to spot it in one of your loved ones ?

The characters in this book absolutely broke my heart . Mick just broke my heart. you just wanted to hold him in your arms and tell him life will get better . His group of friends are your typical teenagers with their own problems . They are all having their own problems and they band together like teenagers do by snap chat face time and so on. They have your resident bad girl , the sweet girl and the guy friend that love to hang . Layla is the sweet girl that helps Mick and actually likes him a lot . She is such a sweet girl with her own bouts also . Together they will help each other and try and figure everything out

I cried so hard reading this novella , I wanted to scream at them and say it will get better . We need to advocate for all children that have been bullied . We honestly need to blow the lid off it . Teachers need to step up , family members to step up to protect children. This book needs to be read . I personally want to thank Donna for writing this book and helping to get the word out there. Please get this book for you and your children . It is well worth the read

[Sarika Patkotwar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally published at The Readdicts Book Blog . For more reviews, go here.

Help Me! deals with depression in a very simple and subtle way and helps in understanding it further. This is the story of Mick, who blames himself for his best friend committing suicide and from then on, he begins self-harming by cutting himself as that's the only way he can release all the pain he feels for a loss that he could have saved. This novella doesn't just deal with depression but many issues that the youth of today face- main one among them being cyber bullying.

Stories like Help Me! are very difficult to write, but the manner in which author Donna M. Zadunajsky portrays Mick's life and provides a glimpse into his mind was very simple yet profound. She doesn't deal with the intricacies of depression and takes pages and pages to explain what it is and what it isn't. With the help of something she experienced on her own, she tells a very realistic, sad, very intense and short story about bullying and depression among teenagers and how there's always hope.

For the purpose that Help Me! serves, it was very well made and extremely well written. It wouldn't be a surprise if this novella starts featuring in school libraries. In fact, it should, because it's not at all complex and complicated but it does its work in a very simple and easy manner that everyone will find easy to relate to and that will definitely end up helping someone who desperately needs help.

*Note: This book was provided by author Donna M. Zadunajsky in exchange for an honest review. We thank them for the book.

[Jule · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3,5

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, a serious question: Why are adult authors so inclined to write teenage voices with an unnecessary excess of exclamation marks? That is not how teenagers talk! (Now, see, there is a proper exclamation mark. Not so much here: "But mostly, I hate the kids that go to the school. The ones that bully me!")

And with that, we have arrived at the plot of the book: bullying and depression resulting in self harm and teenage suicide. Be advised that there is an obvious trigger / comfort warning for self harm, suicide, attempted suicide and bullying.

That being said, the novel was not as bad as I had imagined it. The topics dealt with are not spoken about in great detail. You will most likely not sit over the book sobbing. It is mainly a book about asking for help and about friends noticing strange behavior and getting help (hence the title). Therefore, I could forgive the missing detail about why and how the protagonist was bullied. The insight into his reason for cutting was nice, though. I do think that one notices strongly that this is a mum writing about the real life mental issues of her daughter's friend. The style was a bit rough, with repetitions of content and phrases once in a while.

I was a bit confused about the intended audience, as well: Is is for children (because of the beeped out "f***cking"), or for adults (the explanation of the meaning of "lol", "tbh" and "idc")? Other than that, the book is certainly powerful. Great that somebody writes about stuff like this, without a miracle cure or an overly romanticized view. I liked the message that asking for help and getting help for friends is always better than staying silent. And with a message like that, one can not even be too mad about the exclamation points.

[Nijiko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.>

3.5 stars

Only focus on the things that make you happy, the other things cause you to just be very unfortunate...

No matter where you go, what you wear, or who you hang out with, there will always be people finding fault and bullying you about it.

I have to admit I don't fancy the way the author wrote the book, since it didn't seem natural to me. But I can't blame much since the author is an adult, writing a book from teens' perceptive. And the novella was too short for me to understand the background issue of the main character, why he was depressed, and then suicidal. But I get the idea of the story. The very much of it. I think this turned out to be a really beautiful novella. Short, simple, and right on point. It is very fast paced, and it only took me an hour to finish.

This book has two part, each from a different person's perspective. One of them is from Mick's perspective. In the beginning of the book I didn't specifically had any sympathy towards Mick, but as it continued, without me even noticing it until the end of the book, I do care about this boy. And I think this is the problem with suicidal teens today. People (including me) would likely underestimate teens problem, view them as "nothing serious". I was a teenage not long ago and I know how it felt. But I also know how it felt now to not really care.

I hope this book can raise awareness towards suicidal cases, not just teens, because everyone have equal potentials. And not just about self-harming, but also towards bullying and depression.

Complete Review: http://3by3meters.blogspot.co.id/2016...

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story told from two sides of the teen contemplating suicide scenario

Mick is a teenage boy that has moved to a new school, his parents have divorced and he now lives with his father. While Mick was at his old school his best friend committed suicide via a gun over bullying and he is now at a new school and being bullied again. Mick has found some new friends, in particular Layla and Shawn (male). Mick is under a great deal of emotional pressure that he relieves by cutting himself. However, the “relief” is only temporary and he thinks more and more about using his father’s gun on himself.
The story is told from two separate prespectives, the same events are described from Mick’s and then Layla’s perspective. Layla is aware of Mick’s self-damaging actions and believes they are escalating. The two points of view are very well done and important to the overall message of the book, the anguish of the teen under the pressure and the reaction of the friend that chooses to intervene. In the modern world, many teen children find themselves in one of those positions and any advice they receive on how to effectively deal with it is valuable.
While adults are involved, this is almost totally a story about teens, their lives and struggles and how they can assist each other when that help is critical. Teens on both sides of this scenario can benefit from reading about Mick and Layla.

This book was made available for free for review purposes and this review also appears on Amazon

[Caron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

HELP ME! is a short novella that focuses on bullying, suicidal thoughts and the effects thereof. The synopsis of this book is what drew me in and I thought it'd be like any other book but I was sorely mistaken. No one's situation is the same and this book proves that.

The fact that this revolved around kids as young as thirteen scared me because it may be a sad unfortunate fact that this happens amongst many teens, but for people so young to have these feelings was a terrifying thought.

The detail in which the writer goes in was to me, cringe worthy. The mind is a strange and powerful thing and can concoct up the most vivid of pictures. There is no saying what can help a person who feels this way and this book clearly highlights that. There's definitely a wrong way to react, but I don't think there can ever be a right way because in the end, it's up to the person on whether they choose to go ahead with what their bullies and thoughts are taunting them to do.

The writer really put things into perspective and this is really a scary but serious topic that shouldn't be mocked or ridiculed.

The writing style was amazing and the details were described extremely well, as I said earlier: cringe worthy.

[Hyacinth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a goodreads giveaway. First off, let me say that I do not believe that if a person experienced a suicidal thought then they have mental illness. I think these are two separate issues. I think if one has a history of suicidal thoughts, then possibly there may be some mental health issues. These are just my thoughts, I am not a mental health professional. With that being said, let me get into the meat of this book. I could not put it down. It was simplistic in its writing style, journalistic in its flow. It's written at the level of thirteen year olds so it shouldn't be complicated. Mick is being bullied, had gone through major family drama, and is suffering PTSD at the loss of his best friend. The thoughts of suicide are entertained because there is so much pressure. Uh oh, I used a mental health term. The age old question is this: how do we talk to our kids about bullying from both perspectives being and doing? Both of them stem from a place of angst. Let's create the dialog and get our kids help. I thought the book was great. It was a dark read at times. I could feel adolescent anxiety. It is major when you're going through it. Quick read, easy read, and it will stay with you for a minute.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I was sent this novel for review by the author and I really wanted to enjoy because of the mental health aspect associated with individuals who cut; however, it was the delivery that I couldn't get past. I understand the characters are around 13 or 14 but I literally felt like I was reading their journals which wasn't a good thing. Statements were quite redundant and simplistic. There is a way to write a book from a 13/14 year old perspective without making it seem as though they actually sat down and wrote the book. I also felt that if this book had been longer we would have learned about Micks mental health issues through plot development and not just him telling the reader over and over again what was wrong. I understand what the author was attempting to do in terms of raising awareness about mental health; however, the writing did not do the thought or idea much justice.

[Leah Nova (Bookish Harpist) · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was a lot of "telling" in this novel, and not "showing," in both emotions and dialogue. While I understand that this was just a brief novella, it fell a bit flat, and I couldn't connect with the characters. This might be a better book for middle school kids, but for anyone older than 14 or 15, this probably wouldn't be received well. I just couldn't get into it. It was very brief, and I finished it in about an hour. Again, it's good for light reading, but there are better books about cutting, such as Cut by Patricia McCormick.
I also wasn't a very big fan of the POV change. I get that it was supposed to add suspense, but it was essentially a retelling of the first part, and was even less interesting than the first. Overall, I was not a fan.

[Lisa Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is a must read for parents of teenagers, and any teenager who is considering suicide. Cyber bullying seems to be a fad. I don't understand why kids have to be so damn mean! Bullying has been around for many years, it just seems to have escalated since I was younger. We need to listen to our children, watch them closely, especially if they seem depressed, or struggling with anything. Bullying needs to be stopped! Whatever form, we need to advocate to prevent our children from hurting themselves, cutting themselves, and the most tragic; killing themselves. I was given this book to review in exchange for my honest, and unbiased opinion.

[Marinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a book to help youngsters find help when they're being bullied. It's about time someone wrote something real and not superficial to get into the hearts and heads of today's youth. Short and to the point bravo Ms. Zadunajsky bravo.
Independent reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock.

[Patricia Kaniasty · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an emotional read. I could not put it down. Read it in a couple of hours. Makes me think of a couple of kids I used to know. Very sad.

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Emily Sutton (age 16) for Reader Views (02/17)

“Help Me!” by Donna M. Zadunajsky is the story of thirteen-year-old Mick and his struggles with life. He seems like an average teenager but he’s going through quite a bit. His parents are divorced and Mick is angry with his mom. Mick’s best friend Ray committed suicide because he was constantly bullied about being gay, and he couldn’t take it anymore. After Ray’s suicide, Mick went to live with his dad to get away from the bullies and make a fresh start. Mick deals with his pressures by cutting himself. He says it relieves the pressure so he can breathe again.

Layla is Mick’s best friend. When she notices that Mick starts posting sad messages on his social media accounts she is really not sure what to do, but she ends up telling her mother, who thinks Mick may be suicidal. Layla’s mom steps in and informs people about what is going on with Mick. Because of her interference, Mick and Layla end up having a fight. Layla is worried. Will Mick get the help he needs?

This book covers a lot of things that teens go through in today’s hi-tech world. There is so much pressure coming at us from every angle that I’m guessing many parents don’t even know what is going on with their kids. I know some people at school who have been bullied; it seems everyone has been at some point and to some degree. It’s not so hard to imagine being overwhelmed by it – kids are so cruel. It is hard to imagine being so depressed that you want to hurt yourself, but it is a real issue and as the author says in the book, suicide ranks as one of the top three causes of deaths in teenagers and young adults.

“Help Me!” was hard to read because it really told the truth directly and was actually in your face. The voices of Mick and Layla were very clear. Mick didn’t hold back his feelings and you could really feel his despair. The characters are authentic, genuine, and totally believable.

I recommend “Help Me!” by Donna M. Zadunajsky to all teenagers because I think it is good book to raise awareness about current teen-age social issues. I give it five stars. The author also includes valuable information in the front of the book about where to get help and it’s clear she did a lot of research.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the blurb to this book and just felt I needed to read it. No thought , no reason just needed to read this book. I am so glad I did. First off, this book topic is not an easy one and due to the book being written in what i think is a journal style, this could be a tough read for some. This book captivated me from the first page to the last page. The in between pages just plain got my brain thinking and absolutely twisted my heart as I read and experienced Mick's take on his life. This was such an impactful read, the cover of this book is so thoughtful and eye catching. This book is well worth each and every second you spend reading it and thinking about Mick and his story afterwards.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Josephine Spire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book centres around two teenagers Mick and Layla. The story opens with Mick talking about his troubles which ie coming from a broken home, feeling guilty, (as result of his friend committing suicide) self harming and hating almost everything apart from Layla a girl he really likes and who later becomes his girlfriend. This book is a fantastic recommendation for teenagers and young adults, it intelligently examines issues like self harm, bullying, suicide, teenage insecuries, crushes among others. I found the story chillingly eye opening as well as entertaining and gripping.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mick and Layla's stories broke my heart and had me breaking out the Kleenex. This emotional read takes on the heartbreakingly difficult topics of depression, suicide, bullying and cutting. The author's writing is thought provoking and made me realize how tough it is for anyone dealing with these topics. This book needs to be in middle schools everywhere. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Špela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what to think about this book.
I was expecting a little bit more of the story. But there were just facts and I don't know. Thankfully I never had such problems, so I can't relate to it.
If you are having problems it shows you how you can cope with them. How can you search for help for yourself or maybe for your friend.

[Gwen Shafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wow.This is a book every single teenager should read. Heart wrenching reality. This book was very well written about a very difficult subject that is not talked about but should be. I believe Donna did a wonderful job with this one. Highly recommend teenagers read it .

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Mick's story. Am dealing with some issues of my own & in a way his story has I think helped somewhat. Health issues are never an easy thing. Everyone should read this book. Am voluntarily leaving an honest review for a copy of the book via booksprout.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for middle schoolers. Good book about bullying, cutting, suicide and friendships.

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