May has started a couple days ago and May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In case you’re new here, or not aware because I rarely talk about it, mental health is a topic that is very close and dear to my heart and reading ya books with main characters handling their own mental health on top of their other issues really matters to me and make me feel seen.
Today, I thought I would share a list of my own to celebrate this Mental Health month! I’m going to share 5 YA books with mental health representation that I’ve read and enjoyed and that are, if you ask me, a little bit underrated. Then, I’m going to underline 5 other books I can’t wait to read!
So here goes: some old, new, known and less known books to, hopefully, add to your TBRs!
10 YA Books With Mental Health Representation
Darius The Great Is Not Okay, Adib Khorram
I feel like everyone needs to read this book because it is JUST THAT GREAT. Darius is such an incredible main character, he’s meeting his family in Iran for the first time, he’s dealing day to day with depression and it’s such a wholesome, incredible read overall.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
How To Disappear, Sharon Huss Roat
How To Disappear is, if you ask me, a very underrated read with great social anxiety representation. Vicky invents this perfect life for herself on social media, living the life she dreams of living offline, online. I adored this book, the friendships and the main character very very much.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Final Draft, Riley Redgate
I feel like EVERYONE should read Riley Redgate’s books. Final Draft was AMAZING, it’s about this writer main character, letting her anxiety and fear and perfectionism spiral and transforming this hobby of hers into a stressful activity. I loved it and this was very relatable and fantastic okay and it has the softest f/f romance.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
You Asked For Perfect, Laura Silverman
My favorite. I’m going to scream about Laura Silverman’s books until the END OF TIME OKAY. You Asked For Perfect gave me anxiety, the anxiety rep was just so relatable, where Ariel, the main character, drives himself to burn out because he wants. to. do. the. perfect. thing. I’m just, I adore this book okay.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Under Rose-Tainted Skies, Louise Gornall
This book is a very, very underrated book that deserves much, much love. The main character in the story has agoraphobia, anxiety and OCD, it sugarcoats NOTHING and honestly, some parts of this book gave me chills it was so intense and relatable. I promise it’s also soft and kind at times and deserves a read for sure.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
One Way or Another, Kara McDowell
One Way or Another means a whole lot to me, because I personally loved and could relate to the anxiety the main character experiences, a lot. If you’re looking for a book with anxiety, but with some adorable romance just as well and ultimately, a story that will make you smile, this one’s for you!
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
All Our Broken Pieces, L.D Crichton
I really enjoyed All Our Broken Pieces. This book is an incredible contemporary read, intense with its depiction of OCD, adorable with its romance and I just loved it.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Am I Normal Yet?, Holly Bourne
I’m becoming a huge fan of everything Holly Bourne writes and Am I Normal Yet? was absolutely brilliant. It wasn’t an easy read at times, but its depiction of OCD felt intense and I just appreciated it so much, as well as all the girl-power from this book and ahh.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Blackwell’s
Turtles All The Way Down, John Green
Turtles All The Way Down is John Green’s most personal book to date and… I could feel it. I had to put this book down more than once because of how hard it was to read, with a raw depiction of living with OCD. Still, such a good book.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Highly Illogical Behavior, John Corey Whaley
Highly Illogical Behaviour was such a great book with adorable characters, friendships and their complications, depiction of mental health and agoraphobia without a cure-all kind of storyline and I loved that so much.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
10 More YA Books To Read for Mental Health Awareness Month…
Girl Against The Universe, Paula Stokes
This book is one of my favorite books of all times. I loved Maguire, the main character, so very much, I liked the discussions at therapy and around mental health overall in this book and I loved it SO much okay. It deals with anxiety and PTSD.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
A Quiet Kind of Thunder, Sara Barnard
This book was adorable, had me smiling like an idiot, the anxiety rep was on point and I loved this book and I wish it were more popular because it deserves the world.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
I’ll Meet You There, Heather Demetrios
Another favorite book of mine that deserves way more hype than it’s getting. I’ll Meet You There is an incredible story and one of the main character deals with PTSD. The story is one of these gripping, realistic contemporaries that gives you all the emotions.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
More Happy Than Not, Adam Silvera
Don’t pay attention to the book title, friends, because this book is an intense, sad and complicated ride, but a must-read, too, as we follow the main character growing up and honestly, trying to survive with depression.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Eliza and Her Monsters, Francesca Zappia
Yes I’m going to scream about Eliza and Her Monsters again, because it’s this kind of book that made me feel seen and I needed it. Eliza deals with anxiety in her everyday life and everything was so realistic and relatable and my heart.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Queens of Geek, Jen Wilde
This book is just such a fun ride, perfect if you’ve ever been part of a fandom. Yet, it manages to tackle mental health issues so well with a main character dealing with anxiety too and I adored them all with all of my heart. I love this book so much.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
When The Stars Lead To You, Ronni Davis
When The Stars Lead To You is a beautiful debut, really. It’s a story about falling in love for the first time, about reaching for the stars and for your dreams, about loving someone dealing with depression. It’s heartbreaking and beautiful and I love it.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
The Astonishing Color of After, Emily X. R. Pan
The Astonishing Color of After isn’t an easy read. It deals with depression, suicide, family secrets and grief, but it also is a beautiful story about discovering your roots and friendship. I really enjoyed it. Bring on tissues.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Verona Comics, Jennifer Dugan
Ah Verona Comics was a really, really good book. It’s about two teens meeting at a convention and falling for each other despite their parents hating each other. It’s really good, and I enjoyed the character’s journey so much. It has a main character with social anxiety and clinical depression.
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Starfish, Akemi Dawn Bowman
This book is about Kiko, a half-Japanese teen struggling, between her narcissistic mother, her rejection to art school and her social anxiety. It’s not an easy book to read, but I just loved the main character’s journey and the adorable friendship!
☂️ Buy on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
You might also be interested in: 10 YA Books I Can’t Stop Thinking About
📌 Pin 20 YA books to read for mental health awareness month!
Did you read any of these books? Do you want to?
What are some books that made you tear up, cry, sob, gave you all the emotions? I’d love to hear your recommendations!
☂️ You might also be interested in: 10 YA books dealing with anxiety
Do you want to read any of these books? Did you read them already?
What are some books (already released or upcoming) dealing with mental health that you’ve loved and would recommend? Let me know in comments!
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Final draft has been on my TBR for so long- I so need to read it! Because it sounds like it’s me… but as a book ? great post and great recommendations x
Ahh, I can’t wait for you to read it 🙂 I hope you’ll love it 🙂
Thank you! <3
The Wicker King is one of my absolute life favourites ??? I hope you like it!! And I kind of forgot May was mental health month, so I need to read something specific for it!!! I also loved Darius the Great, cannot wait for the sequel!
You’re the reason this book is here, actually, ahah 😀 and yeees, I am so so excited about Darius’ sequel ahhhh!
thank you so, so much <3
Ooh these all sound great – and somehow I have read none of them?!
I would recommend Normal People by Sally Rooney. One of the characters goes through a depressive episode after having not been depressed for most of his life so far and the representation of the whole thing just felt so authentic to me.
Ahh thank you! That’s so good to hear, I’ll have to add this book to my TBR 🙂 thank you so much <3
The only book I’ve read on this list is When We Collided, and I completely agree with you–such a good book!!
I haven’t read it yet ahah it’s on my to-be-read list 🙂 but I can’t wait, especially knowing that you loved it 😀
These sounds great. I haven’t read any of these but I liked Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan I recently read representing mental health.
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Ahhh I’m glad you liked Verona Comics, I recently read and enjoyed it as well 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
I’ve been meaning to read Nice Try, Jane Sinner but I had no idea it had mental health rep, now I’m even more excited about it
Ah yay! I hope you’ll enjoy it 🙂
I love this list, Marie! I’m always looking for more mental health representation. ? I really need to read The Wicker King! I think I’ve been meaning to read it for about a year now! ? One Way or Another and When We Collided also sound so good, hopefully I can pick those up soon.
ahhh thank you so much, this makes me so, so happy <3 I hope we can read all of these soon! 😀
I really enjoyed When We Collided. I thought the ups and downs in that book were true to what happens for some in real life.
ahh that’s so good to hear. I’m excited to get to this book 😀
I already had some of these books on my TBR, specifically You Asked for Perfect and What I Liked About You. But The Wicker King sounds SO. GOOD I had to add it as well. And btw, its link for Goodreads is wrong. Just FYI ?
Ahh glad I could make your TBR grow! and thank you for letting me know, damn, too many links, there had to be a mix up somewhere haha 🙂
Oh, I know, and I hate messing them up, although it always happens ?
Thank you for this post, Sweechie! Every month should be MH awareness month! xxx
200% agree! Thank you so much my sweechie <3
What a fantastic post, Marie! ? I’m hoping to read Darius the Great Is Not Okay and How to Disappear this month and I’m so happy to hear that you recommend both of them ? I liked What I Like About You when I read it recently and the blogging element was my favorite – I think you could really like it ?
Ahh thank you Caro! I can’t WAIT to hear your thoughts on both, they’re so amazing <3
Ahh I'm happy to hear this, I'm excited to read it 😀
Always here for your incredible lists!! ❤️✨
Thank you SO much, I’ll add several of these books to my TBR ?
Oh thank you so much Sofi!! <3
I haven’t read any of those but I have the audio for Darius!
Ahhh hope you can listen to it soon, it’s so good! 😀
yes to this entire post!!! i’ve rarely ever seen other bloggers talk about How To Disappear, but it is a BEAUTIFUL read and i’m so glad you included it. ? the rest of these also sound lovely… i’ve been dying to read What I Like About You as well. You Asked For Perfect and Final Draft have also been on my tbr for a while, i really should get around to reading them soon haha. amazing post, Marie! ??
Ahh thank you so much! I’m so happy you read it as well, it deserves more love 🙂
Thank you so much!! I hope you can get to these books soon! 🙂
I loved Darius The Great, and I especially adored the complex relationship between Darius and his father, and how that tied into the mental health representation. On a side note, I love the Gravity Falls gif. I adore Under Rose-Tainted Skies, and I really wish it was more hyped, because it’s genuinely one of the best contemporaries I’ve ever read. I also want to read The Wicker King, but I’m also a bit scared of it, it sounds like something I’ll either adore, or dislike a lot. ? Wonderful list!
Ah yes, i so agree with you on that. Darius was precious, it’s a book I’ll cherish forever <3
I'm so nervous about the wicker king, too! I heard it's a bit of a strange reading experience, so I'm both excited and nervous not to get into it ahah. Hopefully we both will love it 🙂
Thank you! <3
Thanks for the recommendations! I ordered The Wicker King yesterday because it sounds very unusual.
Ahh excited to hear what you think of it!! 😀
I read 7 of these. How to Disappear, You Asked for Perfect, Rose Tainted Skies, When We Collided, and Jane Sinner were standouts for me. I really want to read the new McDowell book. I feel like I read more and more books with characters, who suffer from some sort of anxiety disorder.
AH YES! I’m so happy you liked When we Collided and Jane Sinner. I know we tend to love the same books, so I’m even more excited to get to them 🙂
and yes! I’m so happy to get more anxiety rep <3
This is such a great list! I actually have a similar post coming out next week- it’s so great to see MI getting represented 🙂
Ahh excited to read your post and recommendations! 😀
I absolutely ADORED Under tainted skies & When we collided!!
Ithink the last one i’ve read has been words on bathroom walls? Which deals with schizophrenia, and I actually quite liked it.
I’ve added One way or another to my virtual tbr! What I like about you and Nice try Jane Sinner was already on there 🙂
AH YAY! I’m so happy you liked these both, I can’t wait to read When We Collided, it sounds so good! 🙂
Thank you so much, Kristina! 🙂
Under Rose Tainted Skies is gorgeous, and I want to read it!
I 100% recommend When We Collided, it is one of my favourite YA contemporary novels of ALL TIME, particularly because of the mental health representation! I hope to discuss it more with you when you’ve read it!! <3
It really is a great read, I can’t wait for you to get to it! and ahhhhhhh! I’m so happy to hear that, I’ll have to get a copy of it soon! 😀
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for reading! 😀
I’ve had The Wicker King and Darius the Great is Not Okay on my TBRs for forever. Ugh, I need to get on reading these books asap!!
OH I hope you can read Darius soon, Kate! It’s such a stunning read, I love it with all of my heart <3
Thank you so much for stopping by! <3
I haven’t read any of these, but there’s some that look really interesting! I am always looking for more recommendations for books with mental health themes 🙂
Ahh yay! I hope you’ll find books that you love here then 🙂
I love this list! <3 Many books are on my TBR and I'm really excited to read them. I agree that books with mental health make me feel seen. I also think, especially nowadays, that it's a part of life and authors that can write about it in a good way are amazing!
I hope there will be many more books to fill lists like these! 🙂
Ahh thank you so much, so happy you liked this post! <3 I agree, we always need books like these <3
it makes me so happy to see people posting for mental health awareness month <3 "how to disappear" is one of my FAVORITES, it was so heart-wrenching and impossibly real. i've heard amazing things about all the others too and i really must check them out, especially "you asked for perfect" because we can never get enough rep about characters with anxiety. "under rose-tainted skies" is a must too, intense books are a trip to read but they're sooo impactful. your description somehow reminded me of "the ocean at the end of the lane"!
AH I’m so happy you read how to disappear, I feel like it’s so underrated! It is such a great read 🙂
I hope you’ll love you asked for perfect, it is one of my favorite reads ever <3 <3
What a great list, I’ll definitely put some of them on my tbr! I’ve been meaning to read Darius for ages now but I somehow haven’t done so yet, but I’ll definitely read it this summer! 🙂
Ahh thank you so much Kat! I hope you’ll love Darius, it’s one of my favorites 🙂
I haven’t read any of these books, but I’ll definitely keep them in mind. Thanks for putting together this list! 😀
Ahh hope you’ll give some of these a try and will enjoy them 🙂
Thank you! <3
i haven’t read any of these but I read and love Eleanor Oliphant is Completely fine. It was a really good book on mental health!
Oh thank you for the recommendation, I’ll have to check it out 🙂
Marie, I love this post so much! You already know how I feel about mental health books and how important they are… and you’re also the reason I picked up Final Draft and You Asked for Perfect, and I loved them both so much! They have a special place on my all-time favorites section of my bookshelf, and it’s because of your high praise that I picked them up! It makes me so happy to see you promoting mental health books, and I love that there are more books with these tough topics being released of late. Thank you for sharing! And I’m sorry I’ve been the worst about reading blogs for the last year or so, but I’m going to make a point of keeping up with yours going forward because I’ve missed you so much ?
Ahh this makes me so, so, SO happy to hear, I’m so glad I could recommend you books you ended up loving <3 <3
And please don't apologize for not keeping up! We all get busy and I'm just really happy to see you here now and to be able to chat with you a bit again <3 I hope you've been okay, take care of yourself! <3
Okay so I basically need to read all these books (but I have read Darius and loved it so much. I know I have said this multiple times but I need to say it every time ?). Final Draft sounds like a book I will enjoy and I’m definitely interested in experiencing the representation !!
Also You Asked For Perfect, Under Rose Tainted Skies and The Wicker King are on my list !!
I hadn’t heard of Nice Try Jane Sinner but it definitely sounds like a book I will enjoy so I’m excited !! ?
Great post, thank you for sharing !! ?
AHH YES! I’m so, so happy so many of these books are on your list, Sophie and I cant’ WAIT to hear what you think of them, I think you could really love them, especially you asked for perfect <3
Thank you! 🙂
I love this so much! This is such an important post ? Mental health conditions often go overlooked or un-diagnosed in books, but I’m so glad there are some great ones out there.
Oh thank you so much, Charis! I so agree, and it’s wonderful to see books with great representation 🙂
Such a great list! I really need to read Darius the Great soon – heard so many good things!
Ahhh yes you do, it’s such a great read! I hope you will love it 🙂
Thank you so much!!
Marie I love it when you do lists like this! I went to add everything and it was all already on my TBR so I think we’ve been here before. Also I thinking we’ve talked about Jane Sinner before and I dearly hope you love it because I love Jane. <3
Ahh thank you, Amber, so happy you enjoyed this post <3 I can't wait to read Jane Sinner, it sounds like an amazing read <3
Ooh I love this list! I know I can always trust you for great mental health book recommendations, and seeing some underrated ones is wonderful. Darius the Great and Final Draft are both on my TBR and I’m so excited to read them ? And I read another book from K. Ancrum, The Weight of the Stars, which I loved, so I think I need to read The Wicker King too!
Ahh this makes me so, so happy, thank you Margaret <3
I hope you'll get a chance to read these soon, they're amazing! 😀
i love darius the great so much too!! i love that it showed how having a mental illness intersects with being part of a culture that isn’t very aware of mental health issues. ? and i agree that Under Rose-Painted Skies is such an underrated book! Its portrayal of OCD, anxiety, and depression (I think that’s what Nora struggles with—it’s been a while since I read it) was so raw, and you could just tell that the author had personal experience with the things they were writing about!
I so agree with you and Darius has all of my heart ahh I love him so very much <3
Right? I also found Under Rose Tainted Skies paticularily moving and stunning, really. It was intense, at times, but so, so good!
Thank you, Caitlin <3
Ooh thanks for the awesome recs! I’ve been meaning to read Under Rose-Tainted Skies for a looong time because I heard the rep for agoraphobia is really good. And omg Darius the Great is Not Okay really hit the feels. Wonderful list!
Ahh, I hope you’ll get to read Under Rose Tainted Skies, it is an incredible read <3
Thank you so, so much, Aila! <3
Hi Marie!! What an amazing list! I added Under Rose Tainted Skies and You Ask for Perfect to my TBR 🙂 Looking forward to reading them!!
Ahhh yay, thank you Sophie! Can’t wait to hear what you think of them 😀
This is such a great post, thank you for sharing these book rec’s <3 I need more books with mental health representation. I've always wanted to read Under Rose-Tainted Skies and You Asked for Perfect, after seeing a few reviews of these books online. 🙂
jillian @ jillian etc.
Oh thank you so, so much Jillian, so happy you enjoyed it <3 I hope you'll get a chance to read both of these, they're incredible! 🙂
Wonderful post, Marie!! I’m adding some of those to my TBR!! My favourite book dealing with mental health is The Art Of Escaping by Erin Callahan! The MC is dealing with social anxiety (same!!) but there are also side characters with depression and agoraphobia! It’s a beautiful journey of facing your fears and owning them. And the prospect of nearly dying being shown as less stressful than talking about your weird hobby to your fellow high-schoolers? The most relatable thing EVER!
Ahh thank you so much, so happy you liked this post <3
Thank you for the recommendation, this sounds like such a good book, I will have to check it out! 😀
I totally agree with you about Under Rose-Tainted Skies—I absolutely loved that book! So many of these others are on my TBR—why can’t I read ALL the books?!
Ahh we need way more time to read ALL THE BOOKS, don’t we ahah 🙂
Thank you, Nicole! <3
Thank you for sharing some recommendations! I was diagnosed with OCD this year and have really been trying to expand my reading to include more books with positive mental illness rep. I have heard great things from Under Rose-Tainted Skies, so I think it’s time I checked it out. What I Like About You also seems like a book that is totally my cup of tea.
Thank you so much for stopping by, Emily! I’m so happy you enjoyed it 🙂 I hope you’ll love these books 😀
I recommend Mosquitoland by David Arnold. Great post!
Thank you so much!! 🙂
While I don’t read YA in general, I think it is important that the issue of mental health is one that is in these novels. Great list!
Thank you!! 🙂