I previously published a Reading List for Young Adult Fiction About Psychosis. Today I am going to tackle depression.
—By the way, if you or someone you love is suffering from depression and suicidal ideation, this is such a great article I want to post it everywhere.
I encountered a challenge in preparing this list, and that is that they are depressing! I attempted to pick books that were not so depressing that they would trigger the reader, but it was not an easy task. I have not read a lot of these books so I had to gauge how depressing each was by the cover and description, and to try to pick those with redeeming qualities.
As before, I have started with my own books that feature main characters who have depression or whose caregivers have depression. There are duplicates from the psychosis list, since characters may have both psychosis and depression/bipolar, or there may be separate characters with psychosis and depression/bipolar.
I’m interested in hearing your comments! What books would you add to the list? What do you like? What did you not like?
Some of my books that include main characters with depression (or bipolar) are:
She Wore Mourning
A dead child.
A mother deep in mourning.
Private Investigator Zachary Goldman’s life isn’t all roses, but he tries to put his own shattered life behind him to investigate the death of five-year-old Declan Bond.
Declan’s death has been ruled an accident, but his grandmother thinks there is more to it. She fears Declan’s mother will not be able to find peace until Zachary can give them an answer once and for all. But as Zachary digs into the circumstances surrounding Declan’s death, he finds that all is not as it seems, and somebody doesn’t want him to find the truth.
As Christmas Eve, the deadline for solving the case looms closer, both Isabella and Zachary fall deeper into the darkness. they’ll have to survive Christmas Eve to find it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Psychologically complex and gripping … Zachary must deal with his own psychological issues as well as those of the child’s parents along with attempts on his life. I’m binge reading this series.
Zachary Goldman, Private Investigator, is flawed with a capital F. Shattered by the tragedies of his own life, he will somehow still manage to pick himself up and dig just a little bit deeper than anyone else to find the vital clues.
Maybe being broken makes it easier for others who have faced tragedy to trust him. Walk with Zachary as he solves cases that will stretch his abilities to the limit.
Even with his own life in shambles, Zachary Goldman is still the one you want on the case.
Investigate this P.I. mystery now!
Or make it a bundle:
Don’t Forget Steven
Things never have been easy for Steven. He accepts that, and just makes the best of things. He might not have parents or a happy home. Or enough to eat most days. But at least he has a couple of loyal friends who stand by him and help out when they can. At least he has school, someplace he can go to escape the abuse.
But just when he thought things couldn’t get much worse, they did.
Steven is accused of murder. But that isn’t the worst part. The really bad part is not even knowing if he did it.
“Super good book. So full of emotion and so interesting to read about the main character and what he is going through. Beautiful written and a good message.
I just re-read this book and it was still just as good as the first time. I am in love and heartbroken for Steven.“
—Ahsoka, Goodreads reader
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Ruby, Between the Cracks
Winner of “In The Margins” Top Ten Best Books for Teens Award 2015, awarded to relevant books for our communities that validate, illuminate and humanize those living in the margins.
If you asked Ruby, she’d tell you she’s happy with her life. She’s tough and independent and doesn’t depend on anyone else. The road that has led her here has not been easy, and she’s blocked a lot of it from her memory.
But things aren’t as rosy as she would have everyone believe, and the road ahead of her is filled not only with gangs, drugs, and depression, but other challenges that Ruby hasn’t even imagined.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️If I could rate a book 10 stars outta 5, I would… This book was absolutely amazing and I would go through everything I loved about it if I could, but that’s the thing—I loved EVERYTHING. Every single last detail… Definitely one of the best books I have EVER read. —Britt, Goodreads reviewer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I sure would love to see this book as a movie. Her stories are so believable and you can’t help but feel like you know these people. You find your self crying, laughing and feeling the characters emotions. Now if an author can make you cry and feel every emotion in a story, she is one hell of an author. —Pamela, Goodreads reviewer
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Make it a bundle:
Pursued by the Past
Vanna had a good life. She had her challenges—like her mother’s high expectations of her—but all in all, she had a job she enjoyed, a fun hobby and friends. She didn’t need any complications.
But that all changed shortly after trying to break things off with Tino. The phone calls with no one on the other end. Anonymous gifts. Someone moving things around in her bedroom.
A restraining order changed nothing. If anything, it caused things to escalate. If Vanna wants her life back, she will have to take things into her own hands.
Keeps you wondering what comes next. I don’t know how this woman kept it together. Very good book and the characters were great. Looking forward to reading another book by this author.
—Gail, Goodreads Reader
Intersexion
Taylor is a teen teetering on the edge of a steep precipice. Disowned by his family, living on the street, battling abuse and prejudice, he struggles to discover who he really is and how to carry on with life.
The last person you would expect to touch him is Roz, whose foremost identity is a Christian wife and mother. But her world is about to be shaken. Through all that happens, Roz understands she has to be there for Taylor, knowing he is only one step from despair and self-destruction.
Absolutely loved this book, I sure hope there’s a sequel. Taylor’s life is so interesting I need to know more…
Reading Taylor’s journey from parental abuse, to the group home, to peer abuse is heartbreaking, inspiring and such a great read giving opinion and fact from the religious to the scientific spectrum. A great read and so well written.
“[P.D. Workman’s] stories are so believable and you can’t help but feel like you know these people. You find yourself crying, laughing and feeling the characters emotions. Now if an author can make you cry and feel every emotion in a story, she is one hell of an author.”
“She has a real handle on some of the terrible things that life hands out. One awful thing is man’s inhumanity to man. The worst is man’s inhumanity to children…”
Start on a journey of discovery with Taylor and Roz today.
Making Her Mark
Secrets and lies.
When everything changed, Kelli thought she would be happy. But nothing really changed.
Kelli’s life has never been easy. She’s always faced her problems head on. She’s strong and savvy and in charge of herself. All of that is about to change.
Her life is turned upside down when she discovers the secret that her mother has been hiding from her for years.
Kelli thinks this is her one chance at happiness. But is it?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️One of the best books I’ve read in a long time!
By the author of Tattooed Teardrops, winner of the Top Fiction Award, In the Margins Committee, 2016, Kelli’s journey of discovery about herself and her family will keep you turning the pages.
If you enjoy gritty contemporary young adult books like those by John Green and Stephen Chbosky, give P.D. Workman’s Making Her Mark a try.
I cheered for Kellie, hoping she would find the love and validation she always lacked and would finally find peace within herself. If you’ve never tried PD Workman’s novels, then I recommend you do. If you’re already a fan, you won’t be disappointed with this story.
—Victoria, Goodreads reader
Looking Over Your Shoulder
Things were going well for Abe. Despite all of his past struggles with mental illness, he was happily married, had three wonderful children, a nice home, and a fantastic consulting business that satisfied his creativity and brought in a good income.
But you can never get too comfortable. When Abe becomes a prime suspect in a jewel heist – one of the largest successful jewel heists in history – his schizophrenia becomes unmanageable and everything begins to spiral out of control. Abe’s own investigation into the heist has the jewel thieves hot on his tail… but are they really, or is he just losing the battle against his inner demons?
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That isn’t all of them, but I didn’t want to make the list too long, and where it is a series I have only displayed the first book in the series.
Resources
Before you go on, here are a few resources on depression that you might find helpful.
- Detecting Depression
- Coping with Depression
- Dating Someone with Depression (or living with someone with depression)
The other books that I have picked out are:
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This Song Will Save Your Life |
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| Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.
Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, Leila Sales’ THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together. |
![holdstill]](https://pdworkman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/holdstill-200x300.jpg) |
Hold Still |
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| In the wake of her best friend Ingrid’s suicide, Caitlin is left alone, struggling to find hope and answers. When she finds the journal Ingrid left behind for her, she begins a journey of understanding and broadening her horizons that leads her to new friendships and first love. Nina LaCour brings the changing seasons of Caitlin’s first year without Ingrid to life with emotion, honesty, and captivating writing. |
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It’s Kind of a Funny Story |
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| 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 at life-which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job-Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That’s when things start to get crazy. At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn’t brilliant compared to the other kids; he’s just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away. |
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Thirteen Reasons Why |
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| Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.
Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah’s pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever. |
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The Language of Sparrows |
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| Brilliant and fluent in too many languages to count, 15-year-old Sierra Wright can’t seem to communicate what is important to her in any language. Though April Wright stubbornly keeps an upbeat attitude about her daughter’s future, she has let her own dreams slip away. Just across the bridge lives old Luca, scarred from his time in a Romanian gulag years before. Though he has seemingly given up on people, Sierra is drawn to him despite his prickly edges.
No one else is comfortable with the unpredictable old man spending time alone with Sierra, not even Luca’s son. Yet it is this unconventional relationship that will bring two families together to form friendships and unearth their family stories, stories that just might give them all the courage to soar on wings toward a new future. |
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That Night |
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| Drug overdoses don’t happen to girls with good grades and athletic prowess, with longtime friends and a devoted boyfriend. Or do they?
When high school seniors Cassidy and Sarah, along with Kayla’s boyfriend Paul, discover their best friend Kayla unconscious at a party, the idea that they have lost her to a heroin overdose is unbelievable. She didn’t use drugs, except the pain medicine prescribed for a soccer injury, and she had no reason to accept any from a stranger. The month that follows her death is filled with anxiety, sadness, frustration, and questions. Answers won’t bring Kayla back, however, so as Cass and Sarah struggle with the insensitive but predictable behavior of parents, classmates, and teachers, Paul falls into a depression that leads him down a dangerous path. With Kayla’s younger sister Mia in mind, the three of them work towards forging ahead without the girl who has held them together since elementary school. |
I’d love to see my YA drama, That Night on this list! I love the Between the Cracks series and am always sure our library has copies to share with our teen readers and adults who work with them. Thank you!
Added, Cecily!