Juvenile & Young Adult / Themes / Social Situations / Social Issues / Depression & Mental Illness

Letting Ana Go

by Anonymous

In the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Lucy in the Sky, a harrowing account of anorexia and addiction.

She was a good girl from a good family, with everything she could want or need. But below the surface, she...

I Will Save You

by Matt De La Pena

Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña’s I Will Save You is a "heartwarming, root-for-the-underdog novel." [SLJ]

   Kidd is running from his past and his future. No mom, no dad, and there’s nothing...

Shrink: A Journey Through Anorexia - A Novel

by Heather Morrall

Starting Year 11 is bad enough, what with all the exams and end of year party. But Eloise has to deal with the now. The appointment. Sixteen year old Eloise Meehan, who has an eating disorder, begins a journey...

The Bargaining

by Carly Anne West

The Shining meets The Conjuring in this scary and suspenseful novel “akin to old Stephen King novels” (School Library Journal).

The fact that neither of her parents wants to deal with her is nothing new to...

Tighter

by Adele Griffin

When 17-year-old Jamie arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her. Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's...

Damsel Distressed

by Kelsey Macke

Hot girls get the fairy tales. No one cares about the stepsisters' story. Those girls don't get a sweet little ending; they get a lifetime of longing  

Imogen Keegen has never had a happily ever after-in fact,...

Helicopter Man

by Elizabeth Fensham

Pete's dad is being pursued by a secret organisation and both their lives are in danger. That's why they never stay in the same place long, and always stay out of sight. Pete knows he leads an unusual life for...

Made You Up

by Francesca Zappia

Reality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. For fans of Silver Linings Playbook and Liar, this thought-provoking debut tells the story...

A Slither of Hope

by Lisa M. Basso

Rayna struggles to piece her life back together, but hiding in plain sight from the police, the SS Crazy, and the Fallen isn't a foolproof plan-something Kade, the World's Worst Roommate, reminds her of everyday....

Chasing the Milky Way

by Erin E Moulton

In a book that pairs science with mental illness, and heart with adventure, Erin E. Moulton delivers a moving story about family, friendship and the lengths we go for the people we love.

Lucy Peevy has a dream--to...

Cut the Lights

by Karen Krossing

Briar has been chosen to direct a one-act play at her performing arts high school, but she learns there's more to it than imposing her vision on the actors.

OCD Love Story

by Corey Ann Haydu

In this “raw and well-crafted (Kirkus Reviews)” romance, Bea learns that some things just can’t be controlled.

When Bea meets Beck, she knows instantly that he’s her kind of crazy. Sweet, strong, kinda-messed-up...

Cameron and the Girls

by Edward Averett

A contemporary YA drama about a young man suffering from Schizophreniform disorder, who falls into a love triangle with a girl in his class...and a girl in his head.

Wild Awake

by Hilary T. Smith

In Wild Awake, Hilary T. Smith's exhilarating and heart-wrenching YA debut novel, seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd has big plans for her summer without her parents. She intends to devote herself to her music and...

Record Breaker

by Robin Stevenson

In 1963, cataclysmic world events threaten to overwhelm Jack as his family tries to deal with the death of his baby sister.

Badd

by Tim Tharp

Ceejay has never been pretty or popular, but she knows who she is: she's younger sister to Bobby, the most charming bad boy in town. Bobby's a bit wild, but with his big heart and sense of fun, everybody loves...

The Ruining

by Anna Collomore

Annie Phillips is thrilled to leave her past behind and begin a shiny new life on Belvedere Island, as a nanny for the picture-perfect Cohen family. In no time at all, she falls in love with the Cohens, especially...

Diary of a Witness

by Catherine Ryan Hyde

One day, something’s going to snap. . . .

Ernie doesn't have a lot of friends at school. Just Will. They have stuff in common—like fishing. But more important, they have common enemies: the school jocks,...

Ben, His Helmet and the Teacher Switch

by Nelle Frances

(9-12 yrs) recounts the tale of how Ben copes with a Substitute Teacher and introduces the concept of Social Stories™. This book also includes a range of puzzle pages. "Ben overhears some news that sets his...

Ben, His Helmet and Bees in Your Bonnet

by Nelle Frances

(9-12 yrs) is about school Sports Day and the Asperger child. The book also includes a range of puzzle pages that children love to solve. "Ben is confused! Mr. Pellum thinks he has a 'bee in his bonnet' but...