If You Feel Too Much: Thoughts on Things Found and Lost and Hoped For by Jamie Tworkowski
It’s hard to claim this book as anything but intense, but I think that is it’s intention. It is meant to make you think and more importantly it wants you to feel – something, which I think in my case it succeeded on that front.
For those who aren’t aware Jamie Tworkowski is the writer most well known for his story To Write Love on Her Arms, which gave way for a non-profit organization of the same name. It’s message is simple, yet profound. We are here, Hope is real, Help is real, Your Story is important. They help with the difficulties of depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. And If You Feel Too Much is Tworkowski’s fist full length book.
To Laugh Well A Novel by JC Alaimo
**Thank you to Net Galley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review**
WARNING: Book contains underage drinking, drug use, sexual content, and suicidal imagery.
A good chunk of time has passed since I have had the privilege to read a Young Adult novel (though if one is so inclined an argument could be made that this falls into the New Adult genre) that could very well be considered in the drama sub-category. My usual go-to is fantasy or sci-fi, but in order to understand and implement true angst into my own YA WIP, I wanted a little refresher. The synopsis was interesting and I was pretty much hooked right away.
It’s hard to describe the feelings I had as I read To Laugh Well by JC Alaimo. What I thought would play out as a sensitive and informative read on mental illness was really just a book about a boy’s first year in college away from home. Granted there are trials and tribulations that ultimately come to a not so pleasant ending, but on the whole I felt that maybe this book was 60% college experience 30% depression and other mental health concerns.
