A refreshingly realistic take on mental health

filled star filled star filled star filled star star unfilled
ashortbooklover Avatar

By

Esther Solar's family is unusual. Her father hasn't left the basement in 6 years. Her brother is terrified of darkness. Esther isn't afraid of anything; a feat she achieves by avoiding pretty much everything. Then Esther is mugged by her old classmate, Jonah Walker. Jonah is just as she remembers him: rude, cocky and from a broken family. He's also utterly fearless. Jonah's theft brings their lives crashing back together, and Esther and Jonah become surprising friends. Jonah sets a challenge: every week they must work their way through her list of phobias.

I absolutely loved this book with its sweet, slow-burning romance and the beautiful way that these dark themes of mental illness dealt with beautifully.

The description was done in this lovely, lyrical style that just added to the overall brilliance of the book.

It instantly draws you in with its unique, quirky premise and how it delves straight into the action.

It talked abut family, friendships and mental illness in a wonderful way that showed a clear grasp of the issues and that was just such a refreshing change from usual YA.