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A review by readingwithtrey
We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"Remember you don't have to be brave, you live, you are (both) already bravery itself."
"There is someone out there rooting for you. You are not alone, in any Forest. You there, hello, bonjour, hola-we are rooting, cheering for you to live and thrive."
Written through metaphorical prose, this story follows Faerry and Whimsy through their struggles with depression and what appears to be PTSD following a traumatic event. It is so hard to find the right words for this review. This book was heartbreakingly beautiful. I loved the message of the only way out is through. One thing that I've learned in therapy is to not try to avoid the negative feelings, but to rather allow myself to feel them, use my coping skills to work through them, and then work to move on from them. The more I would try to avoid negative feelings and thoughts, the worse things got and I could appreciate how that was addressed throughout this book.
As someone who has suffered from depression, PPD, and PPA, it was like someone took exactly what I went through while in the thick of it and put it in poem form. Just like the author, it took me a while to get the help and therapy I needed. For some, myself included, you get so far into that dark pit that it's almost impossible to see how anything or anyone can help to get you out of it. Whimsy says that 11 minutes in the Garden (depression) could feel like 11 years and man, that is so true. I don't think this could have been any more perfect.
I love that more and more authors are writing novels normalizing therapy, especially for the Black community. It warms my heart to think that so many lives will likely be saved due to the decreasing stigma around seeking help.
I cannot recommend this enough!
CW: depression, self harm, suicidal thoughts, death, child death, ptsd
"There is someone out there rooting for you. You are not alone, in any Forest. You there, hello, bonjour, hola-we are rooting, cheering for you to live and thrive."
Written through metaphorical prose, this story follows Faerry and Whimsy through their struggles with depression and what appears to be PTSD following a traumatic event. It is so hard to find the right words for this review. This book was heartbreakingly beautiful. I loved the message of the only way out is through. One thing that I've learned in therapy is to not try to avoid the negative feelings, but to rather allow myself to feel them, use my coping skills to work through them, and then work to move on from them. The more I would try to avoid negative feelings and thoughts, the worse things got and I could appreciate how that was addressed throughout this book.
As someone who has suffered from depression, PPD, and PPA, it was like someone took exactly what I went through while in the thick of it and put it in poem form. Just like the author, it took me a while to get the help and therapy I needed. For some, myself included, you get so far into that dark pit that it's almost impossible to see how anything or anyone can help to get you out of it. Whimsy says that 11 minutes in the Garden (depression) could feel like 11 years and man, that is so true. I don't think this could have been any more perfect.
I love that more and more authors are writing novels normalizing therapy, especially for the Black community. It warms my heart to think that so many lives will likely be saved due to the decreasing stigma around seeking help.
I cannot recommend this enough!
CW: depression, self harm, suicidal thoughts, death, child death, ptsd
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
Minor: Bullying, Child death, Death, and Racial slurs