Fiction Resources

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Aysel's life hasn't been easy. After her father's crime shook her town, Aysel's classmates talk about her and her mother can barely look at her. Aysel is contemplating suicide but she doesn't think that she can do it alone. She finds a website where you can look for Suicide Partners and finds a teenage boy named Roman who is looking for a partner. As Roman and Aysel get closer, Aysel starts to second guess her plans. Now that she has Roman, is that enough to make life worth living. This book shows the difference that having supportive relationships can have on a person.

Francesca has just begun the school year at a formerly all-boys school that has recently begun accepting girls - without any of her friends from her old school. If that wasn't enough, one morning Francesca's mother doesn't get out of bed and then she stays there day after day. Francesca is left to navigate this new school, new friends, and even a relationship without the guidance from her mother. This book demonstrates how depression affects more than just the person who is depressed. Francesca's whole family is affected and changed by her mother's depression.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork

Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

After that night this summer, Melinda returns to school as a high school freshman without any of her old friends, her voice, and her motivation to do well in school. She is unable to talk to anyone about what happened but her distress starts to show through her schoolwork and her ability to take care of herself. Though it is clear to some outside observers, Melinda's parents do not see that these are signs of depression. Through her art, Melinda is able to start to speak and communicate what happened to her and how it is affecting her.

Emma has it all. She is the ultimate "It" girl with the perfect look, a big group of friends, and a bright future ahead of her. That is, until her parents come home to an unconscious and disheveled Emma on their porch. There are pictures from that night but Emma doesn't remember anything. Was she really raped? Or is this her fault? This book shows how one event can destroy a person from the inside out. As Emma and her family navigate life in the public eye with an impending criminal trial, readers see that Emma is deeply suffering. This book shows a very true portrayal of what many rape victims face after they are attacked.

Vicky is in Lakeview Hospital after a failed suicide attempt. Although she doesn't think she should be alive, she meets a group of diverse people in the Hospital that encourage her to continue on and keep fighting. They accept her and encourage her to accept herself. After leaving the hospital, Vicky needs to find strength within herself to keep going. Written by someone who has experienced depression himself, this is a very honest account of what coping and recovering from depression feels like. This book is not about the fall into depression, rather it is about rising from it and trying to find what makes life worth living.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Finch constantly thinks about death and suicide but when something good happens to him, he decides not go through with his thoughts. Violet, on the other hand, is anxious for graduation and only thinking about the future after her sister's death. When these two come together, they start to learn more about themselves and living life. Finch feels comfortable and happy around Violet; Violet becomes more engaged with living life than counting the days. This book shows how a friendship can affect someone's outlook on life and make the days feel that they are worth living.