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thelibraryofklee's review against another edition
5.0
"It sneaked in gradually. Perhaps it was busy with other brains so couldn’t commit to giving me its full attention straight away. It just occasionally appeared and disappeared again. Almost unnoticeable, and certainly ignorable at first."
Oh, Lana. I do not remember the last time I felt this endeared to a character who just felt so genuinely real. Because this book feels like real life. I felt Amy come alive off the pages - she is real to me, not only when considering that no doubt there are many people who struggle with mental health issues as she does, but your writing really did her so much justice.
Amy lives two lives. Her outside life - good friends, great job, possible love interests, amazing overseas job trips. Then Amy lives has her inside life. The voice inside her head that tells her she is keeping her safe. The voice that she is aware of but can't seem to get a handle on. Amy has OCD and depression. They shape her existence. This novel explores this existence in depth - either through her conversations with her friends or the conversations she has inside her head.
I highly recommend you support this author by buying her book. The topic is apt and important. I think this will resonate with people who suffer with mental health issues and for people who have had family and friends heavily affected by them. This book is full of so much heart, and sadness, and hope, and despair - just a rollercoaster of emotions, and I appreciated the ride. My final thought, may everyone have a Nathan in their life.
"I register the light before anything else. No thoughts yet, no feelings, just light. Light is usually a symbol of hope, yet at this very second, it’s distorted into disappointment. It guides to my first thought of the day - ‘I’m still here’. Still a live human being fumbling to cope with existence."
Oh, Lana. I do not remember the last time I felt this endeared to a character who just felt so genuinely real. Because this book feels like real life. I felt Amy come alive off the pages - she is real to me, not only when considering that no doubt there are many people who struggle with mental health issues as she does, but your writing really did her so much justice.
Amy lives two lives. Her outside life - good friends, great job, possible love interests, amazing overseas job trips. Then Amy lives has her inside life. The voice inside her head that tells her she is keeping her safe. The voice that she is aware of but can't seem to get a handle on. Amy has OCD and depression. They shape her existence. This novel explores this existence in depth - either through her conversations with her friends or the conversations she has inside her head.
I highly recommend you support this author by buying her book. The topic is apt and important. I think this will resonate with people who suffer with mental health issues and for people who have had family and friends heavily affected by them. This book is full of so much heart, and sadness, and hope, and despair - just a rollercoaster of emotions, and I appreciated the ride. My final thought, may everyone have a Nathan in their life.
"I register the light before anything else. No thoughts yet, no feelings, just light. Light is usually a symbol of hope, yet at this very second, it’s distorted into disappointment. It guides to my first thought of the day - ‘I’m still here’. Still a live human being fumbling to cope with existence."
hannahs_library__'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
amilaura266's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked getting to know Amy in this book. I haven’t read a book before that really shows what living with a mental illness is like. This is very real, and very raw. I like Amy & Ed’s relationship. It’s a shame we didn’t get much of an update on Ed at the end of the book. Did he come back to see her? Did Amy finally tell him what’s been going on with her? I hope she would tell him about Nathan helping her to get help. It was nice to see her get help at the end, after rooting for her to help herself throughout the book, Nathan was kind of her saviour. I think this book shows that no matter how low you think you’ve gotten, you should always accept help, if not seek it for yourself. It was a very beautiful story in the end, I’d like to think Amy would go on to live a very happy life. And who knows, maybe she would end up with Ben after all?
briannacombs's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
classicbhaer's review against another edition
5.0
A detailed review is to come, but this was a beautifully written novel that follows the main character through their personal struggles with mental health, specifically with OCD. I read this in a single day because the story itself was compelling, but also the writing was and methods used were perfect.
sogladtoreadyou's review against another edition
5.0
Amy’s life is complicated and difficult. She wakes up and every move she makes is anxiety filled with what her choices are. Little things such as leaving her place and touching a bus seat is troublesome.
Her work life doesn’t help either as all of her coworkers are friends and hang out with each other after work. Amy gets invited, but her anxiety prevents her from
enjoying what her coworkers enjoy.
One day, the company tells them that they need to go to Australia for work. There’s much talk about who will actually go. Amy isn’t so sure and is trying to get out of it until her coworker/friend, Ed, encourages her to go as he will be going as well. Her coworker, Sally, questions Amy and she forces herself to go. Amy and Ed have a friendly relationship and this trip comforts her even though she is worried about every little thing.
Certain events make Amy spiral out of control and she finds out who her friends are and who will be there for her.
I thought this book was pretty on point with how debilitating anxiety can be. Most people think of OCD as washing your hands a certain amount of times, which it could be, but it’s also the obsessive thoughts in your head that make it debilitating as well.
I didn’t think it was a crazy climatic book, but it definitely is a good one to better understand just how anxiety works with people and how hard it can be to live life. I was rooting for Amy to have a better and healthier life.
Her work life doesn’t help either as all of her coworkers are friends and hang out with each other after work. Amy gets invited, but her anxiety prevents her from
enjoying what her coworkers enjoy.
One day, the company tells them that they need to go to Australia for work. There’s much talk about who will actually go. Amy isn’t so sure and is trying to get out of it until her coworker/friend, Ed, encourages her to go as he will be going as well. Her coworker, Sally, questions Amy and she forces herself to go. Amy and Ed have a friendly relationship and this trip comforts her even though she is worried about every little thing.
Certain events make Amy spiral out of control and she finds out who her friends are and who will be there for her.
I thought this book was pretty on point with how debilitating anxiety can be. Most people think of OCD as washing your hands a certain amount of times, which it could be, but it’s also the obsessive thoughts in your head that make it debilitating as well.
I didn’t think it was a crazy climatic book, but it definitely is a good one to better understand just how anxiety works with people and how hard it can be to live life. I was rooting for Amy to have a better and healthier life.
thisisjusttheprologue_'s review against another edition
4.0
This book was well written and I enjoyed how at times, it felt like stream of consciousness- because that’s how the mind works sometimes. Amy was a very likable character and I would love to give her a hug (although she would never let me) and let her know that she’s not alone. Amy’s experiences are accurate and well-explained, though painful at times to read. It’s difficult to imagine those thoughts and feelings without having experienced them yourself, but I could relate and commiserate with Amy through so much in this book. Daily activities are so much more difficult for Amy- and those of us living with OCD. An average commute to work on public transportation that some may look at as a daily inconvenience can be excruciatingly anxiety provoking for others.
I enjoyed the characters in this story, and I’m so thankful to many of them for providing Amy with the support system she desperately needs. A reminder to all to check in on your loved ones, you never know what others are going through and what battles they are flighting. This book points out the fact that none of us can successfully fight our demons alone.
“It's as though I'm looking out at a life that exists, but I'm not allowed to participate in it. The life I'm looking at appears to be fun, yet my brain is telling me there is all this invisible danger. So, every day I feel scared. Every day I feel exhausted.”
I encourage others to read this book in an effort to attempt to understand how those struggling with OCD live. Furthermore, I hope that everyone will please think twice before using flippant phrases about “being so OCD” because they like their house to be clean, etc. There is a huge difference between being a “clean freak” and having OCD that forces you to engage in repetitive and exhausting behaviors in an attempt to alleviate your anxiety.
I enjoyed the characters in this story, and I’m so thankful to many of them for providing Amy with the support system she desperately needs. A reminder to all to check in on your loved ones, you never know what others are going through and what battles they are flighting. This book points out the fact that none of us can successfully fight our demons alone.
“It's as though I'm looking out at a life that exists, but I'm not allowed to participate in it. The life I'm looking at appears to be fun, yet my brain is telling me there is all this invisible danger. So, every day I feel scared. Every day I feel exhausted.”
I encourage others to read this book in an effort to attempt to understand how those struggling with OCD live. Furthermore, I hope that everyone will please think twice before using flippant phrases about “being so OCD” because they like their house to be clean, etc. There is a huge difference between being a “clean freak” and having OCD that forces you to engage in repetitive and exhausting behaviors in an attempt to alleviate your anxiety.
brandy_reads's review against another edition
4.0
The Existence of Amy takes you inside the mind of a young woman struggling with OCD, anxiety, and depression. It’s a slower paced, book taking you through her daily life, and the effort each single action that most of us don’t even think about takes - the commute to work, making small talk with strangers, trying to maintain friendships when so many every day actions are difficult for her. While the subject matter is extremely heavy, I did not find this to be a difficult book to read. Yes, it was emotional, but mostly I felt hope for Amy even when she was in the depth of her battles.
I know many of us say things like, I feel depressed, or I’m OCD about something. I know that I don’t ever say it to be disrespectful or to disregard what people living with these go through. But after reading this I will work on not using those words in such a flippant manner again.
Thank you @lanagraceriva for the complimentary copy
I know many of us say things like, I feel depressed, or I’m OCD about something. I know that I don’t ever say it to be disrespectful or to disregard what people living with these go through. But after reading this I will work on not using those words in such a flippant manner again.
Thank you @lanagraceriva for the complimentary copy