Reviews

(Don't) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health by Kelly Jensen

whatsmacksaid's review

3.0

Honestly this is a very hard read. The essays are wide-ranging enough that I can't imagine a reader who wouldn't be triggered in one way or another, so it's a good thing the essays are so short. Some were better than others.

This isn't a book that should be read all at once. However, it does complete its purported goal in that it is a good starting place for discussions about mental health and various mental illnesses.

matiel72's review against another edition

5.0

I really loved this anthology of 33 voices of all types speaking about mental health and it's impact on both themselves and society.

lattelibrarian's review against another edition

4.0

I've been waiting for this book for a while, and I'm so glad to have found an ARC of it!  This book comprises essays written by authors, illustrators, actors, and more.  This offers so many varying looks at mental health, as well as mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, OCD, dysphoria, and bipolar.  It takes into account different ages, genders, mental illnesses, races, and more to truly create a dialogue surrounding how mental health affects individuals.  

This was a truly intriguing compilation discussing how disorders affect individuals, how institutions worsen or relieve symptoms, how different situations exasperate symptoms.  There were moments of levity, moments of seriousness, and to make it complete, many lists of resources in terms of hot lines, movies, books, and more on the topic of mental health.  

I think that this book should be in every library, every teen collection, every bookstore.  It's so incredibly important, especially in today's day and age.  It's informative, truthful, and above all else, honest.

Review cross-listed here!

librarystax's review against another edition

4.0

keep talking

Trying to open the door and my mind to better understand and this book was a great step in the right direction.

zaporiah's review against another edition

1.0

Anthologies are not for me. I don’t know why I keep trying. This book will be good for some but it wasn’t for me.

jecinwv's review against another edition

4.0

(Don't) Call Us Crazy is an anthology of essays about mental health. Each essay is short and about a different topic or illness. On top of this the essays are intersectional and touch on other disabilities, race, gender, sexuality, and identity. I felt this collection personally touched me because they tried really hard to include essays on more rare conditions as well, some of which I have. This is aimed at teens and is certainly good for adults too. Content Warnings for mentions to suicide, self harm, and sexual assault among other things. 

drjagrier's review against another edition

5.0

This collection of essays is a great read for people interested in glimpsing many sides to mental illness and disability. The 33 essays provide a range of tone and voice, as well as place on each person's life journey. This broad perspective is highly valuable, and rare to see. It will be of particular use to young adults, but is appropriate for anyone looking to building their understanding and compassion for those with mental disability. As a reader with many of the disorders presented in this book, it was both refreshing and validating to see deeply truthful portrayals. No anthology is perfect, and I found two of these stories to be complete misses; but I'm not dinging the rating for those because only 2 out of 33 is pretty amazing. Of note, I have the Kindle version, and some of the graphics and art were very hard to read. But neither are they necessary to get the boost from this collection. Only other gripe is that the biographies show that many of these writers are quite successful in the traditional sense - would love to see more essays from people who are not, and who still uplift and validate the value of all humans disabled and otherwise.

kice7788's review against another edition

3.0

Having and dealing with people that suffer from mental illness I was super excited to see a book come out possibly showcasing daily struggles and how to live with these issues. It was a good book but I feel like they could have expanded on some issues. I was not impressed with the variety of stories and issues spoken about. I still feel like it was a great book and needs to be out there for every age!

katscribefever's review against another edition

5.0

This collection of essays, artwork, lists, and more have been compiled to serve a singular purpose: to present information that will help the reader learn how to address the stigmatized subject of mental health. Each of the thirty-three contributors share anecdotes, lessons, and dreams taken from their own lives, allowing Jensen to create this starting point for anyone who wishes to study up on an often-taboo topic. I found this to be very valuable, particularly because it openly admits to being no more than a launching point, and includes a wealth of resources for the reader to seek out to learn more about specific niche issues within the umbrella of mental health.

bookstobarbells's review against another edition

4.0

This is more of a 3.5 for me. It took me a LONG time to finish this book. It wasn't because anything was poorly written or it didn't appeal to me, it was just hard to get through some of the stories and because some are vastly different experiences than I've had, it's hard to place myself or understand it at times. However, I love the concept and the collection because it is super inclusive and it helps show to young readers how their mental illness, while draining and seemingly debilitating at times, can be a super power and is something that you can make it past.