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A review by nicolemhewitt
Damsel Distressed by Kelsey Macke
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I don't know how this book didn't get more buzz when it came out. (Maybe I missed it? Did I miss it? Because it totally deserves buzz!) But I am incredibly glad that I found it!
The synopsis describes the book well, but it makes the book sound much lighter than it really is. This is not an easy read. At all. But I loved it! The book follows Imogen, who has suffered from depression since her mother died when she was a child. She finds some solace in being a techie for her school's theatre productions and in her best friend (and crush), Grant, who has stood beside her through all of her darkest moments.
What I loved:
A realistic depiction of depression.
Even after reading Mishma's review, I still for some reason thought that this would be a lighter read. Maybe just the whole fairy tale reference thing made it seem like the book wasn't going to take itself too seriously. Well, that was completely untrue. This book was a completely realistic and sometimes dark look at depression. Imogen has some serious mental health issues because of her mother's death and her own insecurities. She often spirals into utter depression and can't pull herself out, no matter how much she wants to. She also struggles with cutting. Reading from her perspective was sometimes hard because Imogen is definitely a flawed main character. Not only is she incredibly hard on herself, she's bitter about the people around her because she has been bullied and because she sometimes just takes her own insecurities out on other people (at least in her own mind and in her journal - she isn't outright mean to people). Imogen feels broken and she doesn't know that she can be fixed. She knows that her feelings are wrong and sometimes irrational, but she can't change them. I found this to be incredibly realistic. The fact is that depression is an illness, and you can't simply tell yourself to cheer up and snap out of it. It doesn't work that way. And, while Imogen's friends help her through her pain, the mere presence of people who love her doesn't cure her depression. The book is hopeful, but realistic in leaving the reader with the knowledge that Imogen most likely will still fall victim to depression again, but that she has a support system and will be able to get through it!
Emotions.
I had no idea I would cry so much when I read this book. I cried. A lot.
Grant.
Grant is pretty much the perfect best friend for Imogen, and you can completely see why she's in love with him. Not only has he supported her through thick and thin, he is sweet and funny, and Imogen is lighter and funnier when she's with him because she feels like she can be herself when he's around. When Grant is in the story with Imogen, the book lives up to that cute, sweet feeling that you get in the blurb, and it's a great balance to the darker parts of the book. Grant is also nerdy, but in a totally adorable way (LOVE his sciency shirts!). And Imogen's other friends are awesome too!
Body image.
One of Imogen's main areas of insecurity is her body image. She weighs 200 pounds at five feet tall and she thinks about her size A LOT. I loved that Imogen did realize by the end of the book that she could look pretty and that size isn't the only factor in beauty!
Neutral:
Imogen.
Some people might have a hard time reading Imogen's perspective because it is really sad and dark sometimes. She gets down on herself constantly and she has some really negative thoughts about other people sometimes too. By the time we see her in a depressed episode, we kind of want to shake her and tell her to see the people who care about her around her. But that's kind of the point. The fact is that these people who love her can't fix her, she has to find ways to come to terms with life and help herself. So, it's hard, but realistic.
I honestly don't know why this book hasn't gotten more attention with the current trend of YA books that address mental health issues, but I highly recommend it. If you're ready for an honest and sometimes heartbreaking look at adolescence and depression, then you need to read this book! I give it an enthusiastic 5/5 stars.
I don't know how this book didn't get more buzz when it came out. (Maybe I missed it? Did I miss it? Because it totally deserves buzz!) But I am incredibly glad that I found it!
The synopsis describes the book well, but it makes the book sound much lighter than it really is. This is not an easy read. At all. But I loved it! The book follows Imogen, who has suffered from depression since her mother died when she was a child. She finds some solace in being a techie for her school's theatre productions and in her best friend (and crush), Grant, who has stood beside her through all of her darkest moments.
What I loved:
A realistic depiction of depression.
Even after reading Mishma's review, I still for some reason thought that this would be a lighter read. Maybe just the whole fairy tale reference thing made it seem like the book wasn't going to take itself too seriously. Well, that was completely untrue. This book was a completely realistic and sometimes dark look at depression. Imogen has some serious mental health issues because of her mother's death and her own insecurities. She often spirals into utter depression and can't pull herself out, no matter how much she wants to. She also struggles with cutting. Reading from her perspective was sometimes hard because Imogen is definitely a flawed main character. Not only is she incredibly hard on herself, she's bitter about the people around her because she has been bullied and because she sometimes just takes her own insecurities out on other people (at least in her own mind and in her journal - she isn't outright mean to people). Imogen feels broken and she doesn't know that she can be fixed. She knows that her feelings are wrong and sometimes irrational, but she can't change them. I found this to be incredibly realistic. The fact is that depression is an illness, and you can't simply tell yourself to cheer up and snap out of it. It doesn't work that way. And, while Imogen's friends help her through her pain, the mere presence of people who love her doesn't cure her depression. The book is hopeful, but realistic in leaving the reader with the knowledge that Imogen most likely will still fall victim to depression again, but that she has a support system and will be able to get through it!
Emotions.
I had no idea I would cry so much when I read this book. I cried. A lot.
Grant.
Grant is pretty much the perfect best friend for Imogen, and you can completely see why she's in love with him. Not only has he supported her through thick and thin, he is sweet and funny, and Imogen is lighter and funnier when she's with him because she feels like she can be herself when he's around. When Grant is in the story with Imogen, the book lives up to that cute, sweet feeling that you get in the blurb, and it's a great balance to the darker parts of the book. Grant is also nerdy, but in a totally adorable way (LOVE his sciency shirts!). And Imogen's other friends are awesome too!
Body image.
One of Imogen's main areas of insecurity is her body image. She weighs 200 pounds at five feet tall and she thinks about her size A LOT. I loved that Imogen did realize by the end of the book that she could look pretty and that size isn't the only factor in beauty!
Neutral:
Imogen.
Some people might have a hard time reading Imogen's perspective because it is really sad and dark sometimes. She gets down on herself constantly and she has some really negative thoughts about other people sometimes too. By the time we see her in a depressed episode, we kind of want to shake her and tell her to see the people who care about her around her. But that's kind of the point. The fact is that these people who love her can't fix her, she has to find ways to come to terms with life and help herself. So, it's hard, but realistic.
I honestly don't know why this book hasn't gotten more attention with the current trend of YA books that address mental health issues, but I highly recommend it. If you're ready for an honest and sometimes heartbreaking look at adolescence and depression, then you need to read this book! I give it an enthusiastic 5/5 stars.