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stevie's reviews
319 reviews
Never Been Better by Leanne Toshiko Simpson
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
3.75
It’s really refreshing to see a positive bipolar story. Like, really refreshing. Most of the time, characters with bipolar in either books or movies, no matter how relevant their diagnosis is to the plot, are portrayed one-dimensionally, either as loose canons that are burdens to everyone around them at best and violent or harmful at worst. Depression and anxiety feel fairly “normalized” in media depictions at this point, but rarely does bipolar disorder get the same treatment, with characters finding stability or independence or even just healthy coping mechanisms. Bipolar characters are never “normal.” I’m not going to lie, it hurts sometimes! It makes me feel ashamed to share the diagnosis!
But Never Been Better shows readers bipolar disorder in a way that’s ……. never been better (womp womp). Its portrayal is realistic in that the main character, Dee, is frustrating at times as we watch her stumble through a period of her life post-hospitalization that is defined mostly by her perceived inability to move forward, but she is still a full character outside of her illness, or at least she is on her way there. It’s messy as hell, but it’s altogether positive and forward-thinking, which isn’t what you get out of most depictions of bipolar disorder in film or literature.
The author doesn’t ignore the realities and the truths that all the aforementioned depictions are rooted in, but it aims to add a much needed, lighthearted “however” to the conversation. Plus, the messiest, most toxic character in here isn’t even one of the ones with bipolar! It’s her cringey bull-in-a-china-shop sister! Now that’s what I call equality
I could tell that this story is deeply personal to the author, as all mental health experiences are, but it did leave me feeling a little “left out” at times — some of the relationships or feelings felt like “you had to be there” moments, which you can still appreciate for their significance even if they aren’t relatable.
My biggest criticism (and more just a question) is how much this is marketed as a rom-com or even just a love story. It isn’t. And I think it’s better for it because it’s refreshing and realistic, but it did throw me off a bit.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC ❣️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness