Mind Your Head - Juno Dawson

The Blurb

From the critically acclaimed author of THIS BOOK IS GAY, James Dawson, now writing as Juno Dawson. We all have a mind, so we all need to take care of our mental health as much as we need to take care of our physical health. And the first step is being able to talk about our mental health. Juno Dawson leads the way with this frank, factual and funny book, with added information and support from clinical psychologist Dr Olivia Hewitt. Covering topics from anxiety and depression to addiction, self-harm and personality disorders, Juno and Olivia talk clearly and supportively about a range of issues facing young people's mental health - whether fleeting or long-term - and how to manage them,with real-life stories from young people around the world. With witty illustrations from Gemma Correll.

The Review

There's a real need for more accessible, age appropriate non-fiction specifically for young adults.  After all, they're going through a lot of the same issues as their not-so-young adult counterparts and the self-help section in bookshops seems to be growing at a ridiculously fast rate.

In Mind Your Head, Juno Dawson talks frankly about mental health issues - including sharing her own experiences - and the result is an entertaining and informative guide to depression, anxiety, panic attacks, bullying, peer pressure and many more relevant-to-teen topics. It's almost like chatting with a straight-talking, no nonsense friend, as Juno brings a touch of humour to some sensitive subjects.  There were times where, as someone who suffers with anxiety and body confidence issues,  I personally would have preferred a gentler approach, but I'm aware hyper-sensitivity is part of my own mental health make up.  And of course, many people respond well to a frank message as opposed to the softy-softly pussyfooting I favour.

The illustrations from Gemma Correll add to the non-threatening package of Mind Your Head and I can imagine it'll appeal to the target audience - and anything that encourages taking responsibility for your own wellbeing (and this goes for all age groups) can only be a good thing.

I really hope this flies off the shelves - honestly, every school library should have a copy of this book.

Mind Your Head is out now, published by Hot Key Books.

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Beyond Grace's Rainbow- Carmel Harrington

The Blurb

Winner of the March 2013 Kindle Book Award

Beyond Grace’s Rainbow is the deeply emotional and poignant story of young single mother Grace Devlin. With a wonderful cast of supporting characters and plenty of charm, this will have you laughing and crying at the turn of a page.

The Review

Grace Devlin is a single mother living in Dublin.  Her former partner is a recovering alcoholic and hasn't been part of their son Jack's life.  However, now he's sober and back on the scene.  But things have changed.  Grace may still have the same close knit friendship group and a positive outlook on life, but she's just been diagnosed with cancer. 

Grace needs a bone marrow donor if she's to be in with a chance of recovering, but she was adopted as a baby and her birth mother Catherine hasn't made contact.  In a desperate bid to prolong her life, Grace reaches out to Catherine, revealing her ill-health.  When they meet they get along well, but Grace doesn't understand why her birth mother won't share the details about her biological father when there's a chance he could save her life. It was this subplot that really had me hooked. I loved the secretive nature and especially enjoyed it when Grace's friends Tom and Gerry took it upon themselves to go undercover to find out more...

I'll admit, this wasn't always an easy book to read.  It deals with cancer, bereavement, adoption, addiction and other sensitive topics.  Really, it should be one of the most depressing books out there, judging on subject matter alone.  However, the book is built around Grace and her wonderful group of supportive friends.  I loved how they would genuinely do anything for each other.  They were a truly eclectic mix of characters with big personalities which only brought depth to their relationships.  I particularly had a soft spot for Abby and found her speed dating scenes cringeworthy-I wanted her to find a good, reliable man so much! 

It's the gentle humour and rock-solid friendships that stop this book from being overwhelmingly heavy going even in the darkest moments, and my only negative is that there were a lot of exclamation marks throughout- not just in the dialogue but in the narrative too.  When reading I take great note of the intonation, but for me they came around too frequently and I felt some of the impact of the heavy scenes was lost as they often ended on a light note. 

That said, by the time I got to the end of this book I was snivelling into a tissue.  The characters had been through so much and I honestly felt like I'd been through it with them.

I'm excited to read Carmel Harrington's second novel The Life You Left after reading this, because if the plot of Beyond Grace's Rainbow is anything to go by I'm in for a treat.  This woman knows how to tell a story!

Beyond Grace's Rainbow is out now, published by Harper Impulse.

With thanks to the author who provided me with a copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

I read this book as part of #HIReadathon 2015. 

You don't know me, but...- Clarke Carlisle

I've had a bit of a fangirl crush on Clarke Carlisle for many years.  He's an extremely handsome chap.  He always speaks in a considered way.  He stands up for what he believes in in the fight against racism/homophobia/mental health awareness.  Plus, he has been on Countdown (I auditioned for Countdown once and didn't make it on, so anyone who does is a success in my eyes).  So when my husband bought me this book for Christmas, my eyes lit up like glowing lights on our tree.

Anyway, enough fangirling.  On to the book.  I've read so many football autobiographies over the years, some high profile premier league players and others by players who have plied their trade in the lower leagues.  Quite a few of them deal with the impact that success and fame can have on a person, particularly those with an addictive personality (thinking of particular about the autobiographies of Tony Adams, Paul Merson, Niall Quinn here).  You don't know me, but... does have some similarities to these books. Clarke makes no bones about his addiction, and talks frankly about how decisions have been impaired as a result of these addictions.  However, for me the highlight of this book is Clarke's ability to convey what it is like to be suffering from depression, especially when to the outside world it seems you have it all going for you.  I found myself nodding along saying 'yes, that's exactly what it's like!' and he beautifully captures the fragility and vulnerability of a depressive.  I've never overdosed, thankfully, but the acute pain Clarke writes of in the section about his own overdose is hard hitting and emotive.

In terms of his footballing stories, there are some interesting ones-as a Sheffield United fan I was interested that he might have been transferred to Bramall Lane at one point, and I am always keen to hear how players and former players talk about the managers they have worked under.  Yet the forte of this autobiography is without a shadow of a doubt how impeccably Clarke Carlisle talks about issues that other people in the public eye shy away from. 

His obvious intelligence adds to the readability, the words flowing freely which makes You Don't Know Me, But... an easy book to get sucked into.

One minor mistake in it that griped me a bit as an adopted South Yorkshire lass- Rotherham's new ground is not Don Valley (that's the one with the running track, now being demolished), it is the new York Stadium.

Overall, I wouldn't just recommend this book to sports fans, but to anyone who has felt at a low ebb.  It is exquisitely written and yet remains highly accessible.

You Don't Know Me, But... is out now published by Simon and Schuster.

8.5/10