Writing a about depression usually falls into two categories: 1) writing about it from a medical/scientific standpoint or 2) memoir form. So when I read
Boy Meets Depression: Or Life Sucks and Then You Die Live by Kevin Breel, I knew it was a first person account of a young man's struggle with depression but wasn't sure how it would be different from any of the other memoirs on depression I have read.
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| Boy Meets Depression by Kevin Breel |
I quickly discovered a few things while reading this book. First of all, it was honest. I mean you could feel the experiences drip off the page and believe them. Second of all, it was easy to identify with Breel. His story described depression in a way that you have to stop yourself as you are reading it and say to yourself "YES! I can relate to this". And when you are in the midst of a depression, being able to relate to someone else on that particularly dark/intense way is a comfort.
After I read this book, I quickly Googled Breel's TED talk on depression and was not disappointed. He comes off, both on the page and via video, as a young man who can put into words what it's like to live with the demons of depression. Again, it was refreshing because I felt like I knew a part of his story from having read the book, and his experience made mine easier to digest.
Depression is not a topic that lends itself well to light-hearted discussions, so keep in mind that this is an emotionally intense book. It could also trigger some people, so that is worth mentioning as well.
Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.
