by John Green
This book does a really good job taking the reader through the inner turmoil experienced by someone with mental-health issues. Although I try, I often fail to fully understand and empathize with people who have these struggles. In this book, the reader is immersed in 16-year-old Aza’s battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder and her associated anxiety. We experience these difficulties with her and see the effect they have on her and the people in her life. Aza’s inner dialogue as she navigates her life shows the reader how she would like nothing more than to move past these things that set her apart. What I appreciated most is despite the intended audience being young adults, the author doesn’t oversimplify Aza’s mental health problems. There isn’t a magical point where she no longer suffers from anxiety and doesn’t have compulsions. She has good times and bad times and yet finds a way to keep moving forward.