Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes - Edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter & Rocky Callen - ★★★.½

EDITORS: Nora Shalaway Carpenter & Rocky Callen

GENRE: YA Anthology, Mental Health.

RATING: 3.6 stars.

In a Nutshell: An anthology talking about mental health issues in young adults, written by PoC authors who have actually gone through the same either themselves or through a family member. Great theme, great rep, thought-provoking and varied content.

This collection of sixteen stories begins with a brilliant note by the editors. Did you know that the US Surgeon General has issued a warning about a national youth mental health crisis? Or that 49.5% of adolescents are suffering from or have suffered some mental health disorder at some point in their lives? Or that suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between ten and thirty-four in the US? Shocking!

Moreover, the editors highlight how fiction usually portrays characters with mental health issues as quirky. Such an unrealistic depiction doesn’t help those who actually live with the problem.

Such an anthology is then not just a good addition but a must-read to know more about one of the most important prevailing issues affecting youngsters that still gets ignored or dismissed.

Here’s what makes this collection even more special:

♡ All contributors to this anthology have lived experiences of mental health conditions that their protagonists suffer from.

♡ The mental health issue isn’t the main identity of the protagonist but something that impacts their routine life. In other words, the characters are shown as regular humans with mental health problems. No stereotyped pop culture portrayal!

♡ The stories are not just about the common issues just as depression, anxiety or PTSD. I learnt about several new mental health problems through this collection.

♡ As the target audience is the YA age group, every main character is in the same age group, thus making it easier for readers to connect with the protagonist.

♡ While this is an anthology, don’t expect only stories herein. In addition to fictional prose, you also have poems, an epistolary tale, a graphic comic, and a one-act play. Moreover, the stories tackles various genres such as fantasy, contemporary drama, and sci-fi.

♡ The sixteen authors are diverse in ethnic, sexual, religious, and gender backgrounds, as well as age and socio economic status, ensuring genuine intersectionality and accuracy of representation.

♡ Each story highlights one point: the importance of support and of not giving up. You are never alone, no matter what your mind tells you. Having someone to speak to makes a world of difference, and every tale reiterates this simple but important message.

♡ There is a personal note from the contributor at the end of each story, detailing their own struggles with mental health issues.

♡ There are detailed resources at the end in case the reader wishes to seek help.

Of the sixteen stories, six reached or crossed the four star mark for me. My absolute favourite was ‘Don't Go Breaking My Heart’ by Anna Drury – a lovely story that warms the heart, and ‘A Body With Holes’ by Ebony Stewart – a brilliant poem highlighting PTSD. Other notable stories for me were ‘They call me Hurricane’ by Rocky Callen, ‘Peculiar Falls’ by Jonathan Lenore Kastin, ‘A Bridge Over Silence’ by Karen Jialu Bao, and ‘Almost Beautiful’ by Marcella Pixley.

Keep in mind that I am not a YA, and the YA genre isn’t really my cup of tea. I had picked this collection up more for the theme, and it does perfect justice to it. I am sure a reader belonging to the target age group would appreciate this collection even more. That said, I wouldn’t restrict the target audience only to YAs with mental health problems. All of us need to read more and genuine portrayals of characters with such problems so that we can not only ask for help if we need to, but offer help when it seems to be required.

A tiny wave of support to that amazing title: having a mental health issue is definitely not AbNormal but Absolutely Normal. Brilliant!

3.6 stars, based on the average of my ratings for the stories.

My thanks to Candlewick Press and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.