This book shows the life of Gillian from early years to present, it gripped me and I found I could relate to a lot of what she says. It also make tears flow as she had such a hard time and it brought back many of my own issues when I was younger. I found it an easy read, not heavy like a lot of mental health books, It shows you have to live day by day, well done.

when the world around me feels dark, I am so grateful for such an escape. a book. a new world. a story i can get lost in. i was lucky enough to receive a gifted book by the author and i had the pleasure of getting lost in the story over the past few days. everything about this book is special, the wording is perfect, i was drawn into the story the minute i opened the book. the pages are filled with truth, hurt, love, heartbreak, mental illness, finding yourself, finding happiness, self love and real life. at times it felt a little difficult to read but at the same time i couldn’t put it down, i needed to know what happened next. i also think this story explains so well the effects and realities of living with depression. for those who struggle to understand it, or have a loved one they’re not sure how to help, this book shows you things they might not be able to voice to you, it’s so touching. grateful to be lucky enough to have read such an honest and raw story

This is a brutally honest autobiography of how your early life and your own mind can try to stop you from having a later life. Gillian leads us through her teenage years and the dark cloud that kept reappearing every step of the way. Hopefully the reader can spot themselves in this journey. Or maybe they can spot the journey that someone close to them is on. Gillian offers her thoughts on how her past shaped her, and what she has learned that gives her hope now. Thoughts that can give hope and comfort to others. This was an easy read in terms of style, if not always in content. But even then, this is not a life story constantly mired in tragedy. It's a recognisable life, the story filled with both ups and downs, with new loves and ending relationships, with the attempt to survive school and begin adulthood familiar to all. It was very easy to read along with it and be very engaged by it. It's just that along the way it also shows how depression does not need much to blossom, and anxiety needs few chances to ignite. However, the mission statement of the book gave a security that this journey - and the less pleasant moments - were leading to a hopeful realisation in the final chapters.