Misfit by Charli Howard

Aspiring model Charli grew up battling with anxiety, depression, OCD and eating disorders anorexia and bulima.

Her turbulent life she lays all to bear and free to judge by us as she gives us an insight into her crazy life growing up abroad, in a boarding school as well as struggling to fit in at school and in the adult world to get a good boyfriend and a sparkling brilliant career all however, at the cost of her true happiness we soon learn as she struggles to become a signed model.

Despite aspiring to be a model and shrinking in size, Charli had to learn to live herself despite the harsh critics and the way she discusses her treatment from certain modelling agencies is truly horrific and appalling.

Frank in her account and her battle with mental health, Charli had told her account and story with strength and courage to make the most of her now more positive movement thanks to finding a respectful modelling agency that embraces more shapely women after all women are curvier most of the time!
Embracing the body positive movement for sure, Charli and her book will remembered for how modelling has changed and how it can effect young girls too.

Sad Perfect by Stephanie Elliot

Pea meets Ben at Jae's sixteenth birthday party and they get texting after Jae, her best friend gives him Pea's number and they arrange to go cinema. They go on a series of dates and he understands her eating disorder as well as his parents being understanding too.

Pea lives with her mum, dad and older brother Todd although the household is strained, her dad is more invested in sport, Todd isn't interested in the family much and her mum drinks too much wine, their house is stressed and uneasy.

Last spring Pea had a boyfriend, Alex, who didn't get her eating disorder and dumped her when she loved him and became severely depressed needing to take medication, Zoloft to be able to function again it wasn't helped that her ARFID causes depression, anxiety and also makes her feel like she's missing out on life.

Her mum makes her attend therapy with a therapist called Shauna who never reveals what she's in recovery for herself but she does better with Pea than the psych ward does, even allowing Pea to try new foods when she can but not pressuring her like her parents had done.

Then she starts to self harm with a safety pin scratching away at her wrists after a rocky patch with Ben. This lands her on a psych ward after a tip off from a later revealed source that surprised me at first but made sense.

Personally, I can and can't relate to Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. I have had EDNOS but on a spectrum alike this since I was around four, and anorexia around age fourteen. Eating disorders are hard to categorize because there's usually an element of cross over and in this book ARFID is a unique one as unlike some eating disorders, you look normal and weight a normal weight and do eat some foods just select ones which often wouldn't sound like a problem but the depression and anxiety with it shows more issues. It was a great book to sahow the role of relationships and how they can help or harm, her parents pushing her didn't help but Ben encouraging her allowed her to relax and challenge herself to try.

I commend Stephanie and her daughter, for raising awareness of this disorder and I hope it helps others to realise they can get better or reach out for help.

Hello Me It's You by Anonymous, Hannah Todd

As someone who knows others as well as myself, who have suffered with mental and physical health issues, this intrigued me to read this book. The publisher has very kindly allowed me a copy to review.

This book is a collection of letters written by people, mostly anonymously, years after they were around sixteen years old. Upon their reflection on their own personal struggle with mental health and opens up to us to read, empathise and realise again there should be no stigma around such a huge subject that effects so many of us around the world.

The author herself states in the beginning of the book, she herself was diagnosed with anxiety and depression which are two most aware of common mental health issues that effect so many of us.

In between each of the letters written, there is a quote to inspire and give us a sense of hope in a beautiful paintbrush style water stroke text.

The story's told in each letter are intimate and honest allowing us to feel how they feel/felt and allows us to think of how they tackled their health issues.

For me, letter 9 stood out for pain as I suffer with Fibromyalgia. As well as letter 10 during which is written, distraction is key as I have found that has helped me when I have an anxiety moment or think back on my own issues in my teens with more severe issues.

Overall this books talks on subjects of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self harm, body dysmorphia and more mental health issues so openly it's refreshing and I honestly hope we can stop the stigma.

If you are suffering with your mental health, there is help, this book may help open up otherwise please talk to a family member, friend, GP or if you are in school or college a counsellor or teacher.