Read this when
Hyperbole and a Half
Depression isn't sadness. It's being so numb you laugh at a piece of corn under the fridge because it's the first feeling you've had in months. 🌽
Who it's for
Brosh's two depression chapters ('Adventures in Depression' and 'Depression Part Two') are famous because they capture what depression feels like from the inside: not sadness but a flat absence of feeling, and the exhausting effort of pretending to be fine for.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Hyperbole and a Half is Allie Brosh's 2013 illustrated book, adapted from her blog, that pairs short essays with deliberately crude drawings made in a basic paint program. It mixes absurd childhood stories and adult misadventures with chapters on her experience of depression, including suicidal thoughts.
Where to find it
In print; widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla). Still in copyright. The two depression chapters also first appeared on Brosh's blog, which is still online.
Before you start
Heads up: Depression and suicidal thinking.
Age: Ages 14+
It is the tears of the earth that keep her smiles in bloom.Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, no. 4
