Everybody has their own niche when it comes to reading. Some people love the mirror-like reality of Contemporaries, others enjoy Sci-Fi and the way it captures a future full of technological possibilities. Still others adore the way their heart pounds at the mention of Romance. If you were to ask me what I like to read, I would promptly pull on my orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, brandish the wand I got from Ollivanders, and politely ask you to point me in the direction of the nearest rabbit hole in answer.
I love to read books with illustrated world-maps and long pronunciation guides at the back. I love books filled with nonsensically-named mythical creatures such as Wargs and Orcs. I love books with magical boarding schools and legendary swords that are inconveniently stuck in rocks. I love knights and dragons and princesses and wizards and yes, you guessed it:
I love fantasy. Let me scream it from the top of Mount Doom: “I LOVE FANTASSSYYY!”
Dr. Seuss once said, “Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.” The Fantasy genre, while filled with things not strictly real, still reflects a certain amount of truth. It still comments on human nature – “it’s a way of looking at life,” as Dr. Seuss said, and should encompass some amount of emotional realism.
Sometimes life isn’t all magic and rainbows and unicorns with pretty butterfly wings. Sometimes it is anxiety attacks and long stretches of depression where the strength to get out of bed eludes you for days. It is sometimes spent in the clutches of mental illness and sometimes it feels like there is nobody is this vast magic-less world who understands.
But Dear Reader, there is. There are people who understand, there are people who want to help, and that is what the event Shattering Stigmas is all about. If you haven’t heard of it before, I’ll save you a Google Search and give you a brief overview:
Three years ago, Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight launched the first Shattering Stigmas, a blogging event dedicated to posts about mental illness to address and challenge the stigmas against it. Through book reviews, discussion posts and lists, Shattering Stigmas has continued conversations around mental illness for the past three years.
This year, for the Shattering Stigmas 4.0, you will be able to find incredible guest posts on blogs from all four hosts of the event: Taylor, Ben, Madalyn, Kitty and Marie.
As you can see, I’m not a host for this wonderful event, but I was lucky enough to write a guest post over on Marie’s blog questioning the YA Fantasy genre and its disturbing lack of mental illness representation.
As I wrote that post, it got me thinking: are there any YA Fantasy books that feature characters with mental illnesses? After scouring my admittedly small brain and the admittedly less small internet, I compiled this brief list of YA reads that I wish on a genie’s lamp were longer.
Kaz & Ineji // PTSD & Sexual Abuse (Trauma)
Gen // Depression
Frodo // Depression & PTSD
Alys // Anxiety Attacks
Plus a Dystopian Guest Appearance:
Katniss // Depression & PTSD
We might not live in a fantasy world full of Moon Elves who draw arrows from their quivers as easily as we draw breath. We might not be apprenticed to a world-famous wizard with an equally famous beard to match. We might not have “Save the Princess, Slay the Dragon,” on our daily To-Do lists. But each of us do have very real dragons that we face down everyday. Some of them, such as mental illness, are as daunting and fear-inspiring as a Hungarian Horntail.
So, as you read these YA Fantasy books, know that you too can be the hero of your own story. You are not broken, you are not alone, and you can get through this crazy, challenging thing called life – one day at a time. You can not only FIGHT your dragons, but you can SLAY them!
Downloadable Wallpaper
After seeing Aimee’s most recent post on her blog, I decided to try my hand at making a downloadable wallpaper in in honor of the Shattering Stigmas event! To download, right click on the image, open it in a new tab, and save the image.
Have you read any of these books?
Have you read any YA Fantasy books with mental illness representation that I haven’t listed here?
Please share them with me in the comments!
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Kat this is such a wonderfully written post! Well done! I am going to write your guest post too now.
🙈I meant read
Thank you so, so much for this lovely comment! I’m glad you liked reading the post and I hope you liked the one on Marie’s blog as well :)
Thanks for reminding me to read that post of your’s! I completely forgot after bookmarking it :) Please let me know if you are interesting in guest posting on my blog. My blog would be very grateful ;)
Oh, wow! I would absolutely love to guest post on your blog sometime! I’m really so honored that you would ask! DM me over on Twitter or shoot me an email anytime and I would love to discuss it with you! :) You are really so sweet for asking!
Gosh I love that wallpaper! I’m not a huge fantasy reader, but I really need to pick up some more soon.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Ivy! Let me know if you ever want to buddy read a fantasy book together :)
This is really interesting and while it’s been discussed a few times, I think we only touch the surface of the lack of representation in fantasy! I can only think of SoC and THG when thinking of mental illness in fantasy, as well as Order of the Phoenix (PTSD, in my opinion, which would explain Harry’s behaviour throughout the book. Yet never been discussed and often dismissed as “teenage angst”).
This is a great point. I never considered Harry’s behaviour as PTSD but clearly I need to not believe everything people tell me.
Thank you so much for the wonderful comment, Tasya! I agree with Erin – I’ve never thought of Harry’s behavior in The Order of the Phoenix as being related to a mental illness, but now that you mention it, I can totally see what you mean. Thanks for pointing that out to me!
This is such a great post! I admit that I haven’t spent much time in the past looking for mental illness reps, and I didn’t even consider whether or not they were present in fantasy novels. I’m doing my best to search them out though, so thank you for contributing!
Thank you so much for your comment, Erin! It means so much to me! If you stumble across any more that I could add to this list, please let me know! :)
Thus was such a great post. Thank you for introducingme to some new books as well. I love to read books featuring mental illness but ive found that it is so hard to find outside of contemporay.
Thank you SO MUCh, Arya! It really means a lot to me. I hope you end up liking some of the books :)
Oh this is such a great post and such a great idea to complete your guest post as well :) thank you for this! I feel like mental health should be way more represented in ya fantasy books especially and I’m glad to hear some books exist out there – I hope there will be more and more, because they really matter. <3
Thank you for spreading the word about the event! :D
Thank you so much, Marie! I’m glad you liked it! And I agree, I hope that more and more authors will start writing books with mental illness representation – in Fantasy and in all genres!
Okay this is genuinely one of my favorite posts I’ve ever come across. I LOVE THIS! Mental illness rep is so important to me and I’ve always hated that it’s hardly ever included in fantasy. It shouldn’t only be in contemporary, but we should be seeing it show up across all genres. Thank you so much for writing this and for these recs❤️ This is excellent!
GYAHHHHHHH BRIANNA! THANK YOUUUU! Your kind words mean EVERYTHING to me. Seriously. You are a gem.
AWH you are very welcome, you deserve all the kind words!! ❤️❤️
😭😭😭
OMG KAT that wallpaper is gorgeous!!!!
*Tears Up* Thank you so much! I’m glad you like it :)
Love the wallpaper! They’re as lovely as your blog graphics, and I think you should totally make them more often! 😍
Shannon, thank you so much! I am glad you like it! It was an experiment, but since the response is good, I’ll probably do more sometime. Thanks for always being so supportive. You are the best :)
No worries! Great work always deserves recognition! 💕💕
Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde has a quite good Aspergers + gay + autistic + Chinese rep, AND it’s own voice, if you like that. Loved this! The wallpaper was fantastic too!
Rhi xox
@ https://marshmallowharmonies.wordpress.com
Thank you so much for the rec! I always like to find more books with mental illness rep :) I’m glad you liked the post and the wallpaper! It really means a lot to me!
No problem! Yes – same! I loved both xo
This is such a great post!
I know there’s a lot of mental health representation in contemporary books but it’s so rare and difficult to find in fantasy and sci-fis. It’s so important for mental health to be represented in all books, not just contemporaries!
[…] Kat […]
This is such a fantastic post, Kat. I have to admit that I am not a big fan of fantasy but I do enjoy it everytime I read it. Wow, I never knew that Frodo and Katniss had PTSD & Depression? I haven’t read the books but maybe they skipped that part in the movies or was I not able to conclude that?
Anyways, it is certainly good to know and agree that fantasy book should show more of this side :)
And the Wallpaper is fantastic :)
Dawwww thank you so, so much for your kind words, Simant! I’m really happy you liked the post and the wallpaper! I guess that the books never came out and explicitly said that Katniss or Frodo had PTSD or Depression – that was just my own interpretation of the text. Thanks again :)
Such a great list! Really liked your inclusion of six of crows.
Thank you so much! Six of Crows is the most perfect example of Mental Illness Rep in Fantasy, so I knew I just had to include it :)
This is such a really great list, Kat! I loved the anxiety rep in Beneath the Citadel!
Thanks so much, Kaleena! Yeah, I included Beneath the Citadel because I remember you mentioned the anxiety rep! :)
I love this post so much and your recommendations are so on point ❤ It’s such a shame that there isn’t more mental illness rep in fantasy, I want to see more of this!! ❤
Thank you so much for your lovely words, Marta! It means so much to me :) And I totally agree! WE NEED MORE MENTAL ILLNESS REP !!!
[…] @ Novels & Waffles listed some YA fantasy books with mental illness representation (which is so rare to find in fantasy) and don’t forget to download the awesome free […]
Love this post! Yes, it is hard to find representation in fantasy. The closets I’ve seen is speculative fiction (horror) Poe’s stories are mostly inspired by his clinical depression.
Thanks so much, Daniela! I can’t say I’ve read much of Poe’s work. I think I might have read one short story of his in high school…but I can’t remember if I’m honest. It totally is something I should read, though, especially around this time of year :)
Read your post today at Marie’s: loved it! Great post. Oh yes, SoC was great about rep! Actually, I used that in my comment on the other post. Can’t say so much about the others cause I’m actually not a big fantasy fan.
Wow, I love this wallpaper :)
Thank you so much, Evelina! It means a whole bunch! I’m glad you were able to read my post here and over on Marie’s blog. And yeah, SoC is standout because it really does the mental illness rep so well, in my opinion :)
Okay, I’m so excited about this post that I might ramble a bit, so please forgive me in advance, lol. I’m a big Fantasy reader myself, and one thing I’ve learned about the genre that makes it great is that even amongst the impossible, having a trace of humanity – the emotions, the struggles, the triumphs, the realities – thrown in there is what makes these worlds so relatable and helps you connect with them even more. It makes the impossible real and universal. And I’ve been recognizing that there is a serious lack of Fantasy novels that have characters struggling with mental illness in them, too, despite how many people in the world do, in fact, struggle with some form of mental illness. Whenever I do a post on a book with mental illness on Bookstagram, like from a prompt, the only book I can think of that I’ve connected with so much isn’t even Fantasy, it’s a Contemporary YA novel by Deb Caletti about a girl who struggles with anxiety, called ‘The Nature of Jade.’ Now, it’s a powerful book that is so special to me and helped me with my own anxiety so much, but why is there such a lack of books – particularly Fantasy, which is so big in YA now – that feature mental illness in a real and inspiring way, as a part of life, like ‘The Nature of Jade’ did? Mental illness can carry such a stupid stigma still, and I’m hopeful more books like ‘Six of Crows’ will start popping up. It doesn’t make a character weak or unrelatable if they struggle with PTSD, or something else. It shows that there are all kinds of demons people struggle with. That they don’t define you, and it’s okay that they are a part of you, and you can still do great things with them. You can still slay that dragon, defeat that great evil, save the world – even if sometimes you can’t get out of bed. I have an anxiety disorder, and it was a struggle for the longest time – especially when I was in high school – wondering if I was worthy of love or even being here in this world with these things I struggled with. I felt like Less. Mostly due to the stigma in society surrounding mental illness. The lack of mental illness being in the books I read (and still do) reflected that. I’m so glad that’s changing little-by-little, but it still has a lot of room for improvement, a lot of growing to do. To see Fantasy books that address these topics and have the message that you are normal, you are worthy, that it’s okay, well, they have the potential to be life-altering. Particularly in a genre where you struggle with and overcome so much already. Again, a character having a mental illness would not make them unable to overcome those crazy obstacles. And in the end, it might even make their triumph all-the-more poignant and powerful. If you can tell, this is something I also feel so strongly about, and I’m so excited to learn about the Shattering Stigma events, and will have to go check out that and your guest blog post! 😊 You’ve made me want to do a post about this one day, too. Thanks for writing this! ❤️
Wow, okay, so I don’t even know how to start answering this WONDERFUL and completely AMAZING comment. I guess I’ll lead with: Don’t apologize for sharing! I loved reading every word of your beautiful comment! It is people like you and comments like this that make me so glad that I started my blog :)
I agree with so much of what you shared – there is a horrible stigma surrounding Mental Illness, which is just heartbreaking because it makes all of us who do suffer from such things feel like dirt. Like we are Less, as you said. But girl, you preach because YES, the fact that a character has to fight both the evil villain and their own mind should make him or her even more heroic, not less. Nobody should ever be viewed as LESS or made to feel so.
I understand and truly emphasize with so much of what you said, because I have experienced similar things too. In fact, the more people I talk to, the more I realize that this is something lots of people deal with…though mostly silently and behind closed doors. But why should we deal with it silently, all alone, like it’s some kind of secret? Sharing our experiences and banding together is POWERFUL. SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING your story and your thoughts on this topic.You expressed everything so eloquently, and I really can’t say it any better than you did. :)
This is such a fantastic post!! ❤ I adore Fantasy as well and really wish that we got to see more mental illness representation in it! I can sadly hardly recall in rep :( I very much liked the representation in Six of Crows though, it was such a good book!
Thanks for your sweet words, Caro! Seriously they mean a lot to me :)
[…] Mental Illness Rep in Fantasy (Kat @ novelswaffles) […]
This is an absolutely incredible post! Thanks for being so positive and for suggesting some great fantasy books with mental health reps. I lovelovelove Six of Crows and must get to the sequel (BLARGH) and ditto at The Queen’s Thief series (read the first one in school and loved it). And I just saw that my library has Beneath the Citadel in, so, grabby hands.
I was trying to think of other genre books I’ve read with mental health/illness reps and, yeah, it’s difficult. I love A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick (scifi, drug abuse, paranoia and psychosis; also the movie is perfect (also I’m a Keanu Reeves stan so, also Winona Ryder !!) and I really really want to check out all of this list: https://www.unboundworlds.com/2018/04/10-novels-featuring-lead-characters-mental-health-issues/ and I’ve read I Am Not A Serial Killer and it’s pretty great IMO (like a better Dexter) and the movie is great too! (Christopher Lloyd!) AND I just wish there were more fantasy/sci fi books with good depression rep.
Lol, sorry for all the ands and parentheses. I have been carried away. But I do love this post. And your lovely wallpaper <3
Thank you so much, Shai, for your wonderful comment! Seriously, it made my day :) Also, thanks for sharing that list and for all of your wonderful recommendations! I live for book recs. I’ll have to check them out :)
[…] BIPOLAR REP – I’ve talked about this before, but I’m continuously shocked at how little mental illness representation we get in the Fantasy […]