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All Things New by Lauren Miller PBT Review #88

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This was my first experience with Lauren Miller and I am pleased to say that I really enjoyed this novel. At first it was really slow going for me. Not because of my interest in the content, but the content was slightly triggering for me since I do suffer from a lot of the mental health issue that the main character has. So I was only able to read small sections of this book at a time before I had to sit it aside. However, after I got to a certain point I was unable to put the book down at all and really flew through it.

Since I’ve already mentioned that this book has some triggers, I’ll go ahead and include them here. Some trigger warnings: anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and I’m sure I missed some others as well.

The first thing that really drew me to this book (what made me request it from Netgalley) was the fact that I knew I would be able to relate to the main character. What I didn’t expect was how much I would struggle with it. A lot of the things she was going through really struck home with me and my own experiences. That’s what made it so hard to read at first. But I’m really glad I pushed through because this book was really, really great.

The descriptions of the main character Jessa’s experiences with her mental illnesses were seriously spot on. They were described to a T and I feel I can say that because I have been diagnosed with all 3 of the diseases she has as well. That’s part of why it was so triggering to me as well.

Another aspect of the book that really held my attention for the first section was the medical jargon and focus. This is something that really interests me and it really kept my interested when I was struggling with the content of the book at first.

Since all I have done is rave about this book so far, let me explain why I took a star off of my rating. The plot twist / big reveal of the story didn’t quite make any sense given the context of the story. It was completely unexpected and I would have never guessed it, but it just didn’t fit in my opinion and it wasn’t really explained or portrayed in such a way that readers could make sense of why it was so necessary. I think had this paranormal aspect of the book been developed a little more it could’ve been a 5 star read for me.

I really, really enjoyed the fact that Jessa found a refuge / safe place with this group she met with before school. It was nice to see that she wasn’t the only one that had these thoughts and feelings. It made me wonder if there was a support group for anxiety / depression / panic attacks in my area as well. Not that I would ever be brave enough to go, but I’m so glad Jessa did.

I could relate to almost every single thing in the book and I think that’s why I was able to connect so strongly with the plot and the characters. The most relatable and hard hitting idea that I took from this book was how people with these invisible MI are forced to hide behind a mask because they look ok on the outside, but on the inside they are falling apart. Because damn if that isn’t the truth. I feel this on every level.

I feel kind of guilty because all the notes I took about this book didn’t include anything about the other characters in the book. Marshall was amazing and his heart disease completely ripped me apart. His twin sister, Hannah, was interesting to say the least. She was so up and down, but I did see a little of myself in her too. Jessa’s dad was also kind of great and very supportive of her despite how he is portrayed in the beginning of the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I think it’s definitely worth reading! As you can see from my reading progress below, I experienced a wide range of emotions while reading this book from heaviness, to literal tears, to confusion, to happiness. It was seriously a rollercoaster ride!

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher Three Saints press in exchange for my completely honest review. So thank you!

Have you read this book or do you plan to read this book? Have you ever found a book triggering to your mental health? How did you deal with it? I’m genuinely curious, if you feel comfortable please share your stories and experiences in the comments below!