Have you ever thought about others around you and how they’re feeling? I didn’t realize how mental illness can affect anyone until I read The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart. Ever since Lily found her sister, Alice, hurting herself, she has been trying to keep it together for her family, but she is coming to terms with her own anxiety disorder while watching her sister go through a mental illness. After Alice being at a treatment center for about 2 months, Lily is dealing with school, friends, family, grades, and track. Micah, who was in treatment with Alice, soon gets paired with Lily for a school project. Micah tries to help Lily understand not only her sister and her feelings, but her own feelings. They soon become very close, but Lily is finding things to be difficult when she starts to have her own panic attacks, and thoughts spiraling. The Words We Keep is very powerful, emotional, sad, hopeful, and much more. Before reading this book, I knew what anxiety and depression were, but I didn’t really realize how it can affect people’s day to day lives. It makes me think about my family and friends, because I know that nobody around Lily knew how she really felt. It shows how stigma can keep people from speaking up about mental health. The author really gives you a good look on how people with a mental illness really see life and how they think. It really truly is hard to have a mental illness, and I don’t think people really think about it and how people are struggling. I noticed how Lily never spoke up about her feelings and thoughts, so no one ever knew that she was struggling. I think that Lily’s coach and her dad were really hard on her, which also contributed to her starting to have panic attacks. It shifted my view on depression and anxiety and it really makes me think about others, and how others are struggling silently. It helped me have a more open mind and better understanding of mental illnesses. I feel that Lily didn’t really have anyone to talk to or anyone to open up to. It was interesting to read about Lily and her thoughts because it really truly does give me a better view on mental illness. I have realized that I am very lucky to be able to go home and know that I don’t have to keep things from my parents or friends, and that I have someone to talk to. It is important to read about people that are different from yourself, because it helps you become empathetic. From reading this book I have learned more about myself, and I think that I understand the feelings of those around me better. By: Marri Feuerhelm
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AuthorSTenth grade students at Decorah High School share how they're reading outside of their own experiences and how it has changed them. Categories
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November 2022
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