Publishing is excruciatingly slow for an impatient human such as myself. Takes forever to write, takes forever to revise, takes forever to submit, takes forever to publish; thus, I have been quietly burning with dread and anxiety as I await the first reviews of my upcoming book GIRL ON THE LINE out in January 2021. This week, I was ecstatic to get the email letting me know the first review is in, and it’s a starred review from Kirkus! Here’s a lil snippet:
“An achingly authentic depiction of cycling through depression and healing ... Gardner’s depiction of mental illness, both through Journey’s own continual suicidal ideation and her therapists’ and doctors’ explanations of the difference between ideation and attempt, is deft and thoughtful. Trigger warnings are absolutely necessary, but the masterful handling gives the book bibliotherapeutic potential for readers struggling with the same issues or those who want to better understand the Journeys in their lives.”
The word “bibliotherapeutic” in particular here means so much, as my greatest hope is that this book can help teens who, like me, live with mental illness. I’m so grateful for this thoughtful review. Read the full review here.