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“Anyone who has actually been that sad can tell you that there’s nothing beautiful or literary or mysterious about depression.��

3 1/2 stars

I think this is the kind of book that anyone can relate with. Although the story focuses on two suicidal, depressed teenagers, I don't think it's exclusively meant for suicidal, depressed people to read.

We've all had those days, those awful times when self esteem is low and criticism is high. You say things you don't mean about yourself and end up feeling even worse and more miserable than before. I remember one time I was feeling so bad that I just sat in the backseat of the car with tears streaming down my face.

I'm pretty sure everyone has had moments of depression before, but you don't have to have a serious case of it to relate with this book. In these dark and gloomy pages you'll no doubt find yourself empathizing with the main characters. Jasmine Warga highlights the darkest moments in people's lives in an extremely realistic way.

Let's get this out of the way: I don't believe in suicide. That's not to say I don't believe it's real, I just don't think it's an okay thing for anyone to do, no matter how horrible they're feeling or how much they want to die.

My Heart and Other Black Holes is about two teens meeting online and deciding to become Suicide Partners. They both have hard lives and want to die, but they're afraid they're going to opt out at the last minute and not follow through with, you know, killing themselves.

That being said, besides Aysel and Roman's obviously messed-up sides to their personalities, they were pretty awesome. Aysel had a dark sense of humor and even poked fun at her depression and the fact that she and Roman were planning to commit suicide.

Despite the plot being so morbid and the fact that this book made me extremely sad, Jasmine Warga had a seriously addicting writing style. I found myself speeding through the pages.

Even better than the page-turning factor, though, were the incredibly realistic passages about depression. These parts of the novel were horribly sad and relatable. The author dug deep into the core of depression and laid it out for the reader to understand.

I liked Aysel's description of the "black slug" inside her, sucking every bright and happy thought away. Aysel and Roman's depression was focused on in great detail and the author never held back. It was powerful and heartbreaking.

“Depression is like a heaviness that you can’t ever escape. It crushes down on you, making even the smallest things like tying your shoes or chewing on toast seem like a twenty-mile hike uphill. Depression is a part of you; it’s in your bones and your blood.��

You're probably wondering, "If this was such a great book, why only give it a 3 1/2 star rating?" While the beginning, middle, and most of the ending were extremely well-written, right about the last fifty pages everything that had been previously built up collapsed.

The fear of Aysel and Roman carrying out their suicide plan, the confusing mess of emotions they were battling . . . it was all gone. I'm honestly not sure what the author was thinking. It felt like the ending of a completely different book. I still don't understand it, but as it was only a small part of the novel it didn't lower my high regard for the rest of the story.

This was the best take on depression and maybe even the best "mental illness" book I've ever read. I highly recommend it. I just wish the ending had been stronger.

“It’s like your sadness is so deep and overwhelming that you’re worried it will drown everyone else in your life if you let them too close to it.��