Looking for an unforgettable collection of the best YA books about depression and anxiety? As an award-winning author and veteran blogger about issue-driven YA fiction, I know how powerful stories can open conversations about difficult topics, such as anxiety, depression, and suicide.
You’ll find detailed reviews of a dozen great novels in the roundup below. I’m confident you’ll find something new to read for National Suicide Prevention Month. The list includes complex stories with both bullies and the bullied that are sure to generate discussion. I’m confident that you’ll find several new titles to love.
Straight A’s by Khristina Chess
Depression themes
Anxiety, suicide
What it’s about
As the semester slips away, a high-achieving teen secretly plans to end her life if she earns a B in calculus—until someone unexpected reminds her she’s more than a grade.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“I'm going to do it. November 4 is the last day of the grading period, and if I don't make perfect straight A’s, it's all over.“ ― Khristina Chess from Straight A’s
If you have ever known a teen struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide, Straight A’s is for you.
Kim has a plan: she’s going to end it.
She was supposed to be valedictorian. The top of her class. The girl with a future.
Then her parents split, and everything unraveled. She’s caught in the crossfire—bouncing between households, shouldering their meltdowns, and suffocating under expectations she can no longer meet.
The semester is slipping through her fingers. A single B in calculus could shatter everything—her #1 spot in her class, scholarships, dreams, escape. And if there’s no escape, what’s left?
But then she meets the new guy in Writer’s Club. A distraction she didn’t expect. A reason to hold on.
Raw, unflinching, and ultimately hopeful, Straight A’s is an unforgettable YA novel about the invisible weight of stress and anxiety that many teenagers carry. Readers searching for a story that truly understands the darkness—and dares to find light—this is it.
The History of Jane Doe by Michael Belanger
Depression themes
Suicide
What It’s About
A teen must come to terms with his girlfriend’s suicide.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“And most of all, Jane, f*#!ck you for leaving me here alone. For showing me happiness and then taking it all away.” ― Michael Belanger from The History of Jane Doe
I picked up this book because I saw a positive review on Goodreads, but I didn't have any real idea what it was about except "read this book." The back-and-forth in time was confusing at first, but it seemed to adequately reflect Ray's state of mind and how he was dealing with his grief and the events after his girlfriend committed suicide. The book does a great job of exploring the helpless and unanswerable questions that someone like Jane leaves us with. I felt empathy for her parents, for Simon, for Ray, for Ray's parents, even the counselor. History shows that she touched everyone deeply and differently.
She will not be forgotten.
You will want to read this YA book about depression and the effects of suicide on others. Ray is a voice worth knowing and listening to.
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Depression themes
Grief, suicide
What It’s About
In their shared grief and sadness, a boy and a girl form an unlikely relationship.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.” ― Jennifer Niven from All the Bright Places
Theodore Finch has more than a touch of the blues.
Violet Markey wants to escape the grief that lives in her hometown where her sister recently died.
Violet and Theodore are an unlikely couple, paired together on a school project to explore the natural wonders of their state. At first, Theodore seems to be the one helping Violet with her sadness, but Violet doesn’t have any understanding about the depth of Theodore’s despair. Along their journey, they make several unexpected discoveries about one another.
After re-reading this book a second time, I enjoyed it every bit as much as the the first. I liked the writing, the dual character viewpoints, the story, the language, and the symbolism.
Blue is a primary color.
This lovely YA book is about depression, and Niven handles all of these difficult topics with honesty and resonance. All the Bright Places is one of my all-time favorites.
Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined by Danielle Young-Ullman
Depression themes
Mental illness & suicide
What It’s About
A complex and beautiful story about a girl in a wilderness program for at-risk teens who comes to terms with her complex relationship with her famous diva mother.
Why I Love It - Book Review
In this absorbing novel, a broken mother-daughter relationship drives everything that’s happening, both in the present and in the past. The present is awful. Ingrid has been sent away to a 3-week wilderness program for at-risk teens, although she didn’t realize what she was signing up for at the time, and now she’s wet, miserable, mosquito-bitten, and trapped with a misfit group in the middle of nowhere. But she’s determined to see things through to prove something to her mother and earn the carrot, which is permission to attend a music school abroad.
The past is a complicated story about her mother’s beautiful opera voice and depression and its impact on Ingrid. There is a strong codependency relationship between the mother and daughter, since the mother is a depressed diva. From an early age, Ingrid took care of her mother since no father was in the picture.
I loved the mystery about how Ingrid ended up in the wilderness, and I was rooting for her to make it out.
If you are looking for a frank YA book about mental illness with real character depth and heartbreak, this one is one of my new favorites.
It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Depression themes
Mental health & suicide
What It’s About
A humorous and hopeful novel about a boy whose suicidal episode sends him on a very interesting journey through an adult psychiatric ward in a New York City hospital.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Tentacles is my term—the Tentacles are the evil tasks that invade my life. Like, for example, my American History class last week, which necessitated me writing a paper on the weapons of the Revolutionary War, which necessitated me traveling to the Metropolitan museum to check out some of the old guns, which necessitated me getting in the subway, which necessitated me being away from my cell phone and e-mail for 45 minutes, which meant that I didn’t get to respond to a mass mail sent out by my teacher asking who needed extra credit, which meant other kids snapped up the extra credit, which meant I wasn’t going to get a 98 in the class, which meant I wasn’t anywhere close to a 98.6 average (body temperature, that’s what you needed to get), which meant I wasn’t going to get into a Good College, which meant I wasn’t going to have a Good Job, which meant I wasn’t going to have health insurance, which meant I’d have to pay tremendous amounts of money for the shrinks and drugs my brain needed, which meant I wasn’t going to have enough money to pay for a Good Lifestyle, which meant I’d feel ashamed, which meant I’d get depressed, and that was the big one because I knew what that did to me: it made it so I wouldn’t get out of bed, which led to the ultimate thing—homelessness.” ― Ned Vizzini from It’s Kind of a Funny Story
That is the wonderful, funny, and utterly unique voice of the narrator of this novel, Craig Gilner, who has ambitious goals for his life but who also suffers from anxiety and depression. He’s trying. Really. But things like The Tentacles get in the way.
I loved this book! It is a humorous and hopeful novel about a boy whose suicidal episode sends him on a very interesting journey through an adult psychiatric ward in a New York City hospital.
This book is a must-read for anyone interested in YA novels about depression and anxiety.
Buy it. Read it. Ned Vizzini’s writing is masterful. It’s so incredibly sad that this author died from an apparent suicide.
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Depression themes
Mental illness & suicide
What It’s About
After the death of her father, a young girl isolates herself in her grief.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“She peels an orange, separates it in perfect halves, and gives one of them to me. If I could wear it like a friendship bracelet, I would. Instead I swallow it section by section and tell myself it means even more this way. To chew and to swallow in silence here with her.” ― Nina LaCour from We Are Okay
I wanted to read this book for many years on the basis of its cover alone. Look at it! I didn’t even know what the story was about, but it must be beautiful with artwork like that, right?
The book blurb doesn’t prepare you for what this story is about. The plot meanders between present and past. In the present, Marin is staying in her freshman dorm room alone over Christmas break because tragedy has occurred. What tragedy? Well, that’s the big mystery. Her best friend Mabel from California shows up to try to talk her into coming home, and oh by the way, the two of them were romantically involved in the past.
But not anymore.
Mabel doesn’t understand why Marin left without speaking, what happened in the interim, and why she is refusing to come home. Finding out these answers is the main story, but what this book is really about is grief, loneliness, betrayal, longing, being orphaned, and growing up.
I liked We Are Okay. It’s quiet. It’s understated and lovely. I really felt Marin’s sorrow.
If you are looking for YA books about depression, you definitely want to add this one to your TBR pile!
By The Time You Read This I’ll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters
Depression themes
Suicide
What It’s About
A bullied girl who failed her first suicide attempt intends to get it right the next time with the help of a website named Through the Light.
Why I Love It - Book Review
I want to tell them, "Chip, Kim, there is no way to suicide-proof a person.” ― Julie Anne Peters from By the Time You Read This I’ll Be Dead
Daelyn is going to kill herself in 23 days.
Daelyn is a bullied girl who failed her first suicide attempt but intends to get it right the next time. A website named Through the Light provides support to wanna-be suicide “completers” like Daelyn, and she spends a lot of free time there. Counting down the days.
Then she meets a boy. She tries to ignore him, but he’s pushy. Persistent. Charming, even.
But is he charming enough to keep her from going through the light when the countdown ends?
This short, brutal novel is a fast read. It’s not easy, happy, or hopeful, but it’s a raw and real look at suicide. If you are looking for the best YA books about depression and anxiety, this one is a must-read!
This Is Not a Love Letter by Kim Purcell
Depression themes
Suicide
What It’s About
A heartbreaking and beautiful mystery about a boy who went running one night and never came home.
Why I Love It - Book Review
Chris is missing.
While he’s gone, his girlfriend Jessie decides to write letters to him, so the entire book is a series of scenes narrated to Chris. The mystery of his disappearance deepens as more of the bullying that Chris had endured unfolds.
Heartbreaking, beautiful, and powerful, Jessie’s letters are her way of coming to terms with the fact that the boy she loved went running one night but never came home again.
Check out this hard-hitting YA book about depression and racism. It’s a great third-person look at the impact of depression on those who love the person and feel helpless to ease their suffering.
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
Depression themes
Grief & suicide
What It’s About
A grieving girl goes on a search for her mother, who she believes has turned into a bird.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Whose fault was it? That’s the question on everyone’s mind, isn’t it? Nobody will ever say it out loud. It’s a question people would call inappropriate. The kind of thing where everyone tells you, “It’s nobody’s fault.” But is that even true? It’s only human nature to look for a place to lay the blame. Our fingers are more than ready to do the pointing, but it’s like we’re all blindfolded and spinning. What makes a person want to die?” ― Emily X.R. Pan from The Astonishing Color of After
A young girl, Leigh Chen Sanders, is grieving the death of her mother, who committed suicide. Leigh believes that she turned into a bird, and she goes on a journey to visit her grandparents in Taiwan in search of her mother, the bird, and other family secrets.
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan is one of my top favorite YA reads. I discovered the novel after reading a Goodreads review so intriguing that I went hunting for the title during my next Barnes & Noble trip. The Astonishing Color of After was shelved under Teen Fantasy, a category where I never shop, so without seeing the great reviewer comments I might never have discovered this touching book about grief, culture, and family secrets.
This book wrecked me. The writing is so beautiful. Whether it’s the love story, the voice, the mystery, or the family culture aspect, there’s plenty of reasons why fans connect with this YA classic. I truly can’t say enough wonderful things about this amazing novel.
If you haven’t discovered it yet, you definitely want to make it one of the YA books on your list of YA books about depression. And if you have already read it, here’s my list of other great books for fans of The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan.
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
Depression themes
Anxiety & OCD
What It’s About
A compelling novel about an anxious girl with OCD who finds her tribe.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Everyone's got something. Some people are just better actors than others.” ― Tamara Ireland Stone from Every Last Word
I loved everything about this book. Sam is a flawed character with a story to share. Although on the surface she looks like a typical teenager with the normal set of diverse friends and interests, she is something else. She has a secret, OCD, which she hides from everyone.
Watching her new friendships and romantic relationship with AJ develop was compelling, and I was pleasantly surprised by some of the plot twists along the way. The poetry is awesome! Everything about Sam's world felt very vivid and rich--Poet's Corner, the swimming pool, Sue's office... The Odometer! There is so much depth to this novel. What a satisfying read all around.
If you are looking for YA books about anxiety struggles, this book belongs on your TBR stack!
Coywood Creek by Khristina Chess
Depression themes
Anxiety & coping mechanisms
What It’s About
A quirky dystopian thriller about teen battling anxiety and binge eating disorder, forced to adopt new coping strategies as society crumbles around her.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“With an unremarkable click, like a period at the end of a sentence, the world ended.” ― Khristina Chess from Coywood Creek
With that chilling opening, Coywood Creek takes off—an addictive dystopian novel that’s equal parts humor, heart, and survival.
At first, Zoey brushes off the blackout, the dead cell service, and the eerie northern lights. But as reality sets in, she knows one thing: she can’t stay in her parents’ condo alone. She sets out for Coywood Creek, hoping to find safety with her uncle and grandmother. Instead, she finds something else entirely.
Holy macaroni—this book is a page-turner! Zoey is sharp, relatable, and hilarious, navigating the collapse of civilization with her signature sarcasm (and a bag of OREO cookies). Her banter with Kent made me laugh out loud, even as the novel’s deeper themes—resilience, uncertainty, and survival—kept me hooked. But more than anything, Coywood Creek forces you to ask: How fragile are we without our technology?
If you are looking for the best YA books about anxiety (and the end of the world will definitely create some anxiety), you don’t need to look any further than Khristina Chess. In fact, all of her books are issue-driven stories about real and difficult problems, which is why I’ve included her on my Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited.
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Depression themes
Suicide
What It’s About
A girl commits suicide and leaves a series of tapes that reveal the bullying that ultimately led her to kill herself.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything… affects everything.” ― Jay Asher from Thirteen Reasons Why
Hannah Baker committed suicide, and she left behind 13 tapes explaining why she did it.
When Clay receives these tapes, he goes on a journey to understand why she did it. It’s a terrible story involving crimes, and with every tape, there is suspense in wondering how Clay contributed to this girl’s death.
Clay is a nice guy. He has a thing for Hannah. It doesn’t seem he could have anything to do with it, but this story shows how you often don’t know what another person is going through.
Jay Asher’s popular novel, Thirteen Reasons Why, is one of the best YA books about depression and suicide, and it’s one of the most popular YA books about bullying. It became a super-popular series on Netflix; there’s a reason it has become a #1 New York Times and International Bestseller. Thirteen Reasons Why definitely belongs on the list of best banned YA books to read.
Other YA Books about Depression and Anxiety
Because this is such an important topic impacting many people, Goodreads has several popular lists, including: YA Books About/Mentioning Depression, Self Harm, and Suicide, Goodreads Depression Book Lists, and Goodreads Popular YA Suicide Books. In addition, check out my post, Diverse Collection of YA Books about Mental Illness for other great reads about mental health issues. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which lists other reviews of YA contemporary books about tough topics for teens.
Author Bio
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Hollow Beauty, her book about eating disorders, was named a finalist in the Next Generation India Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, and adventure.
In a recent interview from her alma mater, she described how her experience in the creative writing program prepared her for success.
