{My thoughts} – I just picked a random book out of my review pile for Scholastic and started reading it. Most of the books I have an idea of what they are about, but a majority of the time it’s a nice little mystery until I start reading. This book was definitely a nice little mystery.

Vicky lost her mother at a young age and her father remarried not long after. Her older sister Becca moved on in much the same way as their father. This left Vicky in the dark alone, sad and missing her mother, no one seemed to share or display the sane feelings she had which was causing a kind of rift between the members of the family without them actually realizing it was happening.

Vicky decided that since she felt so empty and alone that she’d take her own life. She attempted but her cat and her Nana saved her life. It’s a lucky thing that she was able to live through what she’d done and that she’d been given a second chance.

The book covers suicide awareness as well as depression awareness. Vicky’s main issue is a depression that had been ignored and not treated. When that happens it has the potential to escalate into suicide tendencies.

I know about both topics all to well. They have both effected my life in one way or another. Making people aware that they aren’t alone and that there is real hope at the end of the long dark tunnel is the only thing that can be honestly done. Hope is essential and important to assist with the desire to move forward.

Once Vicky started to hope and understand that there was a real future for her is when she started to accept her illness as just that an illness. It’s not something that defines an individual it just has the potential to make life a little more complicated for those suffering from it.

I highly recommend this book for anyone that’s ever felt depressed or suicidal. It’s incredibly well written and helps to show that no matter how alone you may feel in the terrible dark times, that your never truly alone. ( )

{My thoughts} – I just picked a random book out of my review pile for Scholastic and started reading it. Most of the books I have an idea of what they are about, but a majority of the time it’s a nice little mystery until I start reading. This book was definitely a nice little mystery.

Vicky lost her mother at a young age and her father remarried not long after. Her older sister Becca moved on in much the same way as their father. This left Vicky in the dark alone, sad and missing her mother, no one seemed to share or display the sane feelings she had which was causing a kind of rift between the members of the family without them actually realizing it was happening.

Vicky decided that since she felt so empty and alone that she’d take her own life. She attempted but her cat and her Nana saved her life. It’s a lucky thing that she was able to live through what she’d done and that she’d been given a second chance.

The book covers suicide awareness as well as depression awareness. Vicky’s main issue is a depression that had been ignored and not treated. When that happens it has the potential to escalate into suicide tendencies.

I know about both topics all to well. They have both effected my life in one way or another. Making people aware that they aren’t alone and that there is real hope at the end of the long dark tunnel is the only thing that can be honestly done. Hope is essential and important to assist with the desire to move forward.

Once Vicky started to hope and understand that there was a real future for her is when she started to accept her illness as just that an illness. It’s not something that defines an individual it just has the potential to make life a little more complicated for those suffering from it.

I highly recommend this book for anyone that’s ever felt depressed or suicidal. It’s incredibly well written and helps to show that no matter how alone you may feel in the terrible dark times, that your never truly alone. ( )

3 1/2 stars rounded up to four.

The Memory of Light is a about a depressed girl named Vicky Cruz who attempts suicide at the beginning of the book and spends the remainder of the book recovering. I recognized and related to her story, having struggled with depression my whole life, however it didn't resonate with me as deeply as [b:We Are the Ants|23677341|We Are the Ants|Shaun David Hutchinson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1425574151s/23677341.jpg|43285034].

I felt like Vicky's narrative could have been deeper than it was, but I was pulled along emotionally by her story, as well as the other patients she befriends, Gabriel, Mona and E.M. I found E.M. a particularly likable and interesting character.

Overall, I think that The Memory of Light is an important book and one that could really help struggling teenagers but it didn't quite connect to me in the way I wanted. ( )

CW: Recovering from suicide attempts ( )

SYNC: Depression is a real problem for many today, especially since 2020 shut the world down. I loved this book, the characters were so real and their battles with varied mental health issues so compelling, they way this group became a "family" was wonderful. I was totally into it, then the author told his own story with depression - it only raised by recommendation - I'd give it a 10 if that was possible. I have read and loved several books by Mr. Stork, he is a wonderful author. Highly recommended.

Frankie Corzo's delivery is beautifully suited to Stork's spirited narrator and strong characters in this story of loss, hope, and fighting for yourself in trying times. After Vicky Cruz attempts to end her life, she finds herself in the Mental Disorders Ward of Lakeview Hospital. Electing to stay and seek treatment, Vicky soon meets people who accept her as she is, and finds a strength and determination she hadn't thought possible. Through Corzo's characterizations, listeners will meet bubbly Mona, gruff E.M., kind Gabriel, and steadfast Doctor Desai, all of whom have wisdom to share. Varied pacing expertly captures the contrast between time spent in and out of treatment. ( )