My Review of Mad Girl by Bryony Gordon @bryony_gordon

Welcome to my Review of Mad Girl by Bryony Gordon!

What They Say:

Bryony Gordon has OCD.

It's the snake in her brain that has told her ever since she was a teenager that her world is about to come crashing down: that her family might die if she doesn't repeat a phrase 5 times, or that she might have murdered someone and forgotten about it. It's caused alopecia, bulimia, and drug dependency. And Bryony is sick of it. Keeping silent about her illness has given it a cachet it simply does not deserve, so here she shares her story with trademark wit and dazzling honesty.

A hugely successful columnist for the Telegraph, a bestselling author, and a happily married mother of an adorable daughter, Bryony has managed to laugh and live well while simultaneously grappling with her illness. Now it's time for her to speak out. Writing with her characteristic warmth and dark humour, Bryony explores her relationship with her OCD and depression as only she can.

Mad Girl is a shocking, funny, unpredictable, heart-wrenching, raw and jaw-droppingly truthful celebration of life with mental illness.

What I Say:

I knew from the minute I started reading Mad Girl, my life would be changed. I read The Wrong Knickers when it came out and it was immense so when I heard that Bryony had a new book on the way, I knew I had to read it.

I was sobbing by the second page of the prologue. I was gripped from the first word and that grip didn't loosen until after the final word. I finished reading this on Friday and I'm still not sure I can write a coherent review that will do any sort of justice...

Mental health is a subject that I'm just beginning to become familiar with. But with the help of this amazing book and some amazing friends, I am now seeking treatment for the first time. Turns out, I seem to have an anxiety disorder and depression but I am on medication and awaiting counselling... I no longer feel alone or like I'm strange. Bryony gave me courage to fight for my health and strength to change my life. I know that probably sounds cliché or a bit corny, but hand on heart, this is the truth. I've been scared for so long of the consequences of seeking help and now that I've done it, I am on the path to a bright future I never thought I'd have.

So, back to the book. Mad Girl is touching and raw. It's bold, honest and so, so important. This book will change lives. Bryony is so brave and such an inspiration and I hope one day I can thank her for that. This book needs to be read and loved and shared. There are parts that are desperately hard to read, they break your heart. But I knew in the back of my mind that Bryony wrote the book so she must have survived it. She literally lived to tell the tale...

This is the kind of book that I hope one day I can write. I want to use my experiences to help people. I want to inspire women to find the courage to change their lives, however scary it may be. Seeking help is terrifying, it makes things seem real. But this amazing book makes it seem less taboo and less lonely. That's something special.

Mad Girl is just the most amazing, powerful, important book I may ever read. 11/10

Thanks to Georgina Moore at Headline for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mad Girl is out on 7 June by Headline.