Diaries of a Borderline

by Blue Evergarden

Absolutely beautiful, even when the emotions reflect a haunting sadness… showing renewal and courage in breathtaking imagery. Very, very highly recommended. — Asher Syed, Readers’ Favorite (5 Stars)

Blue Evergarden’s Diaries of a Borderline offers an intimate and transformative poetic journey, following a single protagonist’s quest for self-love and healing. Artfully divided into four parts, each section vividly portrays a tumultuous emotional odyssey.

Part 1, “Diaries of a Borderline” centers on unraveling the aftermath of trauma, chronicling the protagonist’s struggle with dissociation, loneliness, and the elusive pursuit of reclaiming a shattered identity.

Delving deeper in Part 2, “This is Why She Falls Apart,” Evergarden explores the delicate tapestry of self-worth and self-love, tracing the complicated journey of survival and reliance amidst inner turmoil and despair.

Entering a transformative phase in Part 3, “Leaving Her Graveyard,” the protagonist awakens to the potential of becoming everything she once believed she wasn’t, finding the resilience to confront her inner demons and emerge stronger.

Part 4, “The Gifts She Found,” celebrates the protagonist’s triumphant emergence into self-acceptance and inner tranquility. This final section encapsulates the euphoria of releasing past burdens, discovering self-love, and embracing the promise of a brighter future.

Diaries of a Borderline is a poignant, soul-stirring journey through the complexities of mental health and the transformative power of healing. With vivid prose and raw emotion, Evergarden weaves a tapestry of hope and resilience, inspiring those who tread similar paths.

Genres: Poetry

188 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 6, 2025

About the author

Blue Evergarden is a contemporary poet and author whose work illuminates themes of mental health, identity, healing, and emotional resilience through lyrical, accessible language. Their debut poetry collection, Diaries of a Borderline, offers an intimate exploration of life with Borderline Personality Disorder, complex trauma, and dissociation—crafted with honesty, care, and profound compassion.
Blending confessional poetry with mythic imagery and somatic awareness, Blue’s writing invites readers into moments of vulnerability without sensationalism. Their work positions the body as a vessel of memory and recovery, weaving together threads of softness, survival, anger, tenderness, and return. Rather than prescribing answers, their poems create space for recognition and reflection, allowing readers to feel seen without the pressure of being “fixed.”
Beyond books, Blue produces poetry zines and short-form collections that expand the Evergarden mythos—an evolving creative world devoted to emotional alchemy, self-witnessing, and transformation. Their work resonates deeply with those seeking language for complex inner lives, particularly readers navigating trauma, neurodivergence, or recovery.

Reviews

[Karissa ₊˚⊹ ᰔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

➵

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First, I want to say a huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Just… wow. As someone who struggles with mental health, this book felt like reading pieces of my own soul on the page. Blue Evergarden captures the raw, messy, and painful reality of living with BPD in a way that doesn’t sugarcoat or romanticize it but also doesn’t make you feel like you’re completely alone in it.

The writing is hauntingly beautiful, like poetry wrapped in chaos, and the emotions hit so hard that I had to take breaks just to breathe. The way the author describes love, abandonment, self-destruction, and the desperate need to feel something, it’s all so painfully relatable. There were so many times I wanted to scream, “Yes! This! Someone finally gets it!”

This isn’t an easy read, but it’s an important one. It’s not just for people with BPD, it’s for anyone who has ever felt broken, lost, or too much. If you want to understand what it’s like to live with this disorder, or if you just need to feel seen, Diaries of a Borderline is the book you need to read.

5/5 stars. No question.

➵

[Agnes Odek · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.7 🌟

Evergarden Blue’s Diaries of a Borderline portrays the protagonist's journey as she struggles with trauma, guilt, and self-worth. The death of her mother and sister took a toll on her mind. Albeit her mother was abusive, she has conflicting emotions with her departure. She strives to find mental peace.

The author's writing is simple and easy to understand. After getting curious about the title, I concluded that the protagonist suffered from borderline personality disorder. From my assumption it was heightened by grief and the thoughts her mother planted in her mind of not being good enough. Due to its simplicity, one finds it easy to immerse oneself in its contents. Her pain, her mental struggle, and her clarity were vividly displayed. I highly recommend it to poetry lovers.

[Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Diaries of a Borderline

#GoodReadsGiveaway
I am beginning to get more of a taste for poetry. I wish greatly that I can reach through the pages and hug Blue and tell her everything is okay, not to lose her strength and never give up. This was definitely over some deeper topics we often struggle to confront and talk about with others like, grief and self-harm. I admire that. I felt I could relate to some. Other parts didn’t flow as smoothly. I’m beginning to wonder if this would have been better as an actual story, not everyone is meant to write poetry. Most of the book was too repetitive and clashed, I had to re-read a couple parts. Poetry is supposed to flow easily like a river, this was just choppy like a rough sea during a storm.

[Cozy Beauty Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This poety/ verse story about girl who has BPD and other mental illness its struggling to cope with a difficult relationship she has with her mother. This story deals a lot with drespression, self harm, other mental illness and wishing on suicide. I found this to be very depressing. Every page of the book that i read i want the narrortor to finally find peace with herself and her mom and have more guidance. I felt as i was reading it it was dampen my mood and im normally i light hearted person. I had to unfortunately dnf almost half way though because i felt my mood change which normally doesnt happen while reading. But since this is on such a heavy topic i just couldnt finish it. Also it can be triggering for some people who had BPD or any mental illness like depression. I think people who maybe facing a similar situation and need more understanding from another perspective i think theyll love this.


This writing is nice it flowed well i just couldnt deal with such a heavy topic at this time.

Thanks to netgalley for allowing to me sharing my honest review


Rating 2.75 🌟🌟🌟

[Oviya Balan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!

This poetry book was supposed to lift me up from my poetry slump. If anything, it just pushed me deep back in.

The story follows a girl who is clearly depressed due to her strained relationship with her mother. And then slowly takes us through her life where she contemplates self-harm and then slowly grows to love herself.

The only issue here is its repetitive. Its like reading one poem "I am thirsty", the next "I am thirsty so I had water" , and another "I am thirsty like never before" and so on and on.

After a point, you just know what the particular poem gonna be even before it starts.

#DiariesofaBorderline #NetGalley

[Raven Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who's slowly working through trauma this was a book I could relate to. The overall writing was amazing and gives an actual account of BPD instead of the sugar-coated version the media feeds us. I really enjoyed this read it just took me a minute to process this book before posting the review. Thanks NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC.
4.8/5

[Slmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

At its heart, Diaries of a Borderline is a mirror into the inner battles and quiet victories that come with learning to love yourself after deep hurt. Author Blue Evergarden writes in a way that makes readers feel as if they’ve stepped into someone’s private journal, where the rawest moments are written down without filters. It’s personal, but it’s also deeply universal.

The book doesn’t read like a straight road from hurt to healing. Instead, it feels more like walking through a house with many rooms. Some dark, some bright, some heavy with silence, and others full of surprising light. In each space, the author leaves behind words that show both the struggle and the stubborn hope of someone who refuses to stay broken.

What makes this collection different is how easy it is to connect with. The poems are short and simple, but they carry a lot of weight. My favorite part of this book is that you don’t need to know anything about mental health or poetry to feel what Blue is sharing. You only need to be human. Anyone who has ever faced loss, doubt, or the long climb back toward self-acceptance will see themselves in these pages.

By the time you reach the end, the book feels less like reading someone else’s diary and more like having written one of your own. There’s a sense of relief, even peace, the kind when you realize that even the hardest stories can end with growth, love, and a new beginning.

Diaries of a Borderline is more than poetry. It’s proof that even when life feels like a collapse, it can also be a blueprint for rebuilding. Loved it.

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Diary of a Borderline. It’s dark, it feels intrusive, it’s personal. Parts of it were strangely, almost uncomfortably, relatable. It’s like intrusive thoughts and deepest darkest feelings articulated into a beautiful poetic journey. Highly recommend.

[Kendall Carroll · Rating 1 out of 5]

(1.5 stars, rounded down)
(Also, won in a Goodreads Giveaway)

I guess I didn't look too closely when I entered the Giveaway; as soon as I opened it on Kindle, the cover looked like it was AI. I don't want to randomly accuse anyone of anything, so I did my due diligence here. I zoomed in on the girl and asked an AI detection website, which said it was definitely AI. I also reverse image searched the same zoomed-in photo, which gave me a lot of AI images that looked the same. I know that not every author makes their own covers, but if generative AI is used in one part of the book writing process, how else has it been used? When the answer needs to be "none," this is a concerning first impression to have.

Now, I don't know if this is the author's own cover or if this is a publisher putting an author in a bad spot, but — as far as I'm concerned — someone made a bad call here. Had I come across the book on my own, I would've just passed on it. However, I think there's a certain expectation of a review when you get a book from a Goodreads Giveaway, so I persisted.

Unfortunately, the actual content of the book wasn't that impressive either. I struggle to review poetry books, as I don't find that to be my expertise, but I know that I have read poetry that I liked and poetry that I didn't, and this one was tragically in the latter camp.

The poetry was incredibly repetitive. Sometimes repetition is good and impactful in poetry, but this just felt monotonous. The same imagery and metaphors were used constantly, especially in the first section, and it never felt like it was building upon itself. This made all the poems (which, while they were one body of work, they also are independent works) blur together.

I was also confused by the overall narrative. We are following a character who has experienced specific things, but it was hard to follow what those things were. Additionally, there were a few characters we'd meet or specific entities that would be referenced repeatedly, and none of these felt fully realized. It was the idea of continuity, but really it was just a collection of thoughts.

The writing style also just didn't work for me. It felt like a collection of sentences that were trying too hard to be deep put together rather than poetry that follows a rhythm or flow. The language also had a tendency to waffle between flowery and literal too much and too frequently, often within the same sentence. I feel like all of this really hindered the message it was trying to send and weakened the impact of the main character's experiences.

Had I come across this book naturally, I would've just passed it on. This book was really just not for me, and I'm really disappointed by whoever made the cover decisions. As it was, the book was underwhelming and didn't leave a lasting impression.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 amazing stars!

Thank you to the author and the publisher for making it possible for me to experience this book.

The raw emotion touched me to my very core. I absolutely relate with so many words in this book. Most of all, I finished it feeling hopeful that my own journey can possibly get better. I felt seen and understood.

[Charles Magesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an Amazing and Emotional Poetry

Diaries of a Borderline by Blue Evergarden is a captivating collection of poems that takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster. The poems reflect the journey of a girl grappling with the grief of losing her mother and sister. Throughout the collection, we witness her transformation from a state of mourning and devastation to one of acceptance, as she learns to cope with her loss and ultimately moves forward with her life.

I appreciated the author’s creativity in making the story truly relatable, allowing me to feel the depth of the girl's sorrow. While reading, I could vividly envision the girl and her surroundings, as if I were watching a movie. Additionally, the author skillfully guides readers in similar situations through the healing process, creating a meaningful connection to the story.

The book's layout also stood out to me; the accompanying images perfectly represent the themes of each section. I enjoyed the personification and word choice, which enhanced the storytelling. The narrative was suspenseful and immersive, with each section flowing seamlessly into the next. This is one of the best poetry collections I have read so far.

I thoroughly enjoyed Diaries of a Borderline, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves poetry.

[Alejandro Soto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margins of the Self: Cartographies from its threshold

Blue Evergarden’s Diaries of a Borderline is a hauntingly introspective poetic tale that endeavours to render the internal topography of a fragmented psyche through lyrical excavation. Structured into four thematic movements, the text presents not so much a linear narrative as a palimpsest of recurring wounds, cyclical thoughts, and fluctuating self-perceptions. Each section—beginning with the trauma-saturated dissolution of self and concluding in a tentative embrace of inner reconciliation—serves less as a chapter and more as an emotional state suspended in poetic time. The speaker’s disintegration in the opening part is rendered through motifs of isolation, detachment, and erasure, while subsequent sections subtly shift toward an affirmation of survival and a reconstitution of identity, albeit one that remains fragile and ambivalent, as every human identity.

The poetics themselves oscillate between searing clarity and evocative abstraction, employing repetition not merely for stylistic cohesion but as a textual embodiment of intrusive thought and emotional looping—a common feature of the borderline condition. However, this same technique, while powerful, occasionally leads to diminished impact across the collection. At times, the recurrence of similar imagery or emotional registers results in a flattening of affect rather than a deepening. Yet in its most compelling moments—particularly in the penultimate and final sections—the work achieves a raw and cathartic luminosity, gesturing toward the redemptive possibilities of self-reclamation. Prose interludes scattered throughout add a welcome contrast in pacing and tone, offering moments of quiet insight amidst the emotional crescendo.

Ultimately, Diaries of a Borderline operates not simply as a mere poetic text but as a testimonial cartography of survival. While uneven in its execution, its ambition and emotional authenticity render it a significant contribution to contemporary writing on mental health struggles. Evergarden resists both medicalisation and romanticisation, instead offering a voice that is at once bruised and unyielding, inviting readers not just to observe but to inhabit the vertiginous spaces between damage and becoming. A fantastic read!

[Antony Wairiuko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant Anthology

Diaries of a Borderline is a 178-page, March 2025 book by Blue Evergarden. The poetry anthology has nine parts.

The title-inspiring Diaries of a Borderline section has 34 poems about a quest for healing amid a personality disorder. Containing 32 “diaries” and 2 prophetic poems, its heart-touching introspection and retrospection narrative will grab and sustain your attention throughout. Here, I especially liked diaries i, vi, vii, ix, xvi and xviii. The narrator is lonely, hated, scared, hopeless yet hopeful, haunted, wounded, empty, traumatized, has lost dreams, sleepless, betrayed, remorseful, grieving and helpless.

Some literary takeaways: “shadows…strangling… remnants of sunshine,” “nightmares are her happily ever afters,” “she pours her soul into her cracks…scars bloom the roses,” “wears discomfort…breath is hot like a desert,” “gallows swallow the light,” “sunflowers grow from tears,” “edge of sanity,” “hate riddled her bones,” “from a Glock to shock the rock,” “sea of darkness,” and “night is cruel…velvety night”.

The universal themes continue in the This Is Why She Falls Apart part, with 27 poems. Favorite poems: hope chooses to live, a good day, and coming home.

Some literary takeaways: “sew her dreams,” “sun sleeps,” “kiss the seeds of hope,” “knives for smiles,” “self-hate was sewn into her heart,” “weave compassion,” “kissed by sunshine, breathed…by hope,” “sunshine catches her tears,” and “sun awake”.

The author's adeptness at capturing humanness continues in the same vein throughout: Leaving Her Mother's Graveyard, with seven poems; The Gifts She Found, with two poems; The Gifts of Water: The Heart Is How We See Ourselves, with nine poems; The Gifts of Earth: A Soul Sprouts, with nine poems; The Gifts of Fire: Illuminating the Deeper Mysteries, with seven poems; The Gifts of Air: The Breath of Revelation, with 13 poems; and Letters from beyond the Butterflies, with 12 poems:

There are many other likeable poems (like it starts with hope, first steps, revelations, and the dear older/younger blue poems) and more witty literary takeaways (like “weeps dreams,” “bed filling her head with dread,” “broken moonbeams lead her home,” “bleeds the dreams,” “sunlight…warm memories sorrow once filled,” “rainbow rivers meet at the pond of dreams,” “bloomed beauty beautifully,” and “rainbow rivers ripple across time’s essence”). 

A brilliant anthology, the recommendable Diaries of a Borderline has a lot of wisdom but bright readers must first decipher its vivid literary elements.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diaries of a Borderline is a haunting poetic journey centring on the protagonist's reflective mental health issues and their path to self-love, healing, and acceptance. Divided into sections, Evergarden artfully portrays the darker side of mental health, loss of innocence and the budding hope that leads to healing, which is thoughtful and poignant.

Going into this, I think many people will find a sort of camaraderie with the poetic entries, whether it be an understanding for people they know or a reflective mirror to look into. These pages are filled with emotion conveyed through hauntingly vivid imagery and heartfelt lyrical language. The descriptive language showcases detachment and a deep sense of loss and despair, which emphasises a resounding sense of hopelessness. Darker subjects such as death, self-harm, and suicide are explored. It can be a heavy read for some people. However, the delicate way in which Evergarden explores these dark themes reveals the insidious nature of mental health illnesses such as depression and bipolar disorder.
Other themes that stuck out to me were facade vs reality, loss, nature, loneliness, healing and self-love.

Like the title, the poetry entries read similarly to a diary and, at times, turn into a story-like telling. This technique also adds to the poetry. As you read, you are struck with the image of a young girl, teen, or adult writing in their diary. Most diaries are secret, so it feels like we're looking into private thoughts. I applaud this creative approach as it allows a more in-depth look into serious issues and permits a more candid view of mental health.

An emotional read that will no doubt resonate with many people.

[Kibet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vulnerable, powerful, and inspiring

This is a deeply moving and beautifully written poetic journey through trauma, survival, and ultimately self love. The book is divided into four distinct parts, each capturing a different stage of the protagonist’s emotional healing. From the raw pain and disconnection in the beginning to the quiet triumph of acceptance at the end, every section feels authentic and heartfelt.
What makes this collection stand out is its honesty. Evergarden doesn’t shy away from the darkness of dissociation, loneliness, or despair, yet she also carefully threads in moments of resilience and hope. The language is lyrical and powerful, giving voice to feelings that are often difficult to put into words. Readers who have struggled with mental health challenges will see reflections of themselves in these pages, while others will come away with a deeper empathy and understanding.
By the time the final section arrives, the book transforms into a celebration of self discovery and strength. It’s uplifting without dismissing the difficult journey it takes to get there, which makes the message of healing feel earned and real.
It is not only a collection of poems but also a companion for anyone walking through hardship and searching for light. It’s raw, vulnerable, and deeply inspiring, a reminder that healing is possible and that beauty can be found in even the most painful of journeys.

[Anthony Le · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acknowledgements:
Thank you to Author Blue Evergarden and Platform NetGalley for providing free access to an electronic copy of this work.

Review:
A deeply open and personal diary-meets-memoir, this collection provides insight into an anxious, borderline mind and poses the question, “Do life events/circumstances cause or exacerbate our instabilities?” Author Blue Evergarden consistently provides a vulnerable voice while sharing tidbits of an actual life lived.
Some of the recurring elements and themes are highly repetitive, which some readers may recognize as authentic to the anxieties and doubts plaguing individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). There are pieces I feel may benefit from being put together as they echo the same stories but do not always push commentaries further to differentiate themselves.
The narratives and flooding thoughts are highly relatable to various audiences. BPD experiences are authentic and not accentuated for the sake of any agenda but to provide raw insight.
This is a great example of vulnerability which connects strangers through empathy and shared/similar emotions.

Highlights:
I am drawn to the letters between young and older selves; these are layered with nuances in experiences and life lessons learned. Phenomenal questions and hindsight insights are presented in raw naivete here.

[Naman Pande · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book digs deep into emotional trauma, self-discovery, and healing. It revolves around the struggles of a protagonist trying to process her painful experiences. Writing with honesty and vulnerability sets this book apart from ordinary works. It is written in the form of poems, which makes the journey vivid and unforgettable.

The story begins with heavy themes of loneliness, dissociation, and self-doubt, and ends with hope, resilience, and self-love. The protagonist’s journey of overcoming her struggles is both motivating and inspiring. The book feels like a friend who stands by you in difficult times.

With such intense and relatable writing, the pain can sometimes feel overwhelming. The emotional depth and poetic style may even bring up memories of your own past traumas.

Overall, this book touches both the heart and soul. It is not an easy read, but it is one that stays with you, offering hope, understanding, and a reminder that no matter the situation, we can overcome it.

[Lia Dospetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my best friends has been diagnosed with Borderline traits, and albeit not fully Borderline, reading this collection of poems helped me understand her better, especially her insatiable need for love and acceptance. It's like a well that never fills, constantly craving for more, and drying up at the slightest mention of criticism. There's no shades of grey in a Borderline's conception of emotions, it's all black or white, north or south, with nothing in between and therefore, easily breaking, and the person themselves turns into their own worst enemy. That's fear of abandonment and emotional dysregulation at their worst.

But don't let me tell you about it. Read Blue Evergarden's poetry! Her beautiful rhymes will pull at your heartstrings. I wanted to hug her.

Thank you, Blue, for such an honest (and painful) collection.

5/5 stars.

- Lia Mara Dospetti

[Gekeya Pinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue Evergarden’s Diaries of a Borderline, really opened my heart & mind to what Borderline Personality Disorder is. You go through her emotions of trauma, fear, denial, in need of love, needing acceptance, suicidal thoughts & many more. If someone asked me to describe BPD to them, I would recommend this poetry even if others have different experiences, it’s nice for them to see another point of view and know that they are seen & heard. I love the journey we as readers go through with her, it’s moments where I have to go back & read a certain part to fully understand the next because things are changing constantly with her emotions in her mind. For me, with this poetry, it doesn’t have to rhyme to tell a story, the descriptions & the imagery gives you all of the art you need in your mind as you imagine what could be happening.

[Andrea (Isa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

raw truth in verse!!!

Blue Evergarden’s poetry collection hits you right in the chest from the first page. This isn’t pretty, on-the-surface writing about mental health. It’s messy, honest, and sometimes uncomfortable in all the right ways.

Evergarden writes about BPD with a rawness that feels authentic and captures that exhausting cycle of intense emotions and the constant battle between self-destruction and hope. The strongest pieces in this collection are the ones that find unexpected moments of beauty within the chaos.

If you’re looking for poetry that tackles mental health without sugar-coating it, this collection delivers. It’s heavy reading, but the most important reading.

[Donna Emperador · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rain washing over the soul

This is a book about healing. As someone who has suffered from depression, I can relate to the raw feelings the author emitted. While painful, this book takes the reader on a poetic journey beginning with self hate, traveling through confusion, and ending in new hope.

This book is for all those who have fallen into the abyss of despair and saw no way to crawl out. It is for those who have suffered for so long that they don't know who they are without the pain. It is for all those who want to heal and keep hope alive.

[Iara Moure · Rating 2 out of 5]

Este libro en verso aborda temas muy duros como el trastorno límite de la personalidad, la depresión, la autolesión y los pensamientos suicidas. Aunque valoro la intención y la honestidad de la autora, me resultó demasiado denso emocionalmente y terminé abandonándolo a la mitad.

La escritura es fluida, pero muchos poemas se sienten repetitivos y dificultan la conexión con el texto. Aun así, hubo algunas piezas en prosa que me parecieron valiosas. Creo que puede resonar con quienes atraviesan experiencias similares, pero en mi caso fue una lectura demasiado pesada para disfrutarla.

[Frida · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The book is very nice with lots of insight in the authors mind. There are lots of things I can recognise myself in, just from having dealt with mental health issues before - even though they are different from the authors struggles.

I did find some of the poems very similar to each other, and therefore a bit redundant at times, which is why I rate it 3 stars instead of 4.

Definitely a book worth reading!

[Bee · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 50%

I am a borderline myself and though I love that I can resonate with so much, the poetry itself is very repetitive so it felt like a chore to even make it this far.

[Manik and Sayee |favbookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diaries of a Borderline by Blue Evergarden is a collection of poetry that reads like a personal diary. It follows the complicated emotions and thoughts of someone dealing with trauma, identity issues, and healing. The book is divided into four parts, taking readers on a raw journey that starts with deep emotional pain and gradually moves toward healing and acceptance. Initially, the themes center on feelings of loneliness, disconnection, and the burden of past experiences. Then, it shifts to topics of survival and finding self-worth. As the story progresses, the main character becomes more resilient, facing inner battles directly and discovering strength where there was once only sadness. The last section portrays a quiet victory, highlighting the release from burdens and the hope for peace. With short, impactful verses, this collection blends pain and beauty, despair and hope, creating a powerful image of mental illness that is both haunting and transformative.

Review: Diaries of a Borderline by Blue Evergarden stands out because of its raw and honest expression. The title is meaningful, suggesting both privacy and revelation, as if readers can look into personal journals that show the constant emotional turmoil of living with Borderline Personality Disorder.

The tone of the collection is confessional and intense, moving between dark and tender moments, reflecting the inner journey of the protagonist. The four-part structure gives a sense of progress, even though the emotions within each section often feel cyclical rather than straight-lined.

Poetically, the verses are short and stripped down, filled with imagery related to nature and symbols of decay and renewal, such as roses, shadows, and graves. This captures the coexistence of beauty and pain, giving the collection its poetic depth. The simplicity works well but can sometimes feel repetitive, with emotions expressed in slightly different ways. The repetition, however, mirrors the circular patterns of thought common to trauma and mental illness, which gives the work an authenticity even when it risks monotony.

What makes this collection stand out is the balance between despair and resilience, leaving readers with a sense of transformation rather than hopelessness. Readers who enjoy confessional poetry, works focused on mental health, or stories about trauma and healing will connect deeply with this collection. For its emotional power, clear structure, and symbolic richness, despite the occasional repetitive feel, this collection deserves a solid 4 out of 5.

[Beatrice Manuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blue Evergarden’s Diaries of a Borderline is less a book you simply read and more an emotional journey you live through. Told in verse, this collection feels like opening someone’s most private journal—the kind of pages that are written in the dead of night, where nothing is censored and everything is raw.

The poems are arranged into four sections, tracing a path from darkness to light. It begins with the heaviness of trauma and dissociation—loneliness that feels bone-deep, identity fractured beyond recognition. From there, the voice moves into survival mode, grappling with self-worth and the shaky process of learning how to hold onto life when despair keeps tugging at your sleeves. By the third part, there’s a stirring shift: the protagonist begins to confront her own demons, daring to believe she can be more than the sum of her pain. The final section feels like a quiet sunrise—self-love, healing, and a fragile but real peace taking root.

What struck me most is how unflinchingly honest it is. The poems don’t dress up the pain, but they also don’t let it have the last word. The writing is pared down—short lines, sharp images, bursts of feeling that land like confessions. At times, it’s heavy enough to make you pause and breathe, yet the progression through the four parts gives it momentum. You feel the movement from despair to resilience, even if it’s not a straight line.

It’s not an easy read, but it’s not meant to be. This is poetry as catharsis, a mirror for anyone who’s wrestled with mental illness, trauma, or the messy, nonlinear road to self-acceptance. It hurts, but it also heals.

Raw, intimate, and ultimately hopeful—Diaries of a Borderline is a reminder that even in the thick of darkness, transformation is possible. If you’re drawn to confessional poetry that doesn’t shy away from pain but still leaves you with light, this one will stay with you long after you close it.

[Muhammed · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Diaries of a Borderline, Blue Evergarden offers a raw, lyrical exploration of living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), blending poetry and prose into an unflinching yet delicate narrative of emotional fragmentation, survival, and the search for identity. Structured into thematic movements rather than chapters, the work moves from dissolution to tentative healing, allowing readers to experience the turbulent inner world of its narrator. The repetition—while occasionally overwhelming—mirrors the cyclical nature of intrusive thoughts and emotional spirals, making the collection not just a reading experience, but an immersive emotional encounter.

What stands out in Evergarden’s work is its poetic honesty and refusal to romanticize mental illness. Instead, she presents a brutally intimate portrayal of pain, isolation, and disassociation—yet also manages to interweave themes of nature, healing, and self-acceptance. The haunting imagery, vivid emotional language, and story-like diary entries draw readers into a deeply personal journey. As the speaker shifts from self-erasure to fragile self-reclamation, we are reminded that recovery is not linear but layered, ongoing, and deeply human.

This book will resonate with anyone who has battled their own mental health demons or supported a loved one through theirs. Though the repetition can feel heavy at times, its purpose is clear: to replicate the mental loops of a distressed mind. Diaries of a Borderline is more than just a collection of poetry—it’s a powerful testimony, an act of emotional courage, and a call for empathy. Blue Evergarden has gifted readers with an unforgettable and necessary portrait of what it means to fall apart—and to begin again.

[Tima · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sense of pain, loneliness, trauma, and pessimism runs through this book, as if life has become a mere shadow of what it once was. It evokes the aftermath of trauma with no apparent cure. Haunted by thoughts of destruction and suicide, SHE reaches out for help. Blue Evergarden's Diaries of Borderline is a poetic exploration of life and its struggles. It captures the complexities of emotional turmoil and the personal journey through fractured thoughts.

One of the most striking aspects of this book is its raw and unfiltered expression. Each short poem carries immense emotional weight. The collection is divided into ten segments, arranged in a way that flows naturally and chronologically. A constant thread of grief runs throughout, with brief moments of solace found in nature. Loss gives way to a loneliness so deep that nothing seems capable of mending it.

The symbolism in the language adds depth, shedding light on themes of abandonment and the fear of being trapped in darkness. Yet, amidst the despair, there are glimpses of healing like a rose growing with its thorns, suggesting growth through pain.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's concise, the language is simple yet impactful, and its directness leaves a lasting impression. It beautifully encapsulates a profound life journey.

[John Kamande · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diaries of a Borderline by Blue Evergarden is a deep read! Blue invites the reader to have a firsthand experience of what it feels like to have a mental instability in this case BPD. I had not heard of this before and it was a good opportunity to understand what it is through her poems. These poems are short and quite easy to understand. They help to convey a deeper and heavy subject in a very straightforward and simple manner. The author has properly utilized imagery and metaphor to help bring out her message beyond just literal words. As I read the book, I really felt a heaviness in the words of the author especially at the beginning. This was a real portrayal of her state of mind which appeared to be in turmoil. It felt like she was in a deep dark pit with no signs of coming out. A lot of emotions are evident at this point and throughout the read. She harbors feelings of guilt, shame etc. which seem to be holding her back. The deaths of her mother and sister are the major contributing factors to her state of mind. The author is able to balance the intensity of events in that we see that things mellow down in the middle and end of the book. There is hope. One thing that I loved in this read is the letters that Blue writes to her younger and older self. They are filled with love and appreciation. I would recommend this book to lovers of poetry!

[Lex Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
𝐀𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧, 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨��𝐤. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐝. 𝐈 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.

𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬, 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝.