Dark Blue: The Despair Behind the Glory – My Journey Back from the Edge

by Shane Carthy

Shane Carthy writes frankly and eloquently about his journey over the last five years. He details, without overdramatising, the downward spiral which, days after producing a man-of-the-match display in Dublin's 2014 Leinster under-21 final win over Meath, saw him wake up in St Patrick's Mental Hospital.

Carthy also explains what ultimately brought him back to where he is now, discovering a path where life is worth living. He hopes that through his words and actions he can show people that there is a way out of the suffering they may be experiencing and the path, although difficult, is worth travelling.   

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2021

Reviews

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read more like a blog. Felt that Shane held back some of his experience for example, reasons for his spiral into depression that he uncovered in his therapy sessions. There were also some grammatical errors in the book, disappointing from O'Briens publishers that it wasn't properly proofread. However, Shane is a very courageous young man and in sharing his story I am sure he will help many more people feeling the same.

[gerard brangan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full marks to Shane for taking on such a challenging and important topic at such a young age: his struggles and successes will undoubtedly serve to illuminate the road ahead for many in our society.

[Shane Colton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair play to the author opening up about his mental health and recovery plan. I did find the first 100pgs a struggle but the book got alot better and more succinct from chapter 5 on. Sadly the book omitted the 2 tier society in Ireland today between those in the GAA cult and everyone else. Access to a very strong gaa dominated support network whether that be during college, or finding employment and fast tracking to private mental health and top psychologists.

[Ger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book describes the authors experience with depression in a relatable way. It would be helpful to anyone who suffers from depression and their families. It tries to dispel the stigma often associated with this condition. There are some sloppy mistakes in the writing and a bit too much repetition in some instances. This should have been picked up by the editor.

[Shane Mulcahy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent read. Shane Carthy has a story to tell and he does so in an engaging and eloquent manner. The only reason I haven't given this book five stars is that it contains some poor grammatical errors. The publisher should have made sure it was proofread.

[Ciara Naughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal. I couldn't put this book down, from start to finish, I was nose deep in this book. From the style of writing to the brutal honesty... this book has enlightened me on mental health and Shane's struggles.

[Aiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

incredible

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kudos to Shane for sharing his experiences of his different episodes of depression.