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Dark Mind
Dark Mind is a faceless YouTuber and musician. His content is about his struggle. He struggles with depression, anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, and other physical and mental issues. Even if his content helps others, nothing seems to ease his pain. He’s charming, witty, funny and kind, but he can also be salty. Despite the fact that he avoids getting close to people, Maya’s messages have a strange effect on him. This is a dialogue between two characters, a story about love, mental illness, relationships, empathy, acceptance and understanding. The story has two episodes, and since it talks about depression, it contains subject matter that can be tough for some of you to read. It’s gradual, and it gets worse in the second book.
156 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 24, 2021
31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 14, 2021
This review is actually about the entire series.
This series is what I think New Adult SHOULD be. I’ve been searching for this story for a long time, in YA, NA, angst, nothing…
You know when they say “we didn’t need this”? Well, this… we DID need it.
Between YA being only about teenagers’ stuff cause it can’t be too edgy, and NA becoming only about the sex, I think these books are finally giving us what’s lacking in between. People in their 20s (that’s what it feels like), who are already adults (no taboos, finally), dealing with serious issues (in this case, mental health, and how to build healthy functioning relationships no matter what).
Dark Mind, the main character, is a content creator, dealing with clinical depression and the like. And it’s bad. Really bad. No sugar coating in the story – finally! I think I could finally dive into this nightmare safely but in a brutally honest way, which is what I wanted, the only way to comprehend it and actually empathize. He’s wonderful, someone you can’t help but love. Smart, witty, charming, hot, humble, wholesome, talented, loving.
Maya is basically a fan, who casually sends him a message, so they get to know each other. Now, I think Maya is the “lesson” to be learned in this story. You know all that toxic positivity that books on the topic still validate? I hate it. I know how bad it is, and I can’t stand all these stories telling you you’re gonna be fine with some gimmick, suggested by some know-it-all-mentally-stable person, or… even worse, some I-used-to-be-depressed person. Maya is what we need. Maya is a mentally stable person who really understands what D.M. is going through, and finds the best way to be there for him.
Yes, they fall for each other, it is a love story, there’s also sex going on (very hot, ngl), but the point is not the love story. The point is: how can a relationship between these two people be possible? And I gotta say, to me, sometimes it seemed to work as a manual… D.M. is going through this, what should Maya do? But the story doesn’t feel like a manual at all. You get to know the characters, feel what they feel, love them. You’re highly entertained by their love story, and at the same time, you’re learning, exploring this world.
Content warning: bear in mind there’s not much of a filter. There are suicidal thoughts and attempts, self-harm, sex (with BDSM and knife play too). The story deals with a lot of it, it’s very thorough: there’s also anxiety, impostor syndrome, chronic pain, insomnia, isolation, drug and alcohol abuse, medications, therapy, breakdowns, aggressiveness, difficulty in getting out of bed, snapping, ups and downs, trauma, ruminating… it really felt like a journey in the abyss, but it felt safe because of the great relationship they build together. Also, D.M. is not that deep into all of this in the present, and he’s a genuinely great guy. And it’s not like in the end you feel like he’s cured, or saved, or happily ever after kind of lie! It’s a work in progress, no easy way out, it’s still going at the end of the story, so it’s honest, realistic.
I think, in a way, I learned how to be a Maya. Which is what I think we all need to learn. The problem with mental health awareness is that so called mentally stable people don’t know anything about it, don’t understand it, stigmatize it, blame it on the person and their personality and choices, are unable to feel what it entails, and don’t know how to deal with it and connect with mentally unstable people on a deep, meaningful level. I think the two worlds can learn from each other, bond, but what’s lacking lies on the mentally stable side. Sorry if I’m categorizing in a stupid way, but I didn’t know how else I could explain. Maya actually understands D.M. not only because of her past and her emotional intelligence, but also because she can see how similar to D.M. she is. That’s key.
This story was an epiphany to me, it made it all clear somehow, it felt like coming full circle.
I can’t recommend this read enough!
This series is what I think New Adult SHOULD be. I’ve been searching for this story for a long time, in YA, NA, angst, nothing…
You know when they say “we didn’t need this”? Well, this… we DID need it.
Between YA being only about teenagers’ stuff cause it can’t be too edgy, and NA becoming only about the sex, I think these books are finally giving us what’s lacking in between. People in their 20s (that’s what it feels like), who are already adults (no taboos, finally), dealing with serious issues (in this case, mental health, and how to build healthy functioning relationships no matter what).
Dark Mind, the main character, is a content creator, dealing with clinical depression and the like. And it’s bad. Really bad. No sugar coating in the story – finally! I think I could finally dive into this nightmare safely but in a brutally honest way, which is what I wanted, the only way to comprehend it and actually empathize. He’s wonderful, someone you can’t help but love. Smart, witty, charming, hot, humble, wholesome, talented, loving.
Maya is basically a fan, who casually sends him a message, so they get to know each other. Now, I think Maya is the “lesson” to be learned in this story. You know all that toxic positivity that books on the topic still validate? I hate it. I know how bad it is, and I can’t stand all these stories telling you you’re gonna be fine with some gimmick, suggested by some know-it-all-mentally-stable person, or… even worse, some I-used-to-be-depressed person. Maya is what we need. Maya is a mentally stable person who really understands what D.M. is going through, and finds the best way to be there for him.
Yes, they fall for each other, it is a love story, there’s also sex going on (very hot, ngl), but the point is not the love story. The point is: how can a relationship between these two people be possible? And I gotta say, to me, sometimes it seemed to work as a manual… D.M. is going through this, what should Maya do? But the story doesn’t feel like a manual at all. You get to know the characters, feel what they feel, love them. You’re highly entertained by their love story, and at the same time, you’re learning, exploring this world.
Content warning: bear in mind there’s not much of a filter. There are suicidal thoughts and attempts, self-harm, sex (with BDSM and knife play too). The story deals with a lot of it, it’s very thorough: there’s also anxiety, impostor syndrome, chronic pain, insomnia, isolation, drug and alcohol abuse, medications, therapy, breakdowns, aggressiveness, difficulty in getting out of bed, snapping, ups and downs, trauma, ruminating… it really felt like a journey in the abyss, but it felt safe because of the great relationship they build together. Also, D.M. is not that deep into all of this in the present, and he’s a genuinely great guy. And it’s not like in the end you feel like he’s cured, or saved, or happily ever after kind of lie! It’s a work in progress, no easy way out, it’s still going at the end of the story, so it’s honest, realistic.
I think, in a way, I learned how to be a Maya. Which is what I think we all need to learn. The problem with mental health awareness is that so called mentally stable people don’t know anything about it, don’t understand it, stigmatize it, blame it on the person and their personality and choices, are unable to feel what it entails, and don’t know how to deal with it and connect with mentally unstable people on a deep, meaningful level. I think the two worlds can learn from each other, bond, but what’s lacking lies on the mentally stable side. Sorry if I’m categorizing in a stupid way, but I didn’t know how else I could explain. Maya actually understands D.M. not only because of her past and her emotional intelligence, but also because she can see how similar to D.M. she is. That’s key.
This story was an epiphany to me, it made it all clear somehow, it felt like coming full circle.
I can’t recommend this read enough!
Displaying 1 of 1 review