It’ll all make sense again

For those who find themselves wandering the existential abyss at three A.M, when their mind’s swimming with coffee and their eyelids are heavy with sleep; for those who sometimes look in the mirror and wonder what they’re even looking at; for those who have eaten cornflakes in excessively fancy bowls and questioned all of their life choices; for all of these people, there’s a book. A book that makes this stuff feel normal and mundane and okay.

And it’s called “Secret For the Mad” by Dodie.

If you don’t know who Dodie is, then I’ll give you a bit of background. She’s a musician and a YouTuber. And yes, this is another YouTuber book, but no, it’s definitely not a great-rich-quick scheme.

It’s intensely real.

Filled with descriptions of mental breakdowns, memories of toxic relationships, and recounts of her biggest mistakes, it’s a paper-bound portal into the darkest parts of her brain. But don’t get me wrong: there’s nothing depressing about it. In fact it’s quite the opposite, as all of the stories share one common thread: even after all of them, she’s okay.

She’s gone through everything, and made it to the other side.

For 248 pages, Dodie isn’t just a face on an album cover: she’s a big sister, handing all of her advice down in the form of a messy journal.

Her writing style isn’t outstandingly complex, but its beauty lies in its simplicity. Every anecdote is plain and raw, like any heart-baring story should be. There’s no SAT words that require a three minute dictionary.com search, or any obscure references that confuse everyone except for the odd three that have read every deep web Sherlock fanfiction.

Its illustrations match it’s basic wording, with little doodles, and yellow and gray sketches. They bring life to the black and white pages.

It’s short, it’s sweet, it’s perfect. So if you have the chance, pick a copy of it up.