Just went back and read this since Heather’s passing. It’s so difficult to read this now knowing the ultimate outcome. I was a new mom when Heather was blogging as dooce and followed her and the many other mommy bloggers out there but hers particularly stood out to me as I also suffered with severe depression.
When I first read of her experimental treatment I was elated. There could possibly be a cure. I’m just filled with sadness.
I still believe this is a necessary read however. People need to understand what depression is really like, not that you’re not happy and need to cheer up. Heather's words will help.

This book hit incredibly hard and was one that if I read it before I experienced my postpartum depression, I’d think Heather was lying about how hard it could be. After almost losing my own battle to postpartum depression I could appreciate the rawness of Heather’s words and know exactly how she felt and why the emotions she was putting to words were happening. I am thankful that this book exists; to show the darkness that so many people keep hidden away and to remind others that when we need help, we need help. This book was heavy but was definitely one I am thankful I’ve read.

In this fascinating story the author tells her story of suicidal depression and the experimental treatment she used to cure it. While I enjoyed the story, the writing was a little too descriptive without moving the plot forward and multiple storylines did not feel fleshed out.

A raw account of the debilitating seriousness of depression. I’m thrilled there is a breakthrough regarding severe depression. I hope this is only the beginning and more advances are on the horizon. No one should suffer from depression, every single person deserves genuine happiness. Heather’s story along with this giant leap towards conquering depression provides endless hope and the long-standing attention it deserves.

Thank you Heather for sharing your story, your courage, and your success. Inspiring story and the hopes of more advanced medical techniques to help those suffering from depression ‘feel’ once again.

Fantastic book. Thoughtful, touching, and heartfelt. Relatable as someone that suffers from mental illness.

This is a little too complex and heavy for high school students, but it was a really interesting look into a controversial treatment for mental health struggles.

A well-written memoir with appeal for those who like illness memoirs. Bought copies for our library system.

I feel so bad for what Heather and her family went through. The book itself was slow for me and very repetitive. There was no connection to what she was going through though and it felt like she was trying to shove down my throat how horrible she felt and what a horrible life she was leading. I am glad she got the help she needed and it takes immense courage to write a book about depression.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

I got access to this title late - it has already been published. Born and raised in Utah, I am long familiar with Armstrong's story. That said, this book adds a lot of insight into her life. I can't relate to much of what she shares, but that's part of what made the book fascinating.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

Heather Armstrong suffered from Chronic Major Depression all of her adult life. To no avail, she tried every anti-depressant, and combination of medications, available to her. More than once she experienced suicidal ideation.

All of this affected not only her, but her children, her family, and her inability to maintain a positive relationship.

Finally, she is approached with the opportunity to participate in a dangerous clinical trial - in which will will be brought to the point of brain-death not once, but ten times.

The writing in this memoir is honest and clear, and the pace is fast. Her journey and her story are both amazing and inspiring.

Read this is you liked Brain On Fire (Susannah Cahalan), Autobiography of a Face (Lucy Grealy), The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath), Ordinary People (Judith Guest), Reasons to Stay Alive (Matt Haig), Because We Are Bad (Lily Bailey), and River of Time (Naomi Judd).

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley..

Heather B Armstrong is a single mother of two daughters and while managing two daughters and a full time job without a partner is enough for anyone to handle, she also is battling extreme depression that isn't easily managed with medication. She doesn't want to be alive, but at the same moment has never considered suicide or how she would want to exit earth because she cares too much for the future of her children.

First no matter how you read this book, the honesty that Heather provides in her emotions and the lack of hope that she was living with was so unsettling. But I could hear in her voice that her girls were the one small glimmer of hope that was what was able to push her to try this new therapy. When she described the treatment I had to listen/read it again, I was so concerned by the depths that she was willing to go to feel better and the lack of medical research on the therapy - she was the third patient!!

I loved how she structured the book. It was mostly in chronological order with a bit of back story included when needed to get the reader up to date on her relationships with certain people. To hear excerpts from her journal and her mother's writing was a great addition to see the personal experience up close.

In the hands of a less skilled writer, this book would be very average. It is an interesting chronicling of an experimental method for treating depression which could be useful for many. The author does a good job at conveying the slog of depression and how it colors once whole life a bleak gray.

A really well-written and engrossing story about this woman's attempt to beat depression. I wish all writers were this open and entertaining, even when faced with a tough subject. Definitely recommend.

Am I sorry that this book sat on my NetGalley shelf for so long? YES!

But I also know that this was the right time for me to read it. Sometimes we get caught up in our own mind and really think that what we are going through it’s the worst. Heather’s experience reminded me that it is not, that we are all struggling in some way and we are going to be OK if we make the decision to do it and have a support system.

Her Mom and stepdad’s commitment to her well-being made my heart swell.

This book is a must read for everyone that is battling depression and anxiety.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing a free copy of this book.

An honest yet humorous account of one woman's battle with depression and the medical experiment she takes a chance on. I am a long-time follower of Heather Armstrong and greatly appreciated the opportunity to get an insight into her experience and life with depression and the path she took for medical treatment. Her account shows that asking for help does not make you weak and there can be hope found in the darkest of times. Her family's overall support and genuine kindness left me feeling all sorts of happy. My background knowledge of Heather's life, along with my exposure to her style/humor through her blog definitely filled in gaps and helped me love this book more than I might have if she had been completely new to me. Thanks to Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for a review.

An amazingly gripping read! Heather Armstrong writes of her experiences of dying - repeatedly - in such a fascinating and heartfelt way. I wasn't sure if this book was going to be melodramatic or depressing: it is neither. Instead, it's a straight-on look of one women's strength and courage on a path where there is no guidebook. I was inspired to not waste a minute of my day and I think of this book often.

This is going on my holiday gift-giving list!

Would you agree to be "clinically dead" to rid yourself of crippling depression? In this amazing book, Heather Armstrong recounts her long years of suffering with depression and the incredible treatment that led her out of the darkness. Her depressions and subsequent treatment took a huge toll on her and also her family, but this is a hopeful, optimistic book. Strong recommend.

I got this as as ARC via Netgalley.

I was introduced to dooce.com by my childhood friend Angie back in like.... 2008? 2009? I checked the website daily until I didn't. I don't know exactly what happened. Anyway, when I found out Heather was writing this book, I couldn't wait to read it. I knew it would be sad but I also knew it would be hopeful.

I was right. This book, while the parts about her body issues made me a little upset, was pretty great. The candid talk about mental illness, depression, and anxiety.... It was eye opening.

It made me appreciate my family so much. I caught myself wanting to text my mother at 2:30 in the morning just to say thank you.

I hope this book lands in the hands of someone who needs hope. It might not be the book for everyone but I liked it.