I do not usually read normal YA anymore. It has to have murder, blood, Fantasy, gore, mystery, something like that. But this book was so good. The writing was beautiful and the story was very enthralling.

Amber McBride is a wonder. She balances whimsical, flowery (in the best way) poems with some of the deepest pain someone could ever imagine. Depression is hard to write about. It's mundane. It's elusive. It's ugly and painful and muddy. Sometimes the only way to talk about it is through metaphor, and McBride does in her thorny adventure of two new friends, Whimsy and Faerry, with histories they can't remember and pain they can't suppress.

I found myself wanting to read this in one sitting and got chills more than once as I fought through the forest. If you loved Me (Moth) you will love this one too for all its exploration of grief, listlessness, and cavernous sorrow. Through verse, through fragmented stories, she fits the pieces together.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4.5/5 stars.

I LOVED Me (Moth) by McBride, so I was super excited for this ARC. As expected, this is a beautiful story in verse that discusses depression but in the mystical, magical, fantastical way McBride does. It blends reality with fantasy, and it uses the blend to depict the struggles of trauma and depression and how to heal from it.

Whimsy's story is beautiful and ties in the ancestral conjuring and rootwork to how Whimsy uses stories (fairy tales) to cope with trauma. She also meets Faerry, who is also dealing with his own trauma and depression.

Overall, I really, really enjoyed this. I wish there had been more closure at the end from Whimsy's family and the overarching plot, but I absolutely loved this.

I reviewed this book for School LIbrary Journal, a starred review:
Gr 9 Up–After her parents discover a list Whimsy wrote of ways to stop breathing, she is in the hospital again for clinical depression. She meets fellow patient Faerry, a boy who she perceives as having magical qualities. They subsequently discover they are neighbors, connecting over their intense poetry and their shared experience of being the only two Black kids around. No one understands they are sinking while they are smiling; when you are bruise-less, things are harder to explain. As they begin their healing journey together, they recognize their lives are interwoven by past trauma. The atmospheric imagery and metaphors throughout have such a strong and remarkable undercurrent in this novel-in-verse. The anthropomorphic forest evolves into setting as character. As Whimsy and Faerry push through the forest garden together, they face their demons as part of intricate and unique fairy-tale sequences that represent their layers of depression. Raw and fervent, these characters are cut open literally and figuratively to battle Sorrow, because the only way out is through. Hoodoo is intertwined as they unravel riddles to find the truth and the cause of their shared trauma. The author’s prologue invites readers into her own authentic experiences with depression, offers a nod to Lucille Clifton, and provides a content warning for clinical depression, self-harm, and suicide. McBride also features resources for mental health, a glossary of the fairy tales and folklore embodied within, and a playlist for Whimsy and Faerry.VERDICT This phenomenal novel-in-verse transports readers into an impassioned tale of heartache and hope that belongs on every bookshelf serving teens. Reviewed by Lisa Krok

This was my final book of 2022 and a great way to end the year, because it was so beautiful and filled my heart with both joy and sadness. I really like how McBride incorporated traditional fairy tales from across the world, synthesizing them into a very modern tale of healing trauma and growing into your power. Whimsy's voice and perspective comes across so clearly. There's no other YA protagonist out there like her.

I wasn't sure what to feel about this book for a while after reading it. As I've sort of lived with it a little bit I appreciate it more. Depression is hard. Living with it is hard. Living with someone living with it is hard. I think this book is so important. It gives voice to things that are historical silent.

This story is told in verse. I couldn't even tell you what this story was about, it was so bizarre. Definitely not my cup of tea.

I did enjoy the metaphors for depression, and the ending was quite powerful. But the pace was a bit slow to get there, making it a bit hard to stay engaged at times. It's a long book, and it could've perhaps benefitted from a tighter edit. The magical realism added a different element to the story, though I'm not sure it worked as intended. Some of the wording may leave the reader a bit puzzled. The subject matter is one that is absolutely necessary, and I applaud the author for addressing it. However, this book could be a trigger for those living with depression.

I absolutely loved the premise of We Are All So Good at Smiling, but it just didn't work for me. There was so much potential in this story about Whimsy and Faerry who meet at a mental health facility, and seem to have a connection that doesn't make sense to them. However, the choice to tell this story in verse just really let me down. I am a big fan of novels in verse and this was a well done one, the poetry was beautiful, but it just did not suit the story, making the whole novel fall flat. Had this been written as a more typical novel, the world of the forest could have been built up so much better, Faerry and Whimsy's relationship could have been more developed instead of feeling forced, and the conclusion to the mystery would not have felt so glossed over.
I wish I would have loved this one, because trauma and mental health with a fairy tale spin is everything I want in a book.

They Both Die at the End meets The Bell Jar in this YA novel in verse.
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The story begins with Whimsy back in the hospital again to help treat her clinical depression. It’s there she meets a boy named Faerry. Whimsy sees something in him from the beginning—a like soul that also shares magic inside like her. When Whimsy is released from the hospital she realizes that Faerry and his family have moved onto her street and they will go to the same school now too. The more time they spend together the more they realize they have a lot in common such as they’re both afraid of the forest, but it’s the forest that calls them and the forest that might hold the answers they seek.
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McBride had me at Me (Moth) because of how beautifully that story was written so I had to grab this one from Netgalley especially the audiobook which was done so well. This book has a magical realism take to it, as well as deals with very serious mental health issues that a lot of young people will connect and relate to. There was a lot of fairy tales interwoven into the story (check the ending for a detailed glossary of characters). Plus, the cover is STUNNING. This title releases January 10.

CW: racism, depression, hospitalization, self-harm, suicide ideation, panic attacks, bullying, death, PTSD, child death

I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this book as it is out of my comfort zone genre-wise. However, I could not help but relate to this story and its descriptions of what it is like to have clinical depression. The haunted forest setting and the magic present in this story gave me serious “Alice in Wonderland” vibes and really contributed to my overall enjoyment of this title. This is a 2023 release that you are not going to want to miss.

Absolutely sunning. This is everything I wanted it to be and more. The poems are beautiful, the story is compelling, and the mystery is captivating. I read the ebook while listening to the audiobook - which is narrated by the author - and I highly recommend that experience as you get to hear the authors intonations while also enjoying the creativity of the written poetry.

Such a beautiful, speculative metaphor. This book deserves every ounce of praise it's been receiving.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. I am having some trouble thinking about how to review this book. Was the writing beautiful? Yes. Is the subject matter necessary? Absolutely yes. Did I fly through it in just a couple of hours? Also yes. Even with all of those elements in place, it would be hard for me to recommend this book to other readers. The magical realism is too much at times and I also think the book could be incredibly triggering to someone who lives with clinical depression. I appreciate McBride allowing us such an intimate view into her world, but I’m not sure how to process it.

Beautifully written and a hauntingly accurate depiction of mental illness and grief within the Black family. The struggles of Wimsey and Fae illustrated through fairytales was creative, allowing the reader to relate to their struggles and journey through familiar stories and their triumph and truth was motivating to anyone struggling with depression.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for the copy of this book.

"No one ever tells you that Sorrow doesn't grab you by the throat.
it opens the door, offers a warm fire, says--Have some candy.

& I step inside (again)."

I am SO glad We Are All So Good at Smiling is out in the world. Short, powerful, and written in verse, this book is going to impact so many young readers who struggle with depression. Amber McBride's writing is enchanting, clever, and beautiful, even though the story has dark fairytale storyline, with Sorrow personified, Hansel & Gretel, Baba Yaga, Anansi, Mama Wata, Snow White, Adze, and Ursula. There is an amazing friendship and words that are necessary to hear - both to learn about what it's like to live with clinical depression, and to know that there's hope and healing and people out there rooting for you if you struggle with depression. I love that Amber explored clinical depression in a story combined with magic and folklore, and that our MC is a Black girl - because this isn't a common narrative in YA stories. This is really masterful writing and absolutely worth reading.

This verse novel releases next month and it dives into the hard topic of clinical depression. Two teens must journey inside the depths of their minds to find peace from events of the past.

This will definitely be a popular books with teens.

This novel-in-verse is not to be missed. McBride has constructed a narrative that will carry readers away on a wave of beautiful words and reel them back in with her honest, insightful characters whose struggles are so deeply rooted in shared grief and the lengths we will go to save and protect those we love.

Gorgeously written novel in verse! The constraints of writing in verse work so well for the mental illness depicted here. It feels--and sounds--like the abbreviated way some of my students talk when referencing their own struggles. It's not an easy read, but so worth it.

I want to thank Fiewel Friends and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and give an honest review.
This is my first book in-verse. I will say I was hesitant to request it because I thought for sure I would hate it written this way. But I wanted to challenge myself to read something outside my wheelhouse that might make me think or look at things differently. Boy was I happy I allowed this of myself.
This book was fantastic. I could not put it down.
My first thought is how well the poetry flows and keeps you involved in the book. I didn't want to put it down and finished it in two days (not too shabby for a full time working mom). The language, the characters, the descriptions all kept me wanting more and I was actually upset when the book was finished.
Let's touch on how it deals with mental health. We all know there is a huge crisis in the United States right now. So many people are struggling to live, to be heard, to get the help they need. This booked touched on all of that. The loneliness, the despair, the feeling of falling deeper and deeper into a pit you might never be able to climb out of.
The addition of the magical elements and the fairytale made the book that much more interesting for me to read. I loved how the author worked those elements into the story.
This book is dark and gripping and really gets to the heart of clinical depression and how it affects a person.
I will definitely be picking up more books by this author.

Massive Book Hangover.
This book just offers so much to all people.
Whimsy experienced a life defining trauma at 8 - her mother used magic to erase the memories. But some part of Whimsy remembers. She struggles with her mental health, her will to continue.
Meeting Faerry at her most recent hospital stay, they form a delicate friendship.
The energy unleashed - poetic, powerful.
This book will be what I need for my own struggles far into my future.