Wow wow wow !

4.5 stars


What an incredible debut novel by Leanne Toshiko Simpson. I'll admit, I went into it a bit sceptical - not due to the author, but simply because I wasn't sure I would resonate with the characters. This story is heavily involved in mental health, bipolar disorder, and life in and out of the psych ward. But boy was I wrong.... I found myself immediately in bits and pieces throughout the story. I may not have strong issues with my mental health, but I was able to find myself in bits and pieces of each character; at the end of the day - we're all just struggling to do the best that we can.

I found this tasteful in the best of ways. It brought to light the struggles of not only the lows of mental health, but the struggles and successes in the "good days", all without talking negatively on medications, care plans, and said ups& downs. To be quite frank, the only reason this isn't a 5 star read for me is that I found Tilley a bit overbearing, but the more I sit back on it the more I understand her own struggles as the care person/ loved one of someone struggling with their mental health.

It was funny, it was heartbreaking, it was tense and also light. It seamlessly involved LGBTQIA+ characters without making a stink of it, and best of all - it was the perfect amount of build up to keep the reader on their toes without getting bored.

The flashbacks to Dee, Misa, and Matt's time in the psych ward helped the reader get a deeper understanding of their friendship, and made it easier to cheer for their success and witness their growth in real time.

I loved this so much, and can't wait to get a physical copy so I can proudly showcase it on my bookshelf!

Thank you Leanne, Harper Collins Canada, and NetGalley for the copy!

Go get your copy now! Do it ! What are you waiting for!?

This book was exactly my cup of tea:

First of all it's set in Scarborough, ON. How dope is that? But then..

You've got the mental health side of things, some romance, some chaos, some sweet steps towards recovery.

I truly just enjoyed seeing Dee's journey with her mental health and all the realizations she makes about not only the people around her but her only life and the steps she needs to take towards recovery.

I think one of my favourite lines in the book was: "Some things are just hard...There's no point in pretending that it didn't happen, or that it didn't leave some scars. The only thing you can do is accept it and let it shape the kind of future you want to be a part of."

I love that this topic is about mental health and personal discovery. I enjoyed the tie in to music with Matt and Dee had. And absolutely loved the playlist. The songs were so nostalgic and balanced the heavy topics.

I thought Dee had some really good moments and her enjoyed her character more throughout the book. Tilley was funny and great relief. It had a quirky, fun vibe to the book. And enjoyable for anyone who is willing to talk about or put yourself in someone’s shoes who is struggling with mental health.

Thanks for the early read @harpercollins.ca @netgalley and author Leanne Toshiko Simpson.

In "Never Been Better," by Leanne Toshiko Simpson, Matt, Misa and Dee are the "three musketeers" of their mental health ward. Despite tribulations, they supported eachother through their own challenges. One year later, they are all out, trying to move on with their lives. Matt and Misa have fallen in love and are planning a destination wedding. Dee, with the help of her sister, Tilley, is still trying to find her footing.

When Dee first receives the wedding invitation, she has no intention of attending. With encouragement from Tilley, however, Dee decides to go and confront Matt to declare her own love for him.

Dee's heartfelt experience provides glimpses into the personalities, hopes, and dreams of all three characters. I found this book to be thoroughly enjoyable - at times tender, at times harsh (when I wished I could just look away.). But in the end, I was cheering for everybody.. This is a great read for anybody who likes quirky, thoughtful, romantic characters.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

I really wanted to like this but the only character I could get behind was Tilley. I did love the topic of mental health but just wish the characters were more likeable.