Thank-you Josh and Amanda for such a raw and honest account of what you have and continue to go through. I have no doubt that your willingness to open up about your own pain and struggles will help others do the same, and I hope, ultimately save lives. Whilst I rarely read non-fiction this was an absolute must for me and although it was hard to read as it was in parts so sad and heart wrenching, it was also uplifting and gives hope for other families going through similar dark times. I am so grateful to you both for sharing your stories. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. A must read.

No matter who you are or what your circumstances, everyone can take something from this brave, frank and heart breaking account of a 'family's' battle with an unseen demon. Two very brave individuals have taken the time to document their very individual battle with the same antagonist. It has attacked them both in very different ways.
As a mum, it tore me to pieces and even though this is a personal story and I am very lucky not to have experienced what they have, I can see a bit of us in here. Society today demands much of us all and never more than from our young people. I feel for them but cannot ever understand what it is like to be them. Expectations, exposure, information and choice - they are bombarded with it. The weight must be immense.
I would highly recommend this autobiographical account. I thank them both and I hope that it has gone a little way to lift some of the weight for them and the stigma attached for others, to a very real, very serious condition that could touch anyone of us, at any time.

You can’t even begin to imagine the fear, images and soul-consuming desperation you suffer every day, the lack of sleep and the sheer horror of your phone ringing. No, I don’t have depression but one of my grown-up children does. This book says it all. I knew every chapter that Amanda has written and I felt like I was inside my son’s head with the words of Josiah. I have sat by his hospital bed after attempts on his life, the last was so touch and go.

This is a book of raw and real emotions from both sides of this terrible black hole but at times it feels like the weight syndrome, you lose weight but put more back on, well each time it seems that depression finds a deeper place to go to. Medication is also talked about in the book, again from both sides. It can help some but can also have horrendous side effects too, which just take you down even more. Mental illness still has a stigma, like it is something you are using as an excuse.

A mother’s instinct is very strong, a feeling, seeing the little things when they are young, this is so true, so much I recognised in this book. The chapters of Josiah just tore me apart, the honesty is intense and physical as well as mental depletion disabling and draining.

If you know of anyone that suffers any sort of mental illness then this will help you understand it a little bit more. You can’t choose to pull yourself out of this, it isn’t a choice. I wish more good years than bad for you all. Just never give up.

I wish to thank Sarah Hardy and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and the authors for writing and publishing this important book as well as gifting me a digital ARC to review. 5 stars - a must read for parents, teachers, administrators, and our youth. As someone who has been personally touched by the suicide of my ex-husband, I can say first hand how much this story needs to be told.

Written in alternate chapters between mom and son, we get to really see the truth of mental illness. It was so interesting to me to see how Josh interpreted his parents' questions and concerns and then see how difficult it was for Amanda and her husband to find the perfect way to interact with Josh.

I do believe that no one wants to interject themselves in what is someone else's private struggles but that leads to ignoring situations by teachers and friends who may be the best to see what is sometimes hidden from parents. I personally know the heartache of calling a university to check on my son who started exhibiting very concerning issues only to be told that he is an adult and they cannot provide any information. While privacy is important, so is having correct information so that intervention can happen if need be. This book outlines some of those changes happening in the UK..

Blessings and thanks go out to both Josh and Amanda for opening up their hearts and private struggles to help others. In this instagram perfect world, showing flaws is not the norm so we are all starting behind the curve thinking we are the only ones struggling. This is a beautifully written, raw account that is a must read.

A personal account of depression.

To attempt a review of The Boy Between seems at best foolish and possibly, unintentionally, totally crass. Either way, I know my words will be inadequate in conveying what an important book The Boy Between is. What I really want to say is that everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, should read The Boy Between. If they did, the world would be a better place, greater understanding of depression would be achieved and fewer families would find themselves suffering terribly tragedy. The Boy Between is the voice, through Josh, of every person whose depression had led them to dark, impenetrable, stultifying places and, through Amanda, of every friend and family member who has watched helplessly and impotently as that depression takes hold.


The Boy Between's non-fiction account of Josh's depression and desire to die is brilliantly presented. Alternating chapters showing Josh and Mandy's perspectives give a mesmerising insight into their lives in a structure that leads the reader through their experiences with such intensity that at times is is almost unbearable. This is an intimate portrait of a family in crisis that will resonate with readers across the globe. Those of us who have experienced depression at various levels or who love someone who has cannot fail to be moved to tears on several occasions by the raw, humane and affecting accounts presented here. I admit I found it hard reading Josh and Amanda's words at times because the resonance was huge.


However, The Boy Between might be about depression but it isn't depressing. Rather it provides relief for those who have similar experiences in knowing they are not alone, that there is a possibility of life and happiness even when the illness is at its worst. And one of the great strengths of The Boy Between is in illustrating that depression is an illness, not merely a life choice of the inadequate or lazy as is so often assumed. There is an extended metaphor of a broken arm that I think clarifies attitudes and mental illness far better than any text book or documentary ever could. Alongside the personal accounts, the carefully researched factual data adds a terrifying layer of authenticity too. On the day I finished reading The Boy Between, social media was abuzz with the fact that another young man of 17 had taken his own life. I truly believe he could have been helped if those around him had had access to this book. I genuinely think The Boy Between is revolutionary in promoting understanding of depression.


Eloquent, authentic and moving The Boy Between is a book that has sadly never been more relevant, more required and more honest. I thought it was astounding. I want to place a copy into the hands of everyone I know. We all need The Boy Between. Just read it.

I had been anticipating this for such a long time!
Having suffered from mental health problems in the past, I thought the concept of this book to be incredibly fascinating! Hearing from both the 'sufferer' as well as the perspective of the family around him is such a great idea for a book. I have read many books about mental health, but none like this - it's incredibly original.

The book was a great insight into how your loved ones cope with your illness. Something that you don't tend to think about when you're in your own bubble and suffering with a mental health illness yourself. It was incredibly powerful to hear the 'other side' to the story. It made me think of how my family was feeling when I was going through it.

I urge anyone who has been through mental health issues to read this! I think there is so much to get out of this book! More books like this please publishers!!!

Depression and suicide in teens and adolescents is such an important topic that requires as much attention and awareness as possible. If more people are educated on the signs and clues of depression, they may be able to detect a problem early on and provide help before it is too late. I know this is not true in all cases... A very good friend of mine is a school psychologist who specializes in this area and has taught me so much. I thought I would know if someone were depressed, but after reading data on this subject and attending speaker workshops, I learned so many signs that can occur very early on that I would never have picked up on. As a parent to a teen and to an adolescent, I am so thankful to have learned what I have.

I felt very emotional when reading The Boy Between. My heart went out to Josh and to all of his family and friends. It must be so incredibly scary and hard to go through what they all did. I commend them for writing and sharing their story for everyone to see, with hopes to spread awareness. It was written beautifully and I love that Mandy and Josh worked together on it. I especially loved the note by Josh and dedication by Amanda at the beginning of the book.

This was such an important, engaging, and moving read and I encourage everyone to read it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this advanced reader's copy of The Boy Between by Josiah Hartley and Amanda Prowse.

This is an account of the same time in a person's life, the person himself and his mother. It's an interesting concept for a memoir, telling the same story from two different perspectives. In The Boy Between, Josiah Hartley describes his bouts with severe clinical depression and his mother, Amanda Prowse, recalls her memories of the same events.

The great thing about this book is that a person is being open enough to share his struggle with mental illness, which is always helpful to others that may be struggling in a similar way. Unfortunately, the dual retellings were very similar too each other. Often incidents were repeated by both son and mother, creating a situation where what could have been an impactful read felt repetitive. I was also quite uncomfortable with the some of the beliefs that were repeated by both authors, such as a lack of belief that medication would be helpful to a person with severe clinical depression. Some things, even if they are true, are not helpful to repeat unless it is immediately followed up with factual information to clarify.

All in all, a good read. I wish that book had been structured in two halves instead of alternating between authors but mostly I enjoyed it.

AMANDA PROWSE is one of my favourite authors and I have read, enjoyed, and reviewed many of her novels. With THE BOY BETWEEN Amanda has turned to Non-fiction to write a book with her son Josiah Hartley (Josh) – a personal account of Josh’s struggle with mental health issues, specifically depression. The book’s chapters are written alternately by Amanda and Josh, Mother and Child, so that we can read this important narrative from both perspectives. I found THE BOY BETWEEN to be a very moving book of hope, and of a family dealing with mental health issues; full of love, emotion and sometimes despair which I could relate to being a parent with children of a similar ages to Josh. This book will stay with me or a long time and I have already recommended it to several others. The “endnotes” also include some statistics and some very useful resources. I give it 5 stars.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review

Josiah Hartley was nineteen years old, with his whole life ahead of him, he'd just started university when he was hit with depression and his mental health spiralled so dangerously low that he planned to take his own life. Amanda Prowse is a very well known and loved author, whose best selling fictional work is outstanding, writing about subjects that are very close to home with many of her readers, but this latest book is not fiction and Josiah, or Joshy as he's affectionately known, is not a character in one of her books, he is her son and the most important person in her life, so when his world begins to crumble it's not surprising that hers does too.

Josiah and Amanda have come together to write this book, to highlight the importance of mental health and how they fought through it, with the help of Simeon and the rest of their family, showing what it was like to live with depression, from both Josiah's and Amanda's perspectives in alternate chapters. Josh narrates his story with frankness and honesty, Amanda's story is full of heartache and pain as she tries to do what's best for her boy. I struggled to read this book, not because I don't normally read true stories, but because I couldn't see the pages through the tears that continually fell throughout this heart wrenching read. It's a total eye opener to what depression is all about, an illness that many of us are ignorant to the extent of its effect and guilty of not taking it seriously enough.

Josh, you are such a brave man, to put what you have gone through down on paper and share it with the world, I truly hope you continue to fight this illness, I'm sure with the help of your wonderful family and friends you will, and live a long and happy life. Amanda, I applaud both you and Simeon for the strength and love you've always shown your family, especially during these difficult times, I felt your pain as any parent would. I believe everyone should read your story, it would benefit so many people to know that they really are not alone. This one will stay with me for a long time to come.

I'd like to thank Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for the approval. I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

"When something is broken, by definition, it doesn't work! And depression is a brain that is broken."

This is definitely a beautiful, intense novel and one that needed to be written and one that certainly should be read by everyone!
While I was reading each chapter, I could feel the grueling pain, intense anxiety, heartache and love that both Josh and Mandy revealed to us in this memoir.
It was not an easy book to get through, but truly enlightening!
Do yourself a favor and read!
You could save a life or perhaps save your own life.
Excellent!

A true story about depression, anxiety living with it and getting through it.
Having read and cried over Will You Remember Me? by Amanda, I knew I was in for another tearful journey. This time its closer to home.

Sadly I could relate to almost everything. Josh and Amanda tell everything, nothing is held back. This book needs to be handed out to everyone who has ever found themselves in Josh's position. In fact, it just needs handing out to everyone! I was expecting to be 'badly triggered' by this book but I actually found comfort and a bit of closure in my own life. I did cry and I did find it hard to read but I'm glad I did. It's about time we talked positively. Thank you Josh and Amanda for sharing your book.

Wow. This is a raw and emotional read. It is so brave to have written this book. Thank you for putting everything down on paper. It takes a lot of courage to put your feelings on paper and allow them to be read. I feel emotionally wrung out after this. Some of it was very close to my own life. I feel that so many people will benefit from reading this book. I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. It is good to see the condition talked about and it was comforting for someone to say how painful it is. (So many medical professionals do not understand how bad the pain is.)

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This book has already begun to change my life. It’s opened my eyes and helped me to understand the people around me who are battling with depression. I myself and people in my life live with different kinds of depression and anxiety and reading this has had an incredible effect on me. I thought I understood it a bit and that I was being supportive of those around me, but reading Josh’s account and how Mandy’s optimism and tears made things worse (sorry Mandy) I see how unhelpful I have been to them. I also understand my depression a little bit more and that for me was fascinating.
This book isn’t just a memoir or a window into a pair of souls, it’s an incredibly useful tool for people like me who think we are saying the right thing and may actually be making it worse. I have already changed the way I interact, the type of questions I ask and how I phrase them. I recognise the difficulties with decision making and the need to be included without feeling overwhelmed.
I am a better person because of the courage Josh and Mandy have, by opening their hearts and their lives to show us what its really like to live with depression and how it affects everyone. This book is moving, powerful, hopeful and so incredibly beautiful in a raw and at times frightening account.
I cried, there is one point where I simply could not make out a single word on the page and I sobbed for quite a while before I could even move to get a box of tissues. I read it really quickly because even though I know how it ends (Josh is still here to tell his story) it was gripping.

This book is brutally honest and if you are triggered by anything relating to suicide, self-harm or anything related to depression then I would steer clear of this and pick something a little more Iight and fluffy. I know that sounds obvious but this isn’t a stereotypical self-help manual, it’s real life. It has some shocking statistics and some helpful contact information for sign posting to people who can help. I would say, if you’re looking for a better understanding of how to support those around you, it’s the best book on depression I’ve ever read. It’s the only one where I’ve had one of those lightbulb moments where suddenly so much makes sense and I know that this book will stay with me forever, seeing Josh’s words in my mind and knowing it’s helping both me and those around me.

The Boy Between is a heartbreaking novel written by popular author Amanda Prowse and her son Josiah Hartley. It documents Josiah's (Josh) descent into depression, his attempted suicide and both of their progress from that day until recent times.

I've always loved the novels of Amanda Prowse and this one is no exception, although it is much harder to read because you know that it is not a work of fiction. The heartbreak and agony that she goes through in detailing her life from the moment she receives the call that her son Josh was stopped short of a suicide attempt by the fortuitious arrival of her husband Simeon at Josh's apartment while she was in Australia, the hell she goes through while finishing out her trip, unable to get back to England to him and her utter inablility to find a way to help her son is every parent's nightmare. How do we get through to our beloved children, whom we have always only wanted the best for? How do we make them believe that life will get better, that they are valued, that this darkness that is all encompassing is temporary and with the proper medication, outlook, tools...or something they will see the other side and regret that they wanted to take their life? Amanda Prowse shares her years long struggle with all of this, as Josh shares his struggle to fight off the darkness and whether or not he even wants to, what the pressures and stressors in his life are and how he manages to come out the other side.

The Boy Between is important reading for parents who are struggling with their children's depression, teens and especially students who can't see a way out of the grimness and fog of depression, parents who want to know the signs to watch for in their children and anyone who has an interest in mental health and depression. Please don't miss this important novel.

Thank you to the author, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Real, raw, truthful. This book resonated with me in so many ways having a history of depression in my family. It’s a brutally honest account and so at times makes difficult reading but I am grateful to Josh and Amanda for their openness to cover every aspect of Josh’s journey.

Wow.... I’m literally in tears! Massive thanks to Josh and Amanda for sharing their story. As a mother my self of similar aged boys this story opened a lot of memories for me, scenes from my boys childhoods and life so far. Josh you wrote with such honesty and I completely admire you and would love to hug you right now! Amanda you are just the best mum and never gave up.....

A heart wrenching book a book that took guts to write I applaud Josiah and Amanda for bravely sharing their story.Dark& depressing at times but this is a subject that has to be told as rawly as real as possible..This is a book that mental health workers should be sharing with kids who they no need it..#netgalley#amazonuk

I started reading this author's books over 5 years ago, loved them and have been reading them ever since.

This one is totally different. Amanda's son, Josh, has battled depression from his late teens and at the age of 19 thought the only way to get peace was suicide, but something stopped him that particular day. This is the raw and emotional story of their journey leading up to that awful day to the present day.

Over the years I've read how well Amanda's books were doing, watching her on tv, listening to her on the radio and thinking, go girl!!!!! good for you. Never in my wildest dreams did I think she was going through this with her son and family. It must have been torture trying to smile for everyone but inside you are falling to pieces. This just shows we don't know what's going on in people's lives.

I felt Josh and Amanda's every word, I was inside the book watching everything unravel. We need more people like Josh in the world to tell their story. Josh, the world is a better place with you in it.

Note to Josh ........ You are an incredibly brave young man to open your heart and tell your story. I guarantee
by putting your story out there you will help many, many people going through what you
went through in your darkest days and in time you can begin to feel better and try to keep
the dark days at bay. If I was beside you now I would shake your hand and give you the
biggest hug.

What a totally fantastic read,really gave an insight in to depression, josh you are so brave and how you got through the darkest days, with the support of your wonderful family and your sheer strength, I'm so pleased I read this, and I am so pleased you are starting to come through the other side, I would recommend this to any young man who thinks there is no way out of the dark place x