I loved the sound of this and I strongly believe that we need to share stories about mental health and reduce the stigma. However, this one wasn't for me. I'm not sure why it didn't work for me, but perhaps because the stories were told by professional writers rather than by the people whose stories they were.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Author Joanna Cannon facitates others sharing mental health stories. This was a sampler and whetted the appetite for the whole book. Worth reading.

I was only given a few stories from this book but they were well worth reading. Mental health is so important at the moment, it is well worth a read.

These are the accounts of people with various mental health issues each related to an author who helps them tell their story. Not an easy read but worthwhile as it helps the reader understand how it feels to be dealing with these issues.

My sister and one of my daughters have struggled for years due to mental illness, and after reading that the author trained as a doctor before writing ' The Trouble with Goats and Sheep', thought it an interesting and important read. It's sensitively written, but for me I found it difficult because I know and feel for the people being the stories from personal experience

An interesting and important read. Mental health matter and the more visible stories are the more people will understand and have empathy.

Edited by novelist Joanna Cannon, Will You Read This, Please? is a collection of stories based on twelve peoples' experiences of surviving mental illness and navigating the flawed UK mental health services, as told by twelve bestselling authors.

This collection gives a voice to those whose stories often go untold, those who mignt not have the opportunity or ability to put words to their experiences, but whose stories the world desperately needs to hear in order for mental illness to be destigmatised. The stories told here have been carefully selected from numerous submissions to provide a representative cross section of the population; among others there's a new mother, a middle-aged man who builds dry stone walls, a teenage boy, a psychiatrist, a young woman who escaped a cult, an Afghan asylum seeker, and a transgender anorexia nervosa sufferer who had to battle to be deemed well enough to undergo medical transition. Mental illness does not discriminate, and it is vital that the reader understands that anyone can be afflicted. The stories cover a wide but not exclusive list of illnesses and include patients or service users whose illnesses have been managed as outpatients, those who have voluntarily admitted themselves to mental health facilities and those who have been sectioned against their will. Alain's story tells how he was first held in prison, then moved to a secure psychiatric hospital, after attacking a member of the public while suffering from undiagnosed schizophrenia. The collection also highlights the contrasting struggles of knowing you have a mental illness and hating how it inhibits your ability to have a normal life, and of thinking that the manifestation of your illness is your normal life.

The idea of pairing each service user with a bestselling author is a brilliant one. Who better to bring these stories to a wider audience than those with a proven track record of making readers care about fictional characters, of making us invested in their fates? The authors also help the storytellers to articulate experiences which are famously hard to understand if they have never happened to you, such as panic attacks and intrusive thoughts. The stories range from chronological retellings of a whole life story to descriptions of pivotal episodes to streams of consciousness. The editor (and author of one of the stories) clearly cares about her subjects deeply - she stressed that each telling must retain the subject's original voice, and ensured that they were all paid the same as the authors. The message is clear: you matter; you have value.

The stories underline the universal failings of an inadequate NHS system. No matter their diagnosis, the story tellers - almost to a one - tell of struggling to make a GP take them seriously, being misdiagnosed, and fighting to get the right medication, the right therapy from an over-stretched, under-funded system forced to rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. (Anyone who has ever tried to access suitable contraception will undoubtedly have faced similar frustrations.) Older stories, such as that of Jeremy, coming of age in the early 1970s, highlight how far this country has come in its understanding of mental illness and how to treat it, while others remind the reader how far we still have to go in the search for a service which actually helps; one storyteller, Sarah, speaks of her fears of being forced into aversion therapy to treat her emetophobia. Several stories mention how they only began to make real progress in managing their illness when they were able to access private treatment, well aware that for many this will never be an option.

While many of the experiences are ubiquitous, the diversity of accounts covers specific issues such as, for Sanmeet, the need to find a therapist of colour to whom she could talk 'without explanation, caveats and disclaimers.' and Lewis' frustrations with the fact that support for gambling addiction is still largely focused on casinos and betting shops, despite many people accessing gambling online now.

Many of the stories touch on the impact of mental illness on the sufferer's family but each account is reassuringly patient-centred. If you have a friend or family member who is suffering, or has suffered with poor mental health, this book may speak to you directly in a way that your loved one perhaps cannot. Often sufferers of mental illness, not wanting to worry those closest to them, or feeling that they will be judged or misunderstood, can mask how unwell they are if there are no obvious physical symptoms. Additionally, in some cultures mental illness still carries a heavy stigma - both Sanmeet and Jen mention feeling isolated because they didn't feel their families would understand what they were going through; to exacerbate the problem, there is often a parallel aversion to 'airing dirty laundry' which means therapy is disapproved of.

The stories are brutally honest and devastating, and the collection shines a light on several lesser known conditions, ones which, as Marie says in her story, 'people don't make jokes about in popular culture'. They capture the fear that never leaves you once you realise how fragile mental health can be; as Nicola writes in the first story, 'I'm no longer in that dark place, but I exist on the edge of that deep hole now, and live my life precariously, knowing it is there.' However, the overall message is a hopeful one: each story ends on a positive note, and many of the storytellers have channeled their experiences into helping others. Each author does a commendable job of making their subject a fully-realised human being, so much more than their diagnoses even if they may have times when they feel it defines them.

This book should be read by everyone. If you have had your own struggles with your mental health, these stories will make you feel less alone. If you have friends or family members who have been affected, they will help you to understand what they have been through. If you are lucky enough not to have first-hand experience of mental illness, this book will give you an invaluable insight into what it is like to undergo a mental health crisis in the UK.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

This is quite a harrowing book to read. Covering 12 peoples experience of mental illness it touches the soul. While I could relate to some of them I feel not enough is being done to help people in these situations. It is certainly a book worth reading whatever the state of your mental health. It will certainly make you understand what other people may be going through.

Will You Read This, Please? is a collection of short stories by Joanna Cannon, a British author and psychiatrist. The book includes fourteen stories that explore the lives of ordinary people and the small moments that make up their everyday experiences.

The stories are diverse in terms of subject matter and tone, but they are all characterized by Cannon's skilful writing and her ability to capture the complexities of human relationships. Some of the stories are humorous and lighthearted, while others are more serious and contemplative.

In one story, a young woman struggles to come to terms with the death of her mother. In another, a man reflects on the relationship he had with his father and the ways in which it has shaped his life. Other stories explore themes of love, loss, friendship, and family, and offer a glimpse into the inner lives of the characters who populate them.

Cannon's writing is insightful and evocative, and she has a gift for capturing the nuances of human emotion. Her stories are filled with small but powerful moments that will resonate with readers and stay with them long after they finish the book.

Overall, "Will You Read This, Please?" is a beautifully written collection of stories that offers a poignant and insightful look at the human experience. Whether you are a fan of short fiction or simply enjoy stories that explore the complexities of human relationships, this book is definitely worth reading.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Yay! I love Joanna Cannon's work and this collection of carefully collated stories was no exception. Heavy and v sad at times, but an important book none the less.

A thought provoking, emotional collection of individual essays, written by people affected by, or, experiencing mental health issues.

I received a sample and the openness and honesty is what really struck me. Not an enjoyable read, but, an important one.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the sample.

I read a sampler - three stories of the twelve.
It's insightful and in my opinion, an important book, mental health is such a taboo subject and that needs to change. We need to talk about mental health more.
I will definitely read the full published version.

I have only been given a sampler of this book to read, but what a sample.
Edited by Joanna Cannon, these are real people’s stories of mental health issues, as told to writers, who then told their story.
And what stories they are.
Very different, with very different voices. I defy you not to identify with at least one of them.
Heartbreaking , horrific & eye opening.
This is not an easy read, I am sure a lot of people will pass by, as it contains those difficult words. Mental. Health.
To echo the title of the book. Please read this book, it may help you to understand a little about one other person you know.
Please.

What a powerful and insightful book. A brilliant idea to use published authors to tell the mental health stories/ experiences of members of the public. The PNP story was particularly poignant for me as a family member has recently experienced this condition. I will definitely be reading the rest of the stories.

This book sounded really up my street with its theme - and I adore Joanna Cannon too.
Unfortunately I really struggled with this one.
I just couldn't connect to the stories.
Didn't enjoy it.

What a powerful book. I have struggled with my own mental health issues and still fight every day.
The sentiments about being heard,seen and listened to are true. Only by talking and hearing others struggles will progress be made.
I am in awe of the open and honest accounts given by the people in this book. Your honesty and openness is inspiring. Thank you.

Even though only a sample these extracts on mental health were both enlightening and heartbreaking highlighting the difficulties experienced. . Very well written by Joanne Cannon and certainly will read the full book.

This is such a frustrating book to review as I really want to give it 5 stars!! However, as I have only read the first third of the book, I think it would be unfair of me until I’ve read the entirety of it. That said however I will be rushing out and buying this book as soon as able and I’m sure we’ll be able to re-review it and update my star rating.

Will you read this please is a frank and impactful collection of 12 stories, retold by 12 different British writers, and is based on the lived experience of people who faced mental illness in the UK.

The stories told here are powerful, resonant and heartbreaking. This is a groundbreaking, unforgettable collection, sharing a light on the stigma and isolation of living with mental illness, whilst also showing the strength and resilience of the human spirit.

This book felt so different from anything else that I’ve ever read. I’m unsure if that was because each unique story has been penned by a different author or because each persons story was so captivating.

The vulnerability in this book was remarkable. Each story was so personal, and so moving, that it was impossible not to be grabbed from the first page.

I think what the authors, collaborators and editors have managed to create here is something truly unique and wonderful . It’s removing the stigma around mental health in the most powerful way. It reminds us that we all have battles we face each and every day and the bravest thing we can do is talk about our struggles and equally be there for each other.

I know this was only a sample. But wow the 2 stories I did read were so well written. So raw with emotional, I was really gutted that this was only a sample of the book, will definitely be looking out for this. When I comes out,

I remember Joanna Cannon talking about the idea for this book on Twitter. I thought it was a phenomenal idea then and now, with a three-chapter taster on NetGalley, I have huge admiration for the book, Joanna Cannon and the writers who worked alongside the people who tell their stories.
We get an insight into how people come to access mental health services through these snapshots of lives that are both extraordinary and extraordinarily commonplace. The voices are clear and the 'professional' writers who bring their stories onto the page seem to act like empathetic conduits. It's a bold idea, sensitively executed.
Despite knowing people who have been sectioned and spent time in mental health facilities, I'm as guilty as the next person for looking away/letting my mind snap to assumptions when I see someone who is acting in a way that is 'different'. It's not an easy read, but all the better for not shying away from the circumstances and sometimes abhorrent treatment (especially in the case of Jeremy in 1970s, who is given aversion 'therapy' for being gay) that people have endured. This book reminded me a little of the TV series Seven Up - because you got an insight into the story behind the person. An important book that I hope can play a part in shifting assumptions and, hopefully, encouraging empathy.