CW: alcohol use, eating disorder, disassociate identity disorder, emotional abuse

'Allow yourself some dramatic episodes, but then practice laughing about it.' If this quote doesn't sum up the way 2020 wreaked havoc on our outlook and forced us to reassess, then I don't know what does.
When I first started reading this collection several years ago, it was too raw... I was too raw. After some time and space, I was finally able to pick it up again. That isn't to say that the topics weren't triggering for me or that it somehow became an easier read, but I connected wihh it in a different way.
Dodie shares her every low but also her greatest highs. She isn't afraid to show us exactly how her brain works in an effort to demystify DID and EDs. I couldn't be more thankful for it.

Book Review:

As many are, I am a fan of dodie's youtube channel so when I saw that this was available to review I was super excited. Secrets For The Mad is a solid and honest read, different from other youtube books with a deeply personal touch.

As a subscriber of dodie's I do really love how honest she is in the book. A lot of the things that she discusses especially how she deals with alcohol, mental illness and a past relationship is so sensitive but she shares it so openly. It was great to read someone opening up of their issues as it could really help those who need it.

I also think that dodie is a great writer. As I said she is honest and her writing has a raw and poetic quality to it that I loved and enjoyed reading. The book also features her songs and personal photos in it which was really lovely and a nice addition to the book. Overall, it was just great!

The Verdict:

Secrets For The Mad is a deeply interesting a personal read, perfect for those who love dodie's channel or otherwise.

This was utterly adorable. The songs, illustrations, pictures, and prose all meshed well and gave great insight into Dodie's life (an accurate description of mental illness). This is perfect for fans of Dodie and teens/young people in search of advice.

Unfortunately the file for this book would not open for me so I am unable to give a review.

I felt this book was average - the only exciting thing about it is the author, Dodie, who became famous from her YouTube channel. The topics covered are important, and Dodie is someone who isn't scared away by taboo topics, but I felt that the writing quality just wasn't there.

I started reading Secrets for the Mad by Dodie Clark – also known as dodie or doddleoddle – when I was trying to decide what to read. I only intended to read a bit to see if I’d prefer it over my other options, but I ended up reading more than half of it that night. In other words, I was hooked.

My rating: 4 stars.

Goodreads synopsis: When I feel like I’m going mad I write.

A lot of my worst fears have come true; fears that felt so big I could barely hold them in my head. I was convinced that when they’d happen, the world would end.

But the world didn’t end. In fact, it pushed on and demanded to keep spinning through all sorts of mayhem, and I got through it. And because I persisted, I learned lessons about how to be a stronger, kinder, better human – lessons you can only learn by going through these sorts of things.

This is for the people with minds that just don’t stop; for those who feel everything seemingly a thousand times more than the people around them.

Here are some words I wrote.

Content warnings: mental illness (depersonalisation, depression, eating disorders), suicidal thoughts, self harm, abusive relationships.

Review

Secrets for the Mad contains anecdotes, advice, thoughts, song lyrics and even recipes by youtuber and singer-songwriter Dodie Clark (dodie). As you can see from the content warnings, this book deals with some pretty heavy stuff. If you follow dodie on youtube you may already know quite a bit about the mental health problems she deals with and there is a lot more on that in this book. Several parts were harder to read than I expected. But overall the book is uplifting and fun, and a joy to leaf through (so to speak; I read it on my ereader, but I’ll definitely get a paper copy some day so I can leaf through it for real).

Though some of the parts concerning mental health were hard to read, they were comforting too. I recognised myself in dodie’s words more than once. They inspired me to be open about my own mental health (still working on that, but I talked about it a little in my last post; mental health trouble is one of the reasons this review is going up much later than I intended) and to write in my journal more often, which I’ve found to be a great way to organise my thoughts.

This book is geared towards young adults, who make up a large part of dodie’s youtube audience, meaning some of the advice may come a bit late for anyone out of secondary/high school. That’s just a small part of the book, though, so don’t let that stop you if you like the rest. The writing style is quite similar to some of dodie’s instagram posts and vlog-type videos. If you like those, I think you’ll love this book.

Dodie is a person who isn't scared to talk about typically taboo subject so I had high hopes for this book. And although the book did play well at times, the writing itself just didn't mesh well with me. But i'm sure, for others, this could be an incredibly helpful book.

Secrets For The Mad by Dodie Clark (Ebury Press)

I had real high hopes for this book and for the most part, it delivered. Some sections I really enjoyed like the bit about grief and bad skin. Overall the book had a nice feel to it. For me though, it was a bit self indulgent. 

Rating: ★★★

I really enjoyed this book from Dodie, particularly as a fan of her developing YouTube career. Parts of the book triggered a few of my worries with my mental health so I would consider having this put somewhere at the beginning of the book to notify the reader of this. I thought the book was really constructed well with something different on every page.

Dodie's book involves a variety of topics. I felt ambivalent about that because I did enjoy the variety, but it felt like some chapters could have been longer. They almost felt like a summary of a chapter that she could have elaborated on. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys memoirs/personal essays. I particularly liked her honesty and openness in everything she wrote.

For complete and utter transparency: I was given this book for review, but I was planning on picking it up anyway. Dodie has been one of my favorite YouTubers for years, so I’d be lying if I said the idea of her writing a book didn’t excite me. For those of you familiar with Dodie’s channels, this book feels like a physical form of her second channel, doddlevoggle. It feels very conversational and like a best friend or older sister relaying stories and life experiences.

That being said, this book is very introspective and personal. She talks about deep, thought provoking subjects and doesn’t stray away from the rough parts. Topics of bullying, toxic relationships, and death (among other topics) are all huge topics looming over every chapter. That isn’t to say it is all doom and gloom, however. In her Dodie fashion, every chapter is deliberate and has a message – whether that is to learn from Dodie’s mistakes or to inform the reader that things get better. No chapter is out of place or simply just relaying Dodie’s experiences. Everything has a lesson and a reason for being added into the book.

That being said, each chapter talks about a different subject revolving around one of Dodie’s experiences. Something I did struggle with a little bit was following the timeline. You constantly jump around and the order of events quickly become blurred. The book isn’t supposed to be a clear memoir, so it works in a way of showing that life has its ups and downs, but it also would have been nice to have a clearer timeline.

Similarly, Dodie’s thoughts seem to be all over the place. As I understand it, the book was written randomly in diary like segments and placed together later. Because of that, the flow of the book was quickly interrupted with a new change of subject. Each chapter is short and to the point. By the time you were really getting into the story, it was over and she was moving onto another topic. To combat that, there were lovely breaks between chapters where you can read Dodie’s poems or song lyrics as well as accompanied by drawings and pictures she has taken over the years. They work as a nice bridge, but don’t hide the fact that the chapters are still a bit choppy.

Despite the book being a little choppy and more like a stream of consciousness than a clear beginning, middle, and end to every chapter or thought, I did enjoy the book. It felt like marathoning a bunch of her vloggy/chatty videos back to back in that all the subjects are different, but having the common themes of depression, silver linings, and life lessons. It isn’t the most conventional way to get a point across, and might read a bit weird to someone unfamiliar with Dodie’s content and how her mind works, but overall, it is a read that makes you feel like you aren’t alone and that it may take time, but things do get better.

I find Dodie to be really intriguing and I thought that some of these essays (particularly the ones about mental health and her depersonalization disorder) to be very powerful. The song lyrics spread throughout were a tad throwaway and things started to feel a bit rushed and muddled toward the end. But I think this would be a very valuable reading experience for teens who want to be more present/learn more/be validated in IRL issues like mental health, sex and dating, family and friendships, etc, whether fans of Dodie's or not. (less)

I. Loved. This. Book. So Much.
I have been watching Dodie for around a year and binged all of her videos. I love her as a person and an artist. The chapter talking about her mental illness made so much sense when she described it. When she would talk about it in videos, it made sense but reading it made more sense because I can imagine a visual with it. I really hope she does go on tour and this is one of the few books where I bought the finished copy for and I do not regret it.

I’ve watched Dodie on Youtube for a good few years now, even if my interest in the platform has dwindled over the past year. I had no idea what to expect when I saw that Dodie was bringing a book out and honestly there may have been a few eye rolls from my direction. However, I was really pleasantly surprised.

Dodie has spoken openly on Youtube about dealing with mental illness and I thought the content of the book was really mature and interesting and in many parts really positive.

The book is probably one of my favourite non-fiction books of this year even though I maintain that the title is questionable.

I loved this book. It’s a perfect mix of poems, songs, and personal stories that doesn’t make you bored. A cool inside look into dodie’s brain. It tackles topics like depression, depersonalisation, anxiety, and grief well. The illustrations didn’t show up on the ebook version, which was a shame. I love dodie’s youtube videos and enjoyed her book.

You can tell that Dodie is not a professional writer, not that this is written badly by any means. There are just some parts that drag a little or the wording is a little odd and doesn't flow too well. I still really enjoy the book.

I love her as a person, and enjoy getting to know more about her, at least the stuff she was willing to share in this book, and it seemed she shared quite a lot! Thanks Dodie. We need to talk more about stuff like this so people know we're important, too. Invisible illnesses are the worst, because nobody believes us.

I relate to the mental health stuff she is going through, though I do not have the exact same mental disorder she has. It makes me so sad to know someone as nice as Dodie feels as bad as I feel, if not worse (at times) because of her fame and differences in her life.

This book makes it even more clear how strong and brave Dodie is. It's not easy to share your innermost feelings, let alone with millions of strangers. I do not know if she fully realizes how much of a role model she is to people of all ages. She seems like such a humble person. Of course this is from what I see of her online personality and this book.

One of the things in the book that I liked is how she talked about being able to find humor even during the worst of times. We've got to be able to laugh and sometimes we need that humor to get through tough situations.

She stresses about how important self care is. This is something I really agree with, but often forget, so I am glad she talks about it.

The poetry and song lyrics were a great touch. I also loved the photos and drawings scattered throughout. I can only imagine how pretty the physical book will be.

My final thoughts: If you are a Dodie fan, you might like this! Even if you do not know her, you might relate if you suffer from mental health issues. I do feel this is written for a teenage audience, but who cares about age. I hope all ages can love this and get to know Dodie.

Secrets For The Mad written by Dodie Clark contains Ms. Clarks’s truths and shares her heart in the midst of her struggle with Depersonalization Disorder. Her learned life lessons about sex, drinking, love, heartbreak, bullying and friendship are depicted through, lyrics, photography, doodles and poignant humor.

Secrets For The Mad is a sad, funny heartbreaking and honest book. If you love Dodie on YouTube and Instagram as @doddleoddle then you will love this book. What makes this book different than other mental health memoirs/autobiographies is the fact that Dodie can tell her truths all the while making you feel as if you are in her inner circle; that you are kindred spirits; that she is sitting across the table from you while you are having lunch together. Not everyone can capture an audience like Dodie can.

I especially loved her advice to young girls about Self Identity, Sexual relationships, Sexual Harassment and how to be precautious when it comes to having sex. The topics are relevant, helpful and all told in an educational, yet lighthearted way.
This reviewer will even be using some of Dodie’s advice when it comes time to talk to her own daughter about sex and boys. The advice is laid out simply, and covers all the bases. As I mom I appreciate her desire to help younger women who look up to her as a role model in a loveing, productive and sincere way.

Music and Poetry may be Dodie’s passion and the outlet for her many struggles and feelings, however her writing is as exceptional as her music.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I give Secrets For The Mad 4 stars.

This felt like a story built for Instagram. It includes many retro-style photos.

This really wasn't for me, but I think a lot of people would enjoy this book and get a lot out of it!

If you are a fan of Dodie, or even if you’ve just seen a few of her videos on youtube, there is very little of Secrets for the Mad that would surprise you. She is a beautiful writer and has a way of pulling you into her head. The essays cover a variety of topics that really delve into her personal life, her struggles with mental illness, and her rapidly expanding social media platform.

Something that I personally think would have made this book stronger is a little more time. Most of the stories that Dodie tells cover events over the past few years and even up to early 2017. One of the greatest elements that someone can bring when writing about their own lives is perspective, but I’m not sure that this is something that can be expected from someone who is reflecting back on events that happened fairly recently. Both recovery and perspective take time, and this seemed to be a book that was written a little prematurely.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it for readers who are already fans of Dodie. This isn’t a personal favorite, but it has several touching messages that I think will resonate with people.