This is such a raw and honest book about depression
It’s very engaging and well written
A book everyone should read

This is a brutally emotional and honest account of how depression affects not only a person but their family. Not only that this book is a real life honest account, having read several of Ms Prowse fictional works it was refreshing to read a raw personal account of something that affects thousands of not millions all across the world.

As someone who has suffered from depression I found Josh’s account of it to be almost like hitting home, the feelings of helplessness, loneliness and not wanting to be here set along side the feelings of family members who felt like it was something they had done, how could they miss the signs?

this is truly a must a read for everyone dealing with or know someone who is going through depression.

The tone of this book was great. I sometimes find discussion of mental health to be toned in a scary manner. The book conveyed that the situation for the boy was not necessarily scary, but regular; not necessarily sad, but grey, for as long as he could remember. This book was honest that scary things happened, but was able to handle the topic calmly and without shock value, acknowledging that sometimes, mental health crises are just what the mind state and family dynamic looks like long term, rather than being one big scary incident. As a result, the book is great for the normalisation of having these conversations - acknowledging that mental illness can be a life-long debilitation, and that sometimes life is just coping with where our loved ones are at.

Sometimes the parent talking for the person could be a little overbearing, but it wasn't too much. It was intriguing to see the situation from a parents' perspective, and admirable to hear about the ceaseless advocacy work and learning that parents have to do, something that is rarely heard in these areas of conversation.

This book opened my eyes to what the staggering statistics of students being at risk of mental health crisis looks like for real families in real situations.

This was an emotional read that deals with some very deep issues in relation to mental health, and does so very sensitively. The writing style was engaging and I found myself getting lost in this

What an emotional read that is an honest and brutal view of depression. As someone who suffers from clinical depression, I admire the authors, Amanda Prowse and her son, Josh Hartley, for their upfront details and the willingness to openly share their journey. You will experience life for Josh as he is diagnosed and his efforts to seek assistance. You will also view life from a parent’s perspective and how much effort is put into supporting, encouraging, and accepting the trauma associated with depression. Kudos to both of them for the raw emotions they share to make the reader aware of this medical epidemic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little A for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I’ll get straight to the point and say, I believe I have suffered depression all my life and I am now 40.

Reading Josh’s journey so far, has helped me come to terms, a little more, with the fact I have suffered so long with depression and anxiety.

A lot of what I read reminds me of myself growing up. I do still forget that this is not a choice, I can’t just snap out of it, I have an illness.

Thank you Josh and Amanda for an insight into your lives and reminding me that I am not alone.

This book left me speechless. I know I’m not open much but this book talks about mental illness and the struggle a family experience when someone attempts suicide. I cried. And I can relate. If I have read this story 3 years ago maybe I would have felt relieve in knowing I wasn’t alone. I have depression and so much in this story I can relate. I think everyone needs to read this book. Highly recommend it. It is hard to talk about this subject. It still is even after 3 years so thank you for sharing and thank you for showing those who can’t see the light yet that there is hope.

As someone that suffers from depression, this book was hard to read at times because it hit too close to home. However, I think books like this and discussions on this subjected are needed more often. When you have depression, it doesn't just affect you, it affects all those that you love as is shown in this book..

I highly recommend this book to anybody that suffers from depression or has a loved one that suffers. Help is out there and you are not alone.

Really heartfelt book and definitely got the sense that the authors put all their feelings into the writing. It deals with depression, not only from Josiah's point of view, but from his mother's as well showing how it affected them both.

Reading this book was an eye-opener regarding depression and its effect on both the person with it and their loved ones.. This book is emotionally raw with the truth as told by the mother and son authors, Josiah Hartley and Amanda Prowse. That they both were willing to share their stories in order to be able to shine the light on the stigma surrounding depression, the lack of available services, and the lack of understanding was inspiring and heart-wrenching. Higher educational institutions need to become more much proactive in their understanding, responses, and abilities to offer guidance to those students who are suffering from this debilitating diagnosis while under school pressures at the same time they are trying to adjust to living away from home and becoming independent adults. Definitely a must-read for parents who know or suspect their child is suffering from depression and feel they are alone in their battle to do the right thing for them. Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. #NetGalley #TheBoyBetween

This book written by Amanda Prowse and her son Joshua details the heartbreaking subject of depression.

Whilst this must have been extremely difficult to write, I thank them for doing so. It is written from the heart and I admit I cried throughout.

I think this is a great book and would be very useful for both those suffering and those living with the sufferer.

Wow! This book is unlike any other I have ever read. It is such an honest account of suffering with mental health. It is also written from two perspectives, so you are able to gain an understanding of what it is like for the loved ones of those who are suffering.

I think that book will help so many people, whether they themselves suffer with their mental health or whether they have a close friend or family member who suffers.

By being so open and honest, I’m sure that Josh and Amanda will encourage others to speak out about their mental health and help to normalise talking about it.

It was an emotional read. As a mum of two young boys, I couldn’t help but think about how I would feel if either of them ever goes through what Josh has been through.

I highly recommend that everyone reads this book. It has definitely given me a better understanding of mental illness and what those who suffer it and those close to them go through.

I had seen a number of comments on this book and really wanted to read it.

The book is constructed of alternating chapters which go back and forth between Amanda and her son Josiah.
This is an honest and thought provoking read. This book really does get you thinking.
The emotion was there between the pages so strong you could feel it.
Beautifully done, the insight into Mental health and the affects it has on people.

Wow! That’s what I thought! This is a hard hitting, emotional, truthful account of a family and how when mental health hits, what a devastating impact it can have.

What a brave young man to write such an open, raw and honest account and what a powerful impact I think this book will have on other families who are going through the same thing. And what a very brave mother too.

Amanda did a Facebook Live with me earlier this year and became very emotional when she was talking about this book giving an insight into the trauma that the family had been through. You can watch the interview by clicking here.

As a mother of a just gone teenage boy myself, my heart broke for Amanda as she talked about how a mother’s love isn’t enough to help someone who is suffering from mental illness and how serious it can be. How hard it was to accept that her son was suffering from an illness and needed to heal. As a parent, I cannot even begin to imagine how I would feel or cope with a situation like this. You only have to hope that you get a positive outcome. A friend of mine sadly lost her son from mental illness and I think of her every time I look at my son, grateful that he’s here every single day. So easily, these days, there could be a different outcome.

I’m glad to say that this story, has a positive ending, but I can’t imagine for one minute that this is something you ever really get over, but maybe with help, and love and support you learn to accept could crop up again at any time and that you’ll know how to handle it.

My heart goes out to both Amanda and Josh, and I hope sincerely that this book helps many others, to cope with similar situations. I believe books like this can be life-changing to so many others. It is a book that shows that there is hope in the darkest of times and that we should never under estimate the power of hidden illnesses and hope that we can encourage others to reach out for help when it is so desperately needed before it’s too late.

Hat’s off to Amanda and Josh for sharing their story and big hugs to you both.

The Boy Between narrates the story of Amanda Prowse's and her son Josiah Hartley's journey with his experience of depression. The book is constructed of alternating chapters which go back and forth between Amanda and Josiah.

First of all, I want to preface my review by saying my 3 stars doesn't mean I am devaluing Josiah's story in any way, he has had a tough journey with depression, just that for me the book was an ok read and not necessarily one I would be shouting at people to read.

Josiah's chapters were fantastic, he gave a really raw and honest look into the reality of depression and how it can slowly engulf a person. He also really showed the reality of how it can ebb and flow with certain unpredictability. I honestly would have loved to see a whole lot more from him and his thoughts.

Unfortunately, Amanda's chapters were the ones I could not warm to. Parts where she argued with him that it was her story too, where she expressed her jealousy of the attention he was receiving/that he didn't turn to her and her repetitive mention of her success and books tours left me a little cold.

I really would have loved to have seen some of Amanda's chapters broken up with the POV of Simeon (Josiah's step-dad) who really seemed to be the glue that held their world together and seemed to be the voice of reason.

Please don't let my review put you off if you think this book would be helpful or indeed interesting to you. For me, I just felt other books cover the same topic in a better manner.

Brutally honest, provocative and emotive. Raw emotion leapt from the pages and engulfed me. This has kept me awake at night thinking. Highly recommend.

I appreciate the advance reader copy of this book, although I have had to DNF it due to being triggered by some of the material it contains. I won't leave a bad rating as I'm sure this isn't a bad book, I just can't read it right now in the place I'm at mentally.

It is hard to put into words how powerful this story was for me. It was honest, open and raw – you feel their pain, their love and their hope. You feel the frustration and disappointment with the medical system. But most importantly, you feel connected to both Josiah and Amanda.

I have dealt with depression and anxiety for the last ten years (roughly) and I have good months and bad months. I have days where I feel I can accomplish anything (and take on more work than I can do and this backfires on me during my bad days) and days when I struggle just to get out of bed. I saw so much of myself in this story that at times it hurt. I know people mean well when they give suggestions on how you can “make yourself better” but going to the gym, eating better and just thinking positively doesn’t just make the feelings go away. It is almost a constant battle everyday, and it is not a battle that anyone else can do for you (although having a family who loves you and is your champion makes things so much better).

I hope that others reading their story that have never dealt with depression are left with a better understanding and compassion for others. That the stigma around mental health can be broken down and that there is better access to healthcare (not to mention providers that are able to support patients dealing with mental illness).

The Boy Between is a powerful and personal story, that took a lot of courage to share but I am so happy that they shared their story with the world. This is a definite must read for young adults and adults, and a great resource for families that are dealing with depression

Really insightful book about mental health, from first-hand experience. It must have been exceedingly difficult to write this book, but a very honest story.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

I struggled to write my review of The Boy Between and I kept editing and re-editing my words, never feeling satisfied. Whatever I wrote just didn’t seem right. My thoughts were clumsy and inadequate. My words couldn’t suitably describe the awe I felt at two people letting the world into their hearts, minds and deepest despair. My sentences couldn’t give voice to the anxiety I felt as I read Amanda’s memories of Josh’s childhood, knowing that their life would take a turn down a road no parent would ever wish to travel. My paragraphs couldn’t convey the raw emotion I felt as I read through tear-blurred eyes Josh’s description of his life with depression and the feelings of not wanting to exist any more. And my review drafts couldn’t make clear just how important I feel this book is for anyone touched personally by depression, or looking on with a feeling of helplessness as someone they care about struggles to get through each day.

So instead, I decided to start from scratch and allow my clumsy, inadequate thoughts to form and be shared authentically. I had to pause typing for a moment there to wipe away the tears which have finally spilled over before I tell you that this isn’t a book of sadness. It’s uplifting, funny at times and will hopefully be talked about for years to come for the difference Josiah Hartley and Amanda Prowse make to other people’s lives, to other boys and girls between.