The Immeasurable Depth of You

 

The Immeasurable Depth of You by Maria Ingrande Mora

How do you face your fears when everything is terrifying?

Fifteen-year-old Brynn can’t stop thinking about death. Her intrusive thoughts and severe anxiety leave her feeling helpless—and hopeless. So after her mom interprets one of Brynn’s blog posts as a suicide note, she takes extreme measures, confiscating Brynn’s phone, blocking her Internet access, and banishing her to stay with her father who lives “off the grid” on a houseboat in the Florida mangroves. Isolated from her online friends—her only friends—Brynn resigns herself to a summer of mind-numbing boredom and loneliness… until Skylar appears.

Skylar is everything Brynn isn’t—sultry, athletic, and confident. Yet Brynn feels at home around this fearless girl who pushes her to try new things and makes her belly flutter with nerves that have nothing to do with anxiety. When Brynn discovers that Skylar is trapped in the bayou and can’t tell her why, she resolves to free her new crush from the dark waters, even if it means confronting all of her worst fears.

Through Brynn's funny and sincere narration, The Immeasurable Depth of You explores the ways mental illness can impact a life by centering a character who is learning (sometimes messily) to accept all parts of herself.

Reviews

"This haunting, heartbreaking, and healing coming-of-age story explores disability and mental illness. . . . Mora represents truthful, thorny complexity in Brynn's relationships. . . . Themes of connection and community equally affirm the value of in-person and online relationships. . . . Raw and compassionate."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"Without shying away from the ways mental illness can impact a life, Brynn's story blooms with hope and fierce love, and every step feels earned."—Booklist, Starred Review

"A compelling story highlighting the raw reality of living with a mental illness."—School Library Journal, Starred Review