A beautifully realistic, relatable story about mental health—anxiety, perfectionism, depression—and the healing powers of art—perfect for fans of Girl in Pieces and How it Feels to Float. Whatever you struggle with, you are not alone and you are already enough—just the way you are.

In slow motion, I wipe her with a towel. Try to stop the blood. Find the source. But my shaking hands make it worse. Bright red on my skin. Smeared on the floor. The book also touches on intense stigmas attached to mental illness, and Lily and her classmates refer to Micah as “Manic Micah,” and wonder if he will “lose it” and freak out on classmates. Despite these issues, The Words We Keep is a powerful and important book that encourages readers to realize that whatever they struggle with, they are not alone and are already enough. Books Like The Words We Keep The parts that scare you most, that’s where the artist is born, for fear comes from the mind. And art comes from the heart.” Lily. Initially likable, becomes more narcissistic throughout the story, focused only on herself and forgetting that she’s not the only person in her life. She lies to her best friend about things that she could have been truthful. Lily is careless with others’ feelings and generally doesn’t consider others have difficult *stuff* in their lives. I understood that she was overwhelmed, emotionally neglected by her only living parent and new stepmom and dealing with her own worries about mental health. Of course, she’s the MOST creative, talented poet, a superstar who doesn’t want others to know her struggles. I’m very glad Stewart didn’t write Lily as the perfect sister and I don’t need likable narrators, I wish she was a little less manic pixie girl. Okay, a lot less.It's been three months since The Night on the Bathroom Floor--when Lily found her older sister Alice hurting herself. Ever since then, Lily has been desperately trying to keep things together, for herself and for her family. But now Alice is coming home from her treatment program and it is becoming harder for Lily to ignore all of the feelings she's been trying to outrun.

This is a book about words, words which have the power to save and to soothe, it is about a girl, her sisters, and family responsibility. It is about a boy, a troubled boy, a misunderstood artist. It is about them and it is about the people they love. And it is a totally lovely book.I finally bought a physical copy and wanted to annotate it veryy heavily and that’s exactly what i did. Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Librarians Group is the official group for requesting additions or updates to the catalog, including: The Words We Keep is a luminous exploration into the restorative power of love and art. The only thing it contains more of than poetry is raw, unfiltered hope. This book is a healing balm to a wounded heart. “ —Jeff Zentner, Morris Award–winning author of In the Wild Light

So until next month when Alice comes home from psych-ward sleepaway camp, I won’t know if we’re on the same slow train to locoville. All I know is that I, Lily Larkin, at the ripe old age of sixteen, am losing my freaking mind. Authors, if you are a member of the Goodreads Author Program, you can edit information about your own books. Find out how in this guide. The role played by the guerrilla poets and the voices they amplified was admirable and one of my favourite additions to this story! The truths their actions allowed to speak, and the outlet it provided others who needed to scream into the void and be heard, even if just a whisper, was touching and my heart soared to see how receptive the majority of the students were to these artistic displays. To see the power of words and art at play, and the healing it can aid was inspiring.

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Books that deal with heavy subjects, such as mental health, are books that I gravitate towards. They bring out so many emotions and let us all know that we aren’t alone in this world. That we are loved and belong on this planet. A gorgeous and deeply touching rumination on the power of art, this book is for anyone who has lost their words and lost their way. The Words We Keep is a tender, heartfelt, and realistic look at mental illness, familial love, and finding your voice." —Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces and You'd Be Home Now Dad falls to his knees, and he’s hugging us, so tight I almost pop, and we’re huddled on the beach, and he’s crying, and I think they’re happy tears, but it’s hard to tell.

It is superrr emotional and very real for a YA book so just beware! I mean i always love a good ol’ YA sad book. They just always hit in the perfect way, especially this one. While rereading the words we keep i had forgot pretty much everything and so it felt like reading it for the first time again. Which is always so satisfying! Enter Micah, a new student at school with a past of his own. He was in treatment with Alice and seems determined to get Lily to process not only Alice’s experience, but her own. Because Lily has secrets, too. Compulsions she can’t seem to let go of and thoughts she can’t drown out. Enter Micah, a new student at school with a past of his own. He was in treatment with Alice and seems determined to get Lily to process not only Alice's experience, but her own. Because Lily has secrets, too. Compulsions she can't seem to let go of and thoughts she can't drown out. despite it being fiction, this book is the realest story ive ever read. it’s heartbreaking and healing. it is what mental illness is for so many of us every single day of our lives. the uncertainty of whether or not tomorrow will be a day that we can get through but also the uncertainty that the light we sometimes see might not still be there tomorrow.video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://erinstewartbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/WordsWeKeep_Trailer.mp4" poster="https://erinstewartbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Screen-Shot-2022-01-19-at-12.25.05-PM.png"][/video] A beautifully realistic, relatable story about mental health and the healing powers of friendship and art, perfect for fans of Kathleen Glasgow's Girl in Pieces and Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places. However, there are some problematic elements in the book, and the portrayal of mental illness might be outdated. The story takes place in a modern school setting, but there is no aspect of counseling or therapy for the family, not even for Lily, who found her sister before their father rushed Alice to the hospital.