Reviews

My Friend Fox by Heidi Everett

tildahlia's review

4.0

I’ve read a few first-hand accounts of the mental health system and yet it never ceases to amaze me that it exists in this way and everyone just keeps chugging along within it, seemingly knowing how flawed it is. Like, if you were designing a system to heal people and make them feel loved and cared for, in what world would you design the system we currently have?! Anyway, this is a great book - and interesting in its approach - which gives real insight into a creative mind that lives alongside mental illness.

numbat's review

challenging sad medium-paced

4.0

This book is a penitent portrait of mental health.

amerasuu's review

5.0

Incredible title. Listened to audiobook edition and Heidi's rawness comes across. Took me ages to get through because it's not a gentle listen but a powerful and moving one. Glad I read. And that's officially 31 books read for 2022!

leemac027's review

4.0

I loved this book and devoured it in one day. Heidi Everett's account of mental illness is stark, honest, powerful, heart wrenching, sad but also filled with light.

She highlights how the 'system' treats the diagnosis and not the person. The person in the psych ward needs to learn how to work the system to get released but they may not be anywhere near in a state to be able to cope in the world. Heidi found this out numerous times.

What I found so hopeful was her link to Tigger - her faithful hound who loved and guided her and brought her home - as did Fox.

If you have ever felt out of place, like you do not belong and are not sure how to cope in this world, My Friend Fox will bring you comfort.

naomilouisamay's review

4.0

Very emotive, captivating.

fasmina's review

5.0

I have officially started #nonfictionnovember without realising it, reading this beautiful and moving memoir by mental health recovery advocate, artist and creative workshop facilitator Heidi Everett.

A deeply moving and an emotional memoir of her journey, the author brings some true sides of life in a raw and thought-evoking manner. In between the beautiful illustrations, I saw how the writer brought to light the complexities and struggles of living with mental illness. The book was humorous at times too but the flow of the story was more rough and moving than funny but I loved it a lot.

I enjoyed reading the book and understanding the path to recovery every person had to walk through. This is one of those memoirs that’s raw, speaks the truth without sugarcoating and is enlightening.

bella_mckinnon's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

Being mentally ill, having experienced the fairly monolithic and dreaded psych ward, knowing nothing other than that I do not belong, this book meant a lot to me. I have bpd, depression, ptsd, CPTSD, anxiety, the lot. I’ve had delusions before, I’ve known always the stark isolation from all that is and yet is not around me, for all my life. From my first moments of realising myself, I have known I was the other. This book means so, so very much to me. I feel incredibly seen. I felt seen in The Bell Jar, but this, it expounds upon those experiences and is it’s own wholly unique, beautiful, poetic story. A tragedy until it doesn’t have to be. Beautiful story. Stayed up all night to read it, fell asleep once I couldn’t force my eyes open anymore, then finished it as soon as I came back to consciousness. Amazing book.

everything_was_beautiful's review

dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

glory317's review

dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

3.0

thisgirl_writes's review

emotional sad medium-paced