Book Review: Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

By georgelthomas on 2 Aug 2024 • ( 3 )

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today is Friday, and it’s time for another review. Today, I am reviewing Matt Haig‘s Reasons to Stay Alive.

Reasons to Stay Alive was initially published in March 2015 by Canongate Books and is 264 pages long.

Trigger warning: Reasons to Stay Alive deals with subjects some readers may find difficult, such as severe mental illness and suicide. If these themes or subjects might trigger you, perhaps skip this book.

What It’s About
Reasons to Stay Alive is a sort of memoir that explores Matt Haig’s personal experiences and struggles with mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

Writing Style
Haig’s style is always uncomplicated, engaging and conversational, but it is especially so in the case of Reasons to Stay Alive. When reading this book, it feels like you are sitting with a friend and listening to them as they share their worries and struggles with you.

The book is set up in five easily readable parts: ‘Falling,’ ‘Landing,’ ‘Rising,’ ‘Living,’ and ‘Being’, and is profoundly personal and deeply moving. You can’t help but turn page after page as Haig shares his journey from the depths of depression to finding hope and meaning in his life once again.

One of the most captivating aspects of Reasons to Stay Alive is the raw honesty with which Haig writes. He talks about deciding to end his life on a cliff but feeling unable to leave his loved ones, and he doesn’t sugarcoat his experiences or try to make them sound more palatable than they are.

Instead, he lays his soul bare on the table, sharing his darkest moments and thoughts with us. Haig’s honesty is both refreshing and comforting, as he lets readers know that when they are at their lowest ebb, there is always hope and that by no means are they alone.

Beyond its emotional, memoir-style narrative, the book offers practical advice and strategies for coping with mental illness, along with plenty of facts and statistics. Haig also shares his experiences with therapy, medication, and other tools that have helped him manage his mental health and well-being over the years.

I especially loved the chapter titled ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’ (from which the book takes its name). It marvellously lists Haig’s reasons to live, and it’s such a touching part of the book because those of us who have been so low as to want to leave the world behind will be able to relate. I wonder how many of us have written ‘pros and cons’ lists on our own reasons for sticking around. I know I have.

Final Thoughts
Overall, Reasons to Stay Alive is a beautifully written, thought-provoking, and wonderfully moving book that has the potential to reassure people and possibly change lives.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever struggled with their mental health or knows someone who has. It is a must-read for everyone who believes in the power of hope and the importance of mental health advocacy.

I am giving Reasons to Stay Alive 10/10.

Have you read the book? What did you think?

Thank you, as ever, for reading my review!

Until next time,

George