I’ll try to keep it brief. My child (uses he/him pronouns assigned female at birth) is 19 and having a mental health and identity crisis. At the encouragement of their university they sought inpatient care today. He asked me to bring him a book or two, but said it needed to be lighter (he thought). I’m having trouble trying to figure out what to get.
He asked for Coraline (Neil Gaiman) or a book called The Collecter (John Fowles) that he had read for a class at some point in high school but was afraid they would be too dark. I don’t think I can find his copy.
When he was an avid reader of all things Percy Jackson and Rick Riordon. He was really into Mythology for a while. In the last couple years when he sat down to read (rarely) he was a fan of the Simonverse books. LGBTQ+ themes are definitely appreciated.
I was contemplating The House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune but it’s on my to be read list so I don’t know if ifs good for someone struggling or not.
He won’t want stuff that panders to”life is great just feel better,” has an appreciation for dark humor, and realistically I’ll be picking up 1 or 2 to bring to the hospital tomorrow. There isn’t much I can do to comfort him right now, so I’m hoping I can give him a book that gives him a little comfort and escape in between his treatment and such.
by Incognito_catgito
5 Comments
T.Kingfisher? YA stuff usually.
Swordheart and Paladin books (Romance fantasy) both have a Gnole who is They. The Gnole features in Swordheart quite a bit.
Has he already read The Hitchhiker’s Guide? It’s funny, absurd, escapist, easy, intelligent…
Also, The Princess Bride is a safe bet for comfort reading.
The Murderbot novella series are a little dark, but in a funny and very unreal way. The first is called *All Systems Red.*
Maybe you could combine some of his interests and get him Neil Gaiman’s “Norse Mythology” or “American Gods” if he hasn’t already read them?
If Found, Return to Hell by Em X. Liu is about a nonbinary wizard who works in a call center and accidentally gets personally involved in a demon summoning. It’s surprisingly cozy, despite the premise!
Nghi Vo’s Singing Hills Cycle is about a nb cleric who travels around collecting and sharing stories. The books are The Empress of Salt and Fortune, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, Into the Riverlands, Mammoths at the Gates. They’re relatively low stakes slice of life books.
The House in the Cerulean Sea is a sweet book but may not hit the right vibes.
Best of luck to you and your child in his recovery.
The house on the cerulean sea is very good, very happy / uplifting / wholesome without being preachy and delightfully queer