How It Feels to Float

Before Bo Burnham made us all Google derealization in 2021, Helena Fox helped me understand the concept of dissociation and how it ties to grief and its aftereffects. I had never seen struggles with mental health portrayed in such a raw, haunting way.

Though the book is unquestionably dark, and interested readers should check for content warnings before starting, I appreciated the honest portrayal of mental illness and loss. I read this book years ago, but it resurfaces in my mind every so often and lingers there.

This book uses ghosts and the feeling of floating to achingly and truthfully illustrate how it feels to live your life through a cloud of depression, anxiety, and grief.

The reality of living with disassociation can be incredibly hard to capture, but the author does so seamlessly, filtering every element of the story through the protagonist’s unique lens. Hope is also layered into this book in a sensitive and incredibly truthful way, which is so important when talking about mental health.

The natural setting only adds to the aching beauty of this story.