Etched on Me

by Jenn Crowell

[Leah]

When I saw Jenn Crowell’s debut novel Etched On Me on Netgalley, I thought it sounded very intriguing – I love the cover, I loved the sound of it, and I was interested to read more about Lesley’s plight. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I dove in head first and I was suckered in immediately. So much so that despite working quite long shifts this week that leave little time for reading, I tried my very hardest to get in an hour or so a day because Lesley became almost like a friend to me and I needed to know that my friend would be alright!

Etched On Me is a stunning novel, and it’s all the better because it deals with mental health – a somewhat taboo subject for most people. Lesley’s life has been quite awful, her dad abuses her in the worst way imaginable so when she spots a number for people who can help, she holds onto that like a lifeline until she can use it. And she escapes. But the scars leave their marks and Lesley begins to self harm. Until one day she self harms too far and ends up in hospital. From there, her life Is a whirl of hospitals and trying to get better, and eventually she does, and she even falls pregnant, much to her delight. But social services aren’t happy and Lesley will have to prove herself once again, to prove she can be a good mother.

I know it’s probably cliche to say but Etched On Me has rather etched itself on me; it’s a very special book, and Lesley will stay with me forever. I don’t know much at all about mental health, but after reading Lesley’s story, I have more of an appreciation for people who suffer from mental health disorders. Lesley’s story made me want to cry, it made me deliriously happy, and I championed Lesley from page one. This is a girl to root for, someone who has changed her life, managed to overcome everything that has plagued her and I felt like whooping for joy when I completed the novel, that’s how euphoric I felt having felt like I’d physically been next to Lesley during her struggles and to see her rise like a Phoenix was a beautiful thing to witness.

What really made Etched On Me, though, were all the people who had Lesley’s back! Gloria, a teacher at Lesley’s school, Francesca, a social services worker, all of Gloria’s family, it was so uplifting to know that these people were there for Lesley through thick and thin and that you don’t always need your biological parents when there are kind strangers who will care for you. Imogen, too, Lesley’s best friend. I loved that they didn’t judge Lesley at all, one bit. Etched On Me is probably one of the most powerful novels I’ve ever read, Jenn Crowell is a fantastic writer, she got into Lesley’s head so well and made me love and root for Lesley just as much as her friends did. It truly blew me away, and I am so glad I read it, it’s one everyone who’s ever been curious about how mental health works should read because Lesley is a powerful narrator, with an amazing voice and an even more amazing story to tell.