Waking under Water by Christine Bailey
GENRE: YA Contemporary
GOODREADS ~ AMAZON ~ AUTHOR
Sixteen-year-old Mia Hughes is not really a bad girl. She’s just made one bad decision after another, like mixing in with the wrong crowd and disappearing for days at a time. Her latest move has forced her parents to do the unthinkable—send her away to boarding school.
Trying to make sense of her new world, far away from Pittsburgh, is only half the battle for Mia as she fights to survive the wicked ways of the rich, spoiled kids at Galt Academy. But Mia is a fighter, and when she befriends junior Lucas Dunlap, the cute coffee shop guy, and his friend, Natalie, things start to look up for her—until the betrayal.
After falling into a deep depression, Mia resorts to the one thing she does best: running away. There’s only one problem—Lucas has a hold on her. And just when Mia thinks life can’t get any more complicated, it does with some life-changing news. Can Mia keep her head above water long enough to survive the pressures of her new school? And will Lucas be there when she finally comes up for air, once and for all?
GUEST POST - Tis the Season…for Depression?
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Sixteen-year-old Mia Hughes is not really a bad girl. She’s just made one bad decision after another, like mixing in with the wrong crowd and disappearing for days at a time. Her latest move has forced her parents to do the unthinkable—send her away to boarding school.
Trying to make sense of her new world, far away from Pittsburgh, is only half the battle for Mia as she fights to survive the wicked ways of the rich, spoiled kids at Galt Academy. But Mia is a fighter, and when she befriends junior Lucas Dunlap, the cute coffee shop guy, and his friend, Natalie, things start to look up for her—until the betrayal.
After falling into a deep depression, Mia resorts to the one thing she does best: running away. There’s only one problem—Lucas has a hold on her. And just when Mia thinks life can’t get any more complicated, it does with some life-changing news. Can Mia keep her head above water long enough to survive the pressures of her new school? And will Lucas be there when she finally comes up for air, once and for all?
GUEST POST - Tis the Season…for Depression?
Young Adult “problem” novels can sometimes be overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy them, but they can take a lot out of a reader. Topics such as eating disorders, abuse, and depression are heavy topics to digest, but when the stories are done well, they can also give readers a sense of understanding, hope, and connection to others.
I didn’t set out to write a problem novel, but that’s exactly what I ended up doing with my latest book. My goal was simple: to tell a story about a girl going through a tough time in her life. The inspiration came from my cousin who was given a shocking diagnosis in her teen years. I won’t give it away in case you want to read the book (Waking Under Water), but I will talk a little about the depression that she—and my main character—struggled with after that diagnosis.
Depression is something many of us deal with every day—not just characters in books and movies. And it often hits us hard especially over the holidays. That’s why I wanted to write about it…maybe start a conversation. So let me start by telling you a little about what my main character is fighting. Mia forgets to eat, causing her weight to drop, and she chooses to sleep rather than engage with friends and family. Although her teachers see potential, Mia has difficulty maintaining her grades. Plus, the mean girls at school continue to bully and intimidate her. As her depression grows, Mia is drawn into a deep darkness. If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. “Studies indicate that…among adolescents, one in eight may suffer from depression (“Statistics—Adolescent Depression”).
Many teens fight emotional battles every day—battles that affect the body and the mind. So what can be done? What does Mia do? What did my cousin do? We take it one day at a time. We breathe. We connect and talk with others about what’s going on with us. I am constantly reminded about the pressures of our daily lives bearing down on us, but there’s hope all around—we just have to look up to see it. So, let me hear from you and your positive notes and the good vibes you want to pass along. And thanks for stopping by and reading. Happy and healthy holidays to you all!
Chris Bailey—author of Waking Under Water and Girl in the Middle
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