books

this is a love story: poems and essays on friendship, love, and mental health
creative non-fiction/poetry

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This is a love story you haven’t read before, a raw and vulnerable story of finding hope, love and friendship through struggles with mental illness.

Alyssa Sherlock was a sensitive, anxious child who grew up into a sensitive, anxious adult. In this collection of poetry and essays, Sherlock lays out the reality of becoming her own person while experiencing anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and the illness of loved ones, before exploring how complex friendships can be the support that is needed for recovery.

This book is for anyone who struggles with their own mental health or the mental illnesses of others, to remind them they are not alone, and that there is love and belonging to be found in the most unexpected places. Written in collaboration with friends Erin Toews and Amelia Warkentin, and including illustrations by Amber Wallin, this honest autobiographical collection is perfect for fans of dodie’s Secrets for the Mad.

reviews

“A tender and honest debut that will build bridges, nurture friendships and inspire truth-telling. Alyssa Sherlock bares all and welcomes you in.”

Amber O’Reilly, winner of 2021 Prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault (Manitoba Book Awards) for Boussole franche

“What does it mean to be human, in our late-capitalism, post-pandemic world? How do you make meaning? Alyssa Sherlock has what amounts to a graduate degree in relationships. Loving your friends and family is easy: learning how to love yourself, to take care of your mental health, is much harder. But Sherlock shows her work in poetry and prose. What’s more, she brings her friends and family into the conversation.”

Ariel Gordon, author of Treed: Walking in Canada’s Urban Forests

“”This is a Love Story” is an exceptionally poignant and moving account of Alyssa Sherlock’s struggles with mental health and her journey to self-discovery. This book delves into the raw, vulnerable, and often painful experiences of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Sherlock’s writing is honest, thought-provoking, and deeply touching. I particularly enjoyed Sherlock’s poetry, which was both simple and poignant. Her verse powerfully conveys complex emotions and experiences, and instill a sense of hope, especially for people who have undergone similar experiences. Several lines stuck with me, long after reading.”

Natalie Budesa, Amazon.com reviewer

This is a love story is exactly that, a beautiful ode to the past selves we hated that we needed to be. Sherlock captures her growing pains with the grace of an adult without losing any of the gnawing darkness of what it is like to be young, anxious and isolated by your own anxiety and self-loathing.
This is a love story serves as a deeply personal yet universal letter to many “dear sixteen year old me’s” and is a book I wish I would have had at that time to know I wasn’t so alone. Out there somewhere was a girl just like me feeling all of my big feelings I couldn’t describe.

Amazon reviewer

Alyssa Sherlock’s debut book of poetry and prose lives up to its title. On the first page, she asks the reader, “did you know this is a love letter to you?” After reading it, the answer can only be yes. By sharing her struggles with mental illness, most notably anxiety and depression, she is inviting the reader in. We are witnesses to her challenges and her triumphs too. Her story allows us to share our own; this invitation is an act of love.

Lori, Amazon.ca