I am Harlee Meydrech, and I have generalized anxiety disorder, also known as GAD. Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States, with 10% of teenagers and 40% of adults suffering from anxiety of some kind. Anxiety is a general term for mental disorders that cause fear, nervousness, and worrying.

I recently read Turtles All the Way Down by John Green, which is centered around a 16-year-old girl named Aza, who suffers from horrible anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. She goes on a journey to solve the mystery of a missing Indianapolis millionaire, in search of a $100,000 reward. She later finds out that she knows the man’s son, Davis, who she met years before at Sad Camp. She reconnects with the boy, and a sweet love story begins to unravel.

This book was by far the best book John Green has written yet. It was very inspiring. I loved that it had warm and fuzzy moments that made the read completely worthwhile.

I really connected with the main character, Aza, and her journey through high school with anxiety, but I discussed the book with a friend of mine who doesn’t struggle with anxiety or OCD, and she also said she found herself relating to Aza in completely different ways. The way Green made the main character so relatable was just another amazing part of this novel. If you haven’t read Turtles All the Way Down, I highly suggest giving it a go.