Did you know reading can soothe a busy mind? In tough times, it can be hard to get away from the stress of the outside world, but one way you can is with a good book. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of 40 powerful mental health reads for young adults. These books share moments of inspiration and sorrow as well as offer tips for how you can keep moving forward.  

These books are a part of the Community Mental Health Project which exists to help you find the mental and emotional support you or a loved one might need. This project features informative videos, programs, and recommended reads, all created by and for Black and Latinx/a/o New Yorkers—communities who have experienced the highest health disparities and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Many of these books are available in one or more accessible formats, as linked below.

If you find it hard to read standard print, The New York Public Library’s Andrew Heiskell Library provides free access to talking books, talking book players, braille, a talking book download website, and a free talking book and e-braille app for mobile devices. Learn more and apply.

DB (digital talkingbook) / BK (Bookshare)

Looking for more? Check out these Fiction and Nonfiction Reads To Support Mental Health for Children and Teens. Looking for resources for adults? Check out these mental wellness book lists: 75 lecturas imprescindibles sobre la salud mental (Spanish books for adults) and 39 Mental Wellness Must Reads (libros en inglés para adultos).

Check out these must-reads below: 

Silhouetted by the Blue by Traci L. Jones
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Collateral Damage: The Mental Health Effects of the Pandemic by Carla Mooney
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Dear Black Girl: Letters from Your Sisters on Stepping into Your Power by Tamara Winfrey Harris
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Forty-Two Minutes: The Indigo Lewis Series by Janay Harden
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The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork
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Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
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Zero O'Clock by C.J. Farley
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(Don't) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health edited by Kelly Jensen
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COVID Chronicles: A Comics Anthology edited by Kendra Boileau and Rich Johnson
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Heads Up: Changing Minds on Mental Health by Melanie Siebert 
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Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker
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Superhero Therapy: Mindfulness Skills to Help Teens and Young Adults Deal with Anxiety, Depression, and Trauma by Janina Scarlet
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American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott
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When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez
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The Same Blood by M. Azmitia
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Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration edited by Rose Brock
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My Heart and Other Blackholes by Jasmine Warga
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The Resilient Teen: 10 Key Skills to Bounce Back from Setbacks & Turn Stress Into Success by Sheela Raja
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The PTSD Survival Guide for Teens: Strategies to Overcome Trauma, Build Resilience, and Take Back Your Life by Sheela Raja
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The Fall of Innocence by Jenny Torres Sanchez
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Black Girl, White School: Thriving, Surviving, and "No, You Can't Touch My Hair" edited by Olivia V.G. Clarke
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Trans+: Love, Sex, Romance and Being You by Kathryn Gonzales
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Ordinary Girls: A Memoir by Jaquira Díaz
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Your Brain Needs a Hug: Life, Love, Mental Health, and Sandwiches by Rae Earl
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Brave Face: A Memoir by Shaun David Hutchinson
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The New David Espinoza by Fred Aceves
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Same But Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express by Holly Robinson Peete
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The Beautiful Struggle (Adapted for Young Adults) by Ta-Nehisi Coates
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Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard by Echo Brown
Request: Book | E-Book | DB | Large Print

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
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The Disturbed Girl's Dictionary by NoNieqa Ramos
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Feminist AF: A Guide to Crushing Girlhood by Brittney Cooper
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Home Home by Lisa Allen-Agostini
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I Will Save You by Matt de la Peña
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It's All Love: Reflections for Your Heart & Soul by Jenna Ortega
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More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
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The Place Between Breaths by Na An
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Rewire Your Anxious Brain for Teens: Using CBT, Neuroscience, and Mindfulness to Help You End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry by Debra Kissen
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Surviving The Emotional Rollercoaster: DBT Skills to Help Teens Manage Emotions by Sherry Van Dijk
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Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal Struggles (Reprint) by Jessica Burkhart
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