Okay, I will admit Johnny Ruin by Dan Dalton confused me. It was in the best possible way. I mean how many books that discuss mental health use a mystical figure of Jon Bon Jovi as a spirit guide? Not many, I can tell you.

The story is about a man struggling to deal with his mental health - this is at its very base level but what is developed throughout the narrative is that our protagonist looks at the things that have happened in his life that have been catalysts to his depression or t the things that have led to his depression. It looks at how mental health problems are not quick fixes, they are constant and rolling and you will have good times and bad times. It looks at how the pit of despair can be so vast that you can only see the darkness and not the light at the end of the tunnel.

Chock full of metaphor and allegory, Johnny Ruin is a great short read for anyone who is able to suspend their disbelief. If you struggle with that then Johnny Ruin may not be for you. If, however, you wish to get a more in-depth look at depression then this may give you a small insight into what it is like for one person.

Johnny Ruin by Dan Dalton is available now.

For more information regarding Dan Dalton (@wordsbydan) please visit his Twitter page.

For more information regarding Unbound (@Unbounders) please visit www.unbound.com.

An interesting concept for an even more interesting subject - depression, heartbreak, loneliness, forgiveness. The book is told from a first person perspective: a male, on a quest to find himself. I actually really enjoyed the 'stream of consciousness' type of writing, where the narrator floats in and out of present day observations and past life stories. I have suffered with bouts of depression and anxiety for most of my adult life and I thought the author's descriptions of the symptoms and feelings were very accurate. As a female, I found it very hard to identify with the narrator since so many of his stories and observations were motivated by sex, drugs, brotherhood and just general masculine ideals; this book is saturated with male-ness. For that reason, I found myself wanting to skip ahead or roll my eyes at certain parts. Overall I enjoyed the exploration of the narrator's journey but could not fully enjoy the meaning.