BR: Trigger (Susan Vaught)

Amazon Link: Trigger

I read Trigger in one night, from start to finish. Started and couldn’t stop. It resonated, it hurt, at times I put the book down in my lap because I couldn’t read through my tears, couldn’t breathe past the lump in my throat. It showed me the tragic consequences of untreated depression in a way I’ve never allowed myself to consider. Where I wanted to experience pity and regret for Jersey, the characters around him demonstrated contempt. It hurt, but that's the lesson.

Jersey Hatch is no hero. He screwed up, scarred lives, destroyed his own future and took down countless people around him. He tried to die before he had even lived, before he was old enough to understand his own emotions. He suffers terribly for his moment of misjudgement, and Susan Vaught doesn’t make his story an easy one to read – she lends him very little pity, and at the end of the novel we find out why.

He is the protagonist, and from the very first page he had my heart. Though he brought this on himself, he is a victim. There is no denying it... he's a victim of himself. His long journey toward understanding is painful and visceral, and the humiliation he endures is heart-wrenching. This book should be mandatory for teens, for young adults, for anyone who considers suicide as a way to offer freedom to themselves and their loved ones.

This story challenged my preconceptions about failed suicide, opened my eyes to truths I already knew, but wished to ignore. It made me thankful for choices I’ve made, and for the choices made by those I love. It humbled me. Left me sobbing and small… left me aching for those who made the wrong choice and who I lost before I had a chance to know.

This is a book I will recommend, I will talk about, I will share with anyone who experiences depression in whatever form. Even those who don't.

No-one should have to go through what Jersey Hatch endures in order to learn that suicide offers no solution to anyone, least of all those left behind.

Em, thank you (from the bottom of my heart) for gifting me this book. You know me better than a sister -- you knew this would resonate, and you were right. You are my confidante and inspiration, and I treasure you dearly. You make more of a difference in my life than you ever can know. I hope that I do a little of the same in return. Thank you!