“Dead kids are put on pedestals, but mentally ill kids get hidden under the rug."

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.
Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior.
Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence to document the journey with images.
Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.
Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.
Caden Bosch is torn.

This was the second book I read about mental illness and this one I related to even more than the first. It showed in terms I can relate to, what it feels like to be pulled down into a mental illness.

Caden tells the story, how he starts to slip from anxiety to something more. How everyone at first thinks he's on drugs until they realize the truth and then no one really knows how to handle it.

The subject is tender and hard for most to talk about, let alone write about, but this book handles it well. It is delicate but bluntly open and takes it at face value. It is very open while being caring.

There are swear words throughout the book and hints at a disregard to God. But it is one I can still recommend.