this has to be prefaced by the fact that ive been a fan of dan for 10 years, as i think someone who isnt a fan or hasnt heard of him would have a much different impression of this book. while i found his jokes to be on brand, they took away from the tone and purpose of the book, making it nearly impossible to be completely accessible to someone who doesnt have an awareness of dan’s humour. that really stood out to me the most. if i wasnt a fan, they would feel so odd and awkward to me. it just really limits the audience for this, which is unfortunate. however, most of the anecdotes worked really well and added that level of personality that served the book.

now to get to the content as a whole. as someone who has been on a mental health journey for over a decade now, and has seen counsellors of all kinds since i was 6 years old, nothing in this was new or revolutionary. i mean, i didn’t expect it to be - dan is a youtuber, not a mental health expert or psychologist (though im glad the book was made in consultation with doctors and experts in the field, which contributes to the fact that this is very general knowledge honestly). but that said, having it all in one place, written accessibly and well, is a benefit! that comes with more drawbacks, because those books already exist (and dont have dan’s face on them and are written by experts). all that to say, this was enjoyable but it applies to a very narrow main audience - fans of dan who are new to or only somewhat familiar with mental health support, mainly cbt, or young people who are most likely fans of dan. and of course, fans of dan in general regardless of need or familiarity with mental health support (like me!). id also have liked for this to touch upon the capitalistic aspects of mental health, which was glossed over for the most part, likely because dan is an affluent white man in the uk. 

without a doubt, dan worked hard on this and did a great job; destigmatizing conversations around mental health is so important and needed. it just sucks that its so limiting in the style of humour, in the cover design, and in the vastness of the content. ultimately, i enjoyed this from the standpoint of a fan and as someone who enjoys having a one-stop-shop kind of book to refer to it as needed (god knows my notes from therapy over the years are spread across several notebooks, loose sheets of paper, and filed away in hidden corners of my brain). i would recommend people aged 11 to 18 read this, or people unfamiliar with mental health support as a whole who need a cheap and accessible way to have everything in one place and enjoy sardonic humour. and of course, fans of dan.