Dodie Clark

Originally published: Great Britain: Ebury, 2017.

Obsessions, Confessions, and Life Lessons

Secrets for the Mad

Be inspired this New Year by a young woman's journey through life, love and lyrics When I feel like I'm going mad, I write. A lot of my worst fears have come true; fears that felt so big I could barely hold them in my head. I was convinced that when they happened, the world would end. But the world didn't end. In fact, it pushed on and demanded to keep spinning through all sorts of mayhem, and I got through it. And because I persisted, I learned lessons about how to be a stronger, kinder, better human - lessons you can only learn by going through these sorts of things. This is for the people with minds that just don't stop; for those who feel everything a thousand times more than others around them. Here are some words I wrote.

Obsessions, Confessions and Life Lessons

anna

I’m not really into the whole Youtubers writing books hype but I love Dodie so I thought I’d give this ago. In the book, Dodie writes a series of essays about a variety of topics: from mental health to personal life struggles to sex and relationships and more. Each of these pieces of writing is unique and beautifully written. Dodie is good with words and expressing her emotions and feelings through them. One of the things I love the most about her is how real and honest she is. You can just see her personality through her writing, just as if you were watching one of her videos. I think some of the topics she talks about in the book are really important, mainly mental health and especially for the audience the book is supposedly aimed at. I’m 21 and as much as I love the way this book is written and I can completely relate to some of the struggles Dodie’s went through, I still feel this is aimed towards a younger audience. So it’s important to raise awareness about mental health and stop the stigma around it and she contributes to that. This book will give you hope and if you also struggle with mental health it will reassure you that you are not alone and that things will get better. Now, I already knew most, if not all, of the things Dodie talks about in her book because she’s talked about them before in videos or Instagram posts but I think it’s still worth the read, mainly if you are a fan of Dodie. I also love the format of the book. Along with the pieces of writing, we find photographs, drawings and Dodie’s beautiful songs. Overall, “Secrets for the mad” is a good book and I do recommend it. It’s a light and easy read, it’s been a good companion on my commute to uni these past few days. Lastly, I’d like to thank Dodie for sharing these stories, because it’s incredibly brave to share your own struggles with the world.

kari <33

Jude Moon

Dodie es una de mis youtubers favoritas y cuando vi que había sacado un libro no dudé ni un minuto en comprármelo. Hice bien. La forma que tiene de ver la vida y esa magia especial que se ven en sus vídeos es exactamente la misma en este ensayo. Cuenta experiencias personales de una forma literaria preciosa, y da consejos muy útiles sobre cosas que le han pasado en la vida. La edición del libro es preciosa, ya que intercala letras de canciones suyas, fotos, anécdotas y demás, y eso suma puntos. Ha cumplido todas mis expectativas. 9/10

Susan Forsythe

Fiona Coffey

I absolutely loved this book! I started watching Dodie when I was 18 or 19 and have since been completely enthralled and inspired by her and her work. 

Reading this book was like having a chat with a friend, or reading a long handwritten letter. It's extremely personal and relatable, and very sincere, and I value all of those things very much. 

It's also just a beautiful book, the illustrations are adorable, the layout is lovely, and I love that Dodie sprinkled some of her songs and poetry throughout the book as well. 

It's not often that I find someone close to my own age that I can look up to or relate to as well as I have with Dodie, and so I'm very glad to have her. 

Thanks Dodie, for putting yourself out there and doing what you do, and thank you for being honestly and truly yourself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7/1/2019
Reread for the first time. Still absolutely love this book. I love her style of writing. This book inspires me.

Mayra Melo

dodie is like my contemporary sylvia plath. she gets me. i get her. and i think i love her.

Anina

Very interesting collection of snippets of Dodie‘s life. Very interesting read!

Hayley 📖🌈💜🌸

This was so lovely to listen to. 
I loved the little musical interludes and Dodie’s voice is so soothing and peaceful. 
A really lovely book.

Secrets for the Mad Obsessions, Confessions, and Life Lessons

Reviews