How to Lose Yourself Completely

Gr 10 Up–Case, 16, has always struggled with depression and anxiety, but his brother’s death this past year pushes him over the edge. “Adventure Therapy,” a guided wilderness experience for troubled teens, sounds harmless enough, but the trip quickly devolves into a quest for survival when their guide abandons them. Left in dangerous conditions along with four other struggling teenagers (including his brother’s ­ex-girlfriend, Diana), Case finds himself reflecting upon the events of the past year as he works with the others to navigate to safety. While the teens’ survival adventure is undeniably action-packed, the sheer number of life-threatening obstacles they encounter makes it hard to maintain a reasonable suspension of disbelief. That said, Bognanni truly excels in his realistic depiction of depression, anxiety, and grief. Told in the second person as a reflection of his disassociation, Case’s thoughtful introspection as narrator allows readers to understand what he is feeling and share in his experiences. Bognanni additionally portrays other aspects of depression and anxiety through his diverse ensemble of teen campers: in addition to Case, there is Diana, who self-medicates with alcohol; athletic Will, who feels pressure to excel; Fran, an LGBTQIA+ young woman with ADHD; and Troy, a deep thinker with severe climate anxiety. Will is described as Asian American and Troy is ­depicted as Black; all other characters read as white.