In My Mind is the story of a young man who is infatuated by a student named Gabriella who reminds him of delicate butterflies. It follows Steve from childhood to adulthood and the mental demons that play havoc in his mind. He is unable to talk to anyone about it as he doesn’t realise the mental depth he is in, till that dreadful night when Gabriella dies whilst held by him against her will, and he is then sent away.

This story covers mental health, depression and hitting rock bottom in Steve’s mind and looks at how this sensitive subject is still a taboo as we do not know enough about mental health and its consequences on our and others’ lives.

Review 

In My Mind is about Steve, a mentally ill man who thinks he’s in love with a girl who frequents the bar that his family owns. The issue of mental illness and how it is, or isn’t, dealt with is the theme of this book.

The time that Steve and Gabriella spend in the cellar is my favorite part of this book. I think it’s because the reader doesn’t really know if she’s still alive or not. She speaks at first but later, is she just unconscious or is she dead? 

When Steve is talking, he rambles. Often rambling doesn’t make sense in someone who is mentally ill in real life and there’s a fine line in a book like this. The author wants it to be realistic but I, as a reader, want to be able to understand what’s being said. I think that was accomplished here. There were many times that Steve repeated himself which is expected since he has a mental illness. 

I like the concept of In My Mind as well as how it was presented, starting out in the cellar and learning Steve’s story as you read. The kind of happy ending is good too. Unfortunately, the author’s writing style didn’t work for me. 

 

About the Author

 Shaida Mehrban is the author of numerous novels with very important social messages including “Tears Behind the Veil”, “Tears of Silence”, “Blossom and I”, “Remembering the Night Train”, “Mother’s Veil” and “Eyes of Osama”.

Excerpt 

He sits on his buttocks with his nose dribbling slowly like the tap that has worn out its washer, but all the while, he keeps his eyes firmly on hers. Fixated. For a moment, he stands still and yet his head is chasing butterflies. Nothing new there! His humming tune sounds like, “Sweet Gabriella the most delicate butterfly of all, now here with me forever, just the way it should be, the way it should have been a long lifetime ago, my sweet, my sweet.” He interrupts his own broken strings to slide his arm straight across his moist face. He carries on, telling her that it has taken him five years to get her to come to stay in his kingdom even though she has visited his public house upstairs many times.

“In My Mind” by Shaida Mehrban is available in paperback with coloured illustrations and as an e-book from Amazon UK.

It is also available from Amazon US.

Press/Media Contact Details:

Darin Jewell (literary agent for Shaida Mehrban)
Managing Director
The Inspira Group Literary Agency
Tel. 0208 292 5163
E-mail: [email protected]

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