Welcome to my eight-part blog series about the main themes in An Undercover Dream. You may have read my previous blog series on the themes of Atlantic Split and At Liberty To Live, so now it’s the turn of book 3 in the series. You can find the links to the previous blogs at the bottom of this blog post. There will be some crossover between the three books. This week, I’m discussing an extremely relatable theme and one that’s coincided with an important date too. It’s the theme of mental health.

Warning: This blog contains spoilers.

Today is World Mental Health Day and it comes with an important theme of suicide prevention. Suicide is the biggest killer of young adults and mental health has become a silent epidemic in our generation. It’s terrifying because whilst no one understands it and so many people underestimate it, mental illness affects so many people and can have absolutely devastating consequences that may not even be from the condition itself. Not only are you dealing with an illness, you’re having others making you feel guilty for feeling that way and you’re pushing against a stigma that comes with it. It means people aren’t getting treated and are slipping under the radar because of it. It has to stop, which is why I wanted to highlight it in my book series, because mental health is something so important to cover. And I know first hand how difficult it can be.

Luke’s situation is extreme, but the massive shakeup of his life, the loss of his family, along with the burden of going on the run, fearing for his life and never knowing if he’ll get back to normality is difficult. He struggles with who he is every day, and so when he gets the change in An Undercover Dream to live a normal life at acting school, he’s elated at being able to be someone else. He can forget who he really is and embrace a whole different persona who doesn’t have to deal with that traumatic past. He manages to bury it for a while, but he can never escape who he really is. When he’s finally forced to face reality, it hits him really hard, and whilst he’s been in worse places than this, he’s left feeling extremely depressed – and finds a dangerous way of coping with the trauma.

It’s because he never confronted what happened to him, and after layering distraction upon distraction and new life upon new life, the moment it all comes crumbling down, the world he’s left with underneath almost seems impossible to fit back into. Facing the true reality of who he really is, what his life is going to be like and the fact he may never get to see his family again hurts, and Luke starts using alcohol as a coping mechanism. He becomes addicted, and starts taking his feelings out on others. You notice the book’s tone change, and this doesn’t let up in book 4. It’s a whole different Luke narrating and whilst he knows he has to fight it, he’s left damaged with this weight on him. And once you’ve been depressed, it becomes a part of you that will never go away.

However, Luke starts to pull through in An Undercover Dream with the help of his loved ones, and though he’ll never be the same as he was before, he realises something important (which I won’t spoil for you) that helps him power through. He learns how to use his mental health challenges as a strength rather than a weakness, and that’s something I think we can all learn from. With depression especially, it gives you a grit, a layer that you have to keep pushing down upon and if you harness it in the right way, you can use it to spring you up rather than pull you down. But the best thing to do with mental health is to talk. You have to talk about it, and that’s something Luke discovers too. I do really hope Luke’s story helps other young people realise that actually, they aren’t alone in these feelings, and that they can really relate to Luke’s experiences and draw strength from them.

So, I end this blog with a quote from An Undercover Dream about mental health. A quote which shows how determined Luke really is at fighting against his depression, and the strength he’s going to use to win against it. 

“I needed to confront this depression head on. I wasn’t going to let it consume me, not at age twenty. I’d been through bullets, knives, C-Stuns, near-rape, heartbreaks, crazy ex-girlfriends, bobcats and goodbyes and I was flipping strong. Everyone’s allowed a time for weakness, but I had a strength inside me and I was going to get through this.” Luke Bright – An Undercover Dream

So, if you are suffering with mental health problems or you know someone else who is, then consider giving Luke’s story a read and I hope it can help. After all, that’s why I wrote it, so I could find a way to help others through this difficulty. And make sure to check out: https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/get-involved/get-your-workplace-involved/resources/mental-health-calendar/wmhd for resources and ways to support World Mental Health Day. Thank you for reading this blog, and next Thursday I’ll be back with the fifth theme of An Undercover Dream – loss. See you then!

Atlantic Split Theme Blog Series Links:

1. Prejudice
2. Growing Up
3. Optimism
4. Courage
5. Friendship
6. Family
7. Bullying
8. Morality

At Liberty To Live Theme Blog Series Links:

1. New Beginnings
2.  Inner Strength
3. Following Your Passion
4. Rushing in too quickly
5. Feminism
6. Self Discovery
7. Making a Difference
8. Previous Themes

An Undercover Dream Theme Blog Series Links:

1. Independence
2. Dreams
3. Love

Atlantic Split, At Liberty To Live and An Undercover Dream, the first three books in The Luke Bright Series are available to purchase NOW! The final book of the series is to be revealed.

Please follow me on my blog and social media links below, and use the links on my website to purchase a copy of each if you have not done so. Don’t forget to leave a review! Thank you once again for taking the time to read this blog post.

N.A.K.