Our Resilient Minds discussion

Due to a lack of availability, I've decided to cancel the Google hangout-- we can share our thoughts on the book here instead! I've put some guiding questions below, but feel free to focus on other areas of the book if you want. I am interested in everyone's opinions!

1. Overall, what did you think of We Are the Ants?
2. Depression is an important part of the book. Henry's boyfriend committed suicide, and Henry exhibits symptoms of depression himself (as does his brother later on). What did you think of the treatment of depression in the book? Was it realistic?
3. We Are the Ants has an open ending. What did you think about this? Do you think the world ends?
4. Who was your favorite character and why?
5. What is one of the most memorable moments for you?
6. What do you think of Henry's abductions? Were they real/not real?
7. Do you have a favorite quote from the book? (or a quote that just stood out to you)

Once again, I look forward to hearing your perspectives!!! :)

I absolutely loved this book. Right from the beginning, I was drawn in by Hutchinson's ability to write such strong, well-rounded characters. And he deals with such difficult topics so eloquently, which is definitely not an easy task.

I thought the portrayal and treatment of depression in the book was very realistic, especially some of the conversations that Henry has with Audrey about Jesse's suicide. Audrey opens up to Henry about her own struggles with mental health, and their conversation about her going to a facility after Jesse's death was very realistic--and positive. You don't often see these kinds of conversations between peers in YA books, and it was great to see.

I don't think the world ends, because I think the book ends on a somewhat hopeful note. I think Henry is finally learning how to work through his grief and depression at Jesse's death, and he has friends to support him through the process.

I think I'll have to go with my favorite character being Audrey, because our perspective on her changes as Henry's does, and she's able to help Henry cope with Jesse's death in a way that no one else can. Her presence in the novel is extremely important, as is her presence in Henry's life.

I keep going back to the scene when Audrey admits to Henry where she actually was after Jesse's death. I just think this scene is so important, and shows how depression not only affects the individual, but also how it can affect those around them. Audrey opens up to Henry about how guilty she felt after Jesse's suicide, and how difficult that was to work through. For any teens who might be in similar situations, I think this scene is so, so important.

I do not think that Henry's abductions were real--I think that they were sort of a way for Henry to cope with things that were going on in his life. Many of the abductions coincided with major, triggering events for Henry, and I think that his abductions were more so blackouts, where he would end up wandering or something along those lines.

There are a lot of great lines in this book, but I'll share the one I included in my blog post: "Depression isn't a war you win. It's a battle you fight every day. You never stop, you never get to rest."

Overall, I'm definitely glad I purchased this book. I think it's definitely one I'll revisit in the future.

I think this book is an interesting examination of the intense nihilism of clinical depression, which is displayed effectively by Henry's constant choice of passive inaction over action. In every relationship and every significant decision he makes, Henry displays an utter lack of caring, as though caring requires more effort than he is capable of. For instance, in his relationship with Marcus, he allows Marcus to do whatever he wants to him, including bullying and physically abusing him just moments after kissing him. Even when Marcus assaults Henry in the school shower, Henry doesn't inform the police that it was Marcus and his friends. Henry seems incapable of doing much of anything. As he explains repeatedly throughout the book, he just wants to be left alone.

Likewise, with the Sluggers, Henry chooses inaction over action, even though the stakes are horrific (literally, the end of the world). The sluggers offer Henry the option to save the world, but it requires him to push a button. He doesn't do it, and he justifies this in his mind by explaining that the world is a terrible place and it would be better if it were wiped clean of life so that whatever comes next will have a chance at something better. But I don't think that's the real reason. Even though Henry's life is miserable, does he really believe that everyone on the planet should die? I don't think he does. The real reason he doesn't push the button is because doing so would require him to make a choice for action over inaction, and even such a small action (pushing a button), though one with significant consequences, is beyond him. Furthermore, it's quite clear that Henry wants to die, but he wants to die passively, without performing the action of committing suicide. So, for Henry, the end of the world is both a convenient opportunity to die passively, and also a convenient excuse for not caring about anything that happens in the meantime. Why should he care if he is being abused, bullied and etc.? He rationalizes to himself that he only has to survive a few more weeks until the world ends.

Diego recognizes that Henry is depressed and makes considerable efforts to try to help him. As Diego explains to Henry, he doesn't just want Henry to push the button, he wants Henry to want to push the button. That is, Diego wants Henry to not want to die, to be able to choose action over inaction, to be able to care about something. Henry falls in love with Diego and eventually Diego's efforts to pull him out his hopeless despair succeed. Henry is finally able to make some of the active decisions that he needs to. He stands up to Marcus and fights off his attempt to rape him and tells the police what happened. He tells his mom that he is not okay and needs help. He finally wants to push the button and save the world.

Henry never gets the chance to push the button because the sluggers don't abduct him again. Presumably, Henry's bizarre blackouts and delusions (abductions) were a part of his depression, though their cause remains unexplained. The abductions began long before Jesse's suicide, and perhaps had something to do with his father's abrupt and unexplained leaving and Henry's guilt about whether it was his fault. The book ends with Henry checked in to a psychiatric hospital where he will begin the long process of attempting to recover, investigating the causes of his depression and the mysterious blackouts, trying different treatments to see what, if anything, is effective, but none of that is part of this story. In this story, Henry's achievement is his triumph over the nihilistic apathy of depression. The victory is such a simple one, something that most people take for granted: the ability to care about something. Henry can finally make a decision for action over inaction. He would push a button to save the world.