Depression in Young Adult Literature: Critical Literacy in We are All So Good at Smiling

Drawing on Critical Literacy and Critical Discourse analysis, this essay examines the portrayal of mental illness in Amber McBride’s We Are All So Good at Smiling (2023), focusing on the nuanced depiction of depression in Black adolescent characters. Guided by Barton and Ho’s (2020) framework and scholarship on race, stigma, and mental health, we demonstrate how McBride resists dominant medical narratives through metaphor, magic, and cultural memory. The protagonists’ struggles intertwine with racial identity and social roles, while characters’ writing and poetry serve as expressive tools. Ultimately, the novel fosters empathy and supports anti-racist, socially conscious education.