Reviewed by Alija Turkovic for Readers' Favorite

In Remember, It’s Just in Your Head by Ben Dylan, we meet Reuben Fletcher, a second-year chemical engineering student who is slowly drowning under university stress, severe social anxiety, and a secret identity he’s too scared to voice. To get away from it all, he and his close friend, Ava, find quiet sanctuary spots around town where they can step away from the hectic student world. But his life is shattered when Ava dies by suicide, leaving Reuben on his own and buried under a huge cloud of survivor’s guilt. He is left asking himself if he was too caught up in his own head to see the pain his best friend was carrying. As rumor spreads and his private life threatens to burst wide open on campus, he has to navigate this heartbreaking loss and figure out if he’s going to retreat into his shell or learn how to live again. Can Reuben find the inner strength to accept his identity and heal before his anxiety takes over his whole life?

Remember, It’s Just in Your Head by Ben Dylan is an emotional contemporary drama that paints an all-too-real picture of student life. Dylan’s writing is remarkably grounded and cuts straight to the heart. The narrative is very similar to watching someone try to hold it together, revealing how teens can be falling apart on the inside while looking perfectly fine to the outside world. The description of Reuben’s lonely days is really well done, showing how shared grief can turn past rivals and distant peers into a warm, supportive community when life becomes too challenging to bear on your own. The story builds its pace evenly, letting comforting new bonds and support systems take shape naturally to balance the sadness of Ava’s passing. It is very sobering to see characters drop their perfect facades and just be vulnerable with each other, which makes this novel feel truly genuine. This gentle tale about processing loss and learning to forgive yourself is a nice reminder that community is everything when you are trying to heal. Recommended.