“Sometimes it feels like we’re all living in a Prozac nation. The United States of Depression.” Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel is a memoir about her road with depression. It took Wurtzel 8 years to write this book due to her depression. Her depression caused her to stop writing for a while.

 People wonder why she called the book Prozac Nation. Prozac is an antidepressant and in the 1990s was the most commonly used antidepressant in the United States.

The book starts with the author remembering about the times she used to self harm in the girls’ locker room while listening to Bob Dylan. Then it goes on to the story of her parents divorcing, which hits her hard. Elizabeth’s mom does not want Elizabeth to talk to her dad because she thinks that Elizabeth’s dad will turn their daughter against her. Meanwhile, her dad says that he does not want to pay for her therapist visits. Throughout the book, the protagonist goes through heartbreaks, breakdowns, and realizations about her life.

 In the afterword, Elizabeth Wurtzel says that there is no particular thesis or point of Prozac Nation. She just wrote it because she felt like the story would help someone. But she says that if the book has any particular message it would be that depression is a real problem that ruins lives, ends lives, and that nearly ended her own life. In the end, she thanks God everyday for how far she has come.

 I rate this book a 10 out of 10 because of the life lessons you learn. In this book you will go through Elizabeth’s mind and what she was thinking. I would recommend this book because you will learn more about what people with Depression feel like. You learn to appreciate the people around you for all the sacrifices they have made to make you happy.