Jimmy Wharton is a natural competitor, pushing himself to be the best of the best and beating himself down when he is not. As a championship surfer by age fifteen, his world crashes down around him after a surfing accident renders him unable to surf again. Turning his focus to his studies, he befriends young Olivia and their relationship grows over the next two year and into University life. It is soon apparent that being a perfectionist isn’t the only demon Jimmy will have to fight. As he slowly spirals out of control, it becomes apparent that Jimmy can’t battle his depression alone and in the end he loses more than he ever bargained for.

“I read it through several times until words like “terrible,” “poor,” “amateurish,” “awful,” “contrived” and “rewrite” began to sink in, and the self-abuse made its way to the fore.”

In I Will Not Kill Myself, Olivia, author Danny Baker entices readers with pure raw emotion. From steamy unadulterated throws of passion to being tossed into the deepest, darkest, depths of despair, Baker exposes the truth behind the world’s leading cause of disability; depression. With its self-destructive nature, its social stigma, and doctors who improperly and often times fatally dispense medications, sufferers often don’t seek the help they need until it’s too late. If left untreated, depression can tear apart families, break down relationships, injure others, and can lead to suicide.

Creating a balanced world around a topic like depression is no easy task, yet I Will Not Kill Myself, Olivia, flows effortlessly between the chapters relying more on a reader’s emotions than actual elaborate world and character building to create this submersive world of Jimmy and Olivia. You will feel their love, experience their torment, and empathize with their pain. Readers who enjoy a good tug at their heart, a solid romance story, and a story they can relate too will definitely want to check out Danny Baker’s I Will Not Kill Myself, Olivia.

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