I finished Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness (2012) this past weekend, a chilling autobiography about the life of Suzannah Cahalan, -- a New York Post reporter -- her struggle with a rare autoimmune disease and her dramatic recovery. I was so entrenched in her incredible story, I read the book in 2 days. And here's 5 reasons why you should read this thriller too.

1. It exposes serious problems in modern medicine.

I will not spoil anything, but in a nutshell, Cahalan's story bridges the gap between psychiatric and physiological symptoms, demonstrating the impact our brains can have on our body and vise versa. This is so significant in today's medical sphere, with psychological illness still often stigmatized in social circles. The connection between psychological and psychological that this book sheds light on should hopefully fade this stigma as people start to realize mental illness is no less out of ones control as a broken arm.

2. It is conceptually, visually and emotionally terrifying.

The brain can make us do some crazy things... several scenes on Cahalan's quickly deteriorating mental state will stick with you long after you finish the story.

3. It is a productive educational experience in psychology.

Cahalan offers several highly fascinating and relevant psychology cases as she relates them to her gripping survival story.

4. The main character is highly sympathetic and an excellent writer.

Her writing style makes it easy to turn the page, and as a kindhearted young woman with so much potential, you want so bad for her to beat this terrible disease.

5. The gripping, often disheartening plot is well worth it in the end.

As disheartening as this book is to get through, you will finish the last page with a smile on your face. This is no spoiler considering she wrote the book years after her illness.