A One-Way-Ticket to Inner Peace is many things rolled into one. Part poetry collection, part personal memoir, and part self-help guide, this book offers readers a starting point for their own journey towards a “balanced inner-self.” The book is divided into two parts. Mellgren titles part one “The Understanding,” and in it she details common sources for stress, self-doubt, and other dysphoric emotions. She offers simplified explanations of human brain function in order to emphasize the fact that our thoughts and emotions happen for a reason, and can often be altered through simple environmental, physical, or habitual changes.

Part two, called “The Change” is where Mellgren offers everyday exercises and mindset shifts that can aid in achieving this sought-after inner harmony. Each chapter is bookended by an original poem by Mellgren that speaks to the struggles or enlightenment that she is exploring. Throughout the book, Mellgren returns often to her own journey to find inner peace and the many challenges she faced along the way. She begins and ends the book with the same sentiment: “I don’t have all the answers, but I can offer you a piece of your own puzzle… It’s not about the speed; it’s about finding your way, the one that brings you peace within.”

One-Way-Ticket is an earnest, personal text that is useful for anyone trying to be more intentional about their thought patterns and emotional regulation. Mellgren’s text is accessible, and the anecdotes she uses from her own life provide an entry-point of relatability. For anyone who has not previously engaged with books or other media that can be categorized as self-help or personal betterment, One-Way-Ticket is a great place to start.

One-Way-Ticket offers one woman’s personal experience, which is valuable on its own. The reassurance that Mellgren herself has achieved inner peace, emphasized through the fact that writing this book is only something she was able to do once she overcame her own self-doubt, is the greatest gift that readers will receive from A One-Way-Ticket to Inner Peace.