Madison Beer to Explore Young Fame and Mental Health in Debut Memoir: 'Sharing My Honest Journey'

Madison Beer has shared more than 10 years of her life on social media, but there's so much more to her story.

On Wednesday, the "Selfish" singer-songwriter, 23, announced her debut memoir The Half of It, set for an April 25 release via Harper Collins, and PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the book's stunning cover artwork.

Crafted over two years, The Half of It will explore Beer's journey to becoming a successful musician, which was sparked when she went viral at age 12 with a cover of "At Last" by Etta James that was shared by Justin Bieber and earned over 1.5 million views. She then began releasing original music and became a notable personality on the internet, where she's amassed nearly 35 million Instagram followers — and fallen victim to extreme criticism and hatred.

She'll also write through having her privacy invaded with leaked photos, mental health issues and considering suicide while crafting her debut album, 2021's Life Support, before embarking on the road to recovery. According to a press release, the memoir "hammers home the point, more striking and urgent than ever, that no matter how close the internet may make us feel to people, we truly don't know the half of it."

Beer recently caught up with PEOPLE to discuss the therapeutic process of writing The Half of It, taking control over her own narrative and sharing her story with fans.

What inspired you to write your first memoir, The Half of It, at just 23 years old?

I really wanted to write this book now because I thought sharing some of the ups and downs in my life might be able to help other people navigate and relate. I called the book The Half of It as I know there will be more evolution and more to my story, but for now, I wanted to share my story in the hope that my journey might be comforting to others.

The book recounts the highs and lows of your life and career, from massive success to hatred and violations of privacy you experienced online as a teenager. How did it feel to look back on such dark moments and take the narrative back into your own hands?

It feels really good to be able to share and then own parts of my life that may have been assumed or speculated by others. It's important to be real and honest, and I think all of us can attest to being imperfect and to making mistakes early in life. I wanted this book to remind people not to be afraid of those mistakes, as really they are learning moments, moments of growth. Being able to tell my story the way it really happened continues to be important to me.

You have a very diaristic writing style, especially on songs like "Selfish" and "Dangerous," but a book is a whole different beast. How did the process of crafting The Half of It compare to songwriting?

That's a great question. I wasn't sure how I would tackle writing in book format, but writing songs is a process of telling a story. I looked at this book in the same way — how can I tell an authentic and honest story and use my experience in writing songs to write this book?

How long have you been working on the memoir, and what was the writing process like for you? Did it feel therapeutic, and how so?

I've been working on this memoir for nearly two years. It felt very therapeutic, and it felt right to me because when I met my best friend, Lena Fultz, who is a writing major, she was a really big support in helping me write this memoir. And that was huge.

What do you hope fans learn about you from the memoir?

What I hope most is that anyone who reads the book takes from it the challenges we all face in this world. At the end of the day, we are all connected by emotions, by the desire to be liked. [We] have our work validated — and are all equally touched and hurt —by comments on social media.

I hope by sharing my honest journey that perhaps someone that wanted to hide behind a keyboard to be mean or poke fun at someone else's expense thinks twice before they hit 'send.' I hope that we can find the strength to support each other and that we can work to treat others in the way we would want to be treated.

After releasing your debut album Life Support, you're now in the process of rolling out your second album. How will this book prepare listeners for what's to come in your new music?

I am so excited for this next album which will be coming soon. Music has always been my first love; it's what lead me to this memoir and what drives me daily. I am really excited for what is next with my music this year.