Having had my own emotional struggles, I can certainly empathize with the teenagers depicted in this book. Some of them I can relate to more than others, but a few of them made me want to burst into tears because I have no idea how some people can be so cruel to others simply because they are different. I hope that this can be a helping hand to someone who is going through something similar. ( )

We Are Absolutely Not Okay: Fourteen Stories By Teenagers Who Are Picking Up the Pieces
Marjie Bowker and Ingrid Ricks (Editors)
Scriber Lake High School (2012), Paperback, 80 pages

Wow.

Fourteen strong stories baring hearts, souls and feelings. Tough stuff for anyone, especially a teenager, to write. The product of a writing program in an alternative High School, this is a collection transformative moments in the lives of teens who were, not so long ago, considered 'at-risk' or worse. The contributors to this collection are not only telling their own stories, but are being an example for other kids in crisis. They are not just surviving, but thriving.

(****) ( )

I just wanted to say that I am so proud of these kids for telling their stories, it is one of the most courageous things they could do. The stories tell the struggle of what each kid was dealing with and how they continued to overcome these times in their lives. ( )

It feels strange to give a likeability rating to a book such as this, but I [obviously] give the rating for the 180 all the characters made in their lives. To come from such aweful experiences and find that they are more important that the things that happened to them is inspiring.

All young people, not those just troubled, should read this book. My oldest daughter is only 10 but this will be on her reading list soon. ( )

The individual stories in this book gave a glimpse into what each person was facing and how they chose to handle it. The book, as a whole, was very inspiring to see how young people can overcome obstacles that most adults would find difficult and/or impossible. ( )