Review: Dear Teen Me

Dec •  17 •  2012
Review: Dear Teen MeDear Teen Me by Various Authors
Series: Stand Alone
Published by Zest Books on October 30th 2012
Genres: Young Adult-Non-Fiction
Source: FTC: Exchange for honest opinion, Publisher
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"Dear Teen Me includes advice from over 70 YA authors (including Lauren Oliver, Ellen Hopkins, and Nancy Holder, to name a few) to their teenage selves. The letters cover a wide range of topics, including physical abuse, body issues, bullying, friendship, love, and enough insecurities to fill an auditorium. So pick a page, and find out which of your favorite authors had a really bad first kiss? Who found true love at 18? Who wishes he’d had more fun in high school instead of studying so hard? Some authors write diary entries, some write letters, and a few graphic novelists turn their stories into visual art. And whether you hang out with the theater kids, the band geeks, the bad boys, the loners, the class presidents, the delinquents, the jocks, or the nerds, you’ll find friends--and a lot of familiar faces--in the course of Dear Teen Me."

I loved getting to know each other more personally that I ever would. As the reader, you get into the depths of who the author was and who they became. Some struggled harder than others.
Reading each story is unique and totally different style of writing. I didn’t read all of the authors stories only the ones I knew. I did skim a few authors I have not heard of and made a mental note to be sure to check those authors out.
Dear Teen Me is raw, real stories of the past coming to life in front of the reader. Each author bravely puts their life out there for the whole world to see, bearing the soul. I like, that they were too, a teen, making plenty of mistakes and still moving forward.

I give it 4 BITES!

And now for my Dear Teen Me letter:

Dear Teen Me,
 
You’re probably thinking when this is going to end. You had your fair share of hurt and for once you want life to be normal. You are anxious to leave this town and to move on to bigger and better things. Well, I’m here to tell you not to worry. One day, you will have your own family and peace of mind. All the fighting will stop. The nightmares will stop. Things won’t always be easy, but it will be worth it.
You will marry just like you always thought you would. He is very kind, gentle and loves you unconditionally. But don’t be too hard on him. You make him pay for past mistakes done by others and Savannah, that is not fair. You are stubborn and you will learn this the hard way. 

 

Savannah, forgive yourself. One day, you will realize the weight that you are carrying is not YOUR fault. The Lord is good to you and gives things that you never could have imagined. Blessings are poured into your life and all you can wonder is,”Why?” Savannah, you ask a lot of questions to answers you don’t know. You don’t always need to know answers, just KNOW that HE is GOOD and you are LOVED. You are gifted with an amazing little boy who lights up your eyes. He makes your heart soar and has softened up your heart with so much compassion, love, and strength. 

 

Savannah, don’t worry too much. You always over-react! For once, sit back and stop relying on yourself. Trust in what others say. There are good people out there who will change your mind about the way you think. Let God do what he promised and I promise you that you are going to be okay.

 

Happy Reading!
FTC

9 Comments

  1. Amy
    Dec 17, 2012

    Great review and letter. My review for it got put off for some reason, but I need to get it up on my blog soon.

  2. Jenny
    Dec 17, 2012

    What a fantastic idea for a book! I love this:) And you’re letter was fabulous Savy, I had a tendency to overreact as a teen (still do even as an adult), so that would be something I would need to include in my letter too!

    • Savannah Bookswithbite
      Dec 17, 2012

      Thanks Jenny. I still do over-react as an adult. I feel like I’m not doing enough, so I push myself harder. I’m real hard on myself. I know I shouldn’t be, but I am.

  3. What a fantastic way to review the book by adding your own letter. So fab!! This sounds like a great book for teens and adults alike.

  4. Candace
    Dec 18, 2012

    Aw Savannah, I love your letter!
    I’m reading this a little at a time and I’m really enjoying it. Its not one I can read straight through but a few letters each day works. I may have to write a Dear Teen Me letter as well.

  5. Wendy Darling
    Dec 20, 2012

    I have been very curious about this one–and I love that you wrote a letter to yourself! xo

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

  6. Midnyte Reader
    Dec 30, 2012

    This sounds so wonderful. I also love your letter. I’m always giving my niece “advice” like this. Oh to know then what we know now!

  7. Julian
    Apr 3, 2014

    I love your review. If only we could actually get these letters to our teen selves right? Oh how many mistakes we would save ourselves from. I love that you included your own letter too.