. . . food for thought both for teens and the adults they eventually become.--Gisele M. Baxter"Canadian Literature" (01/01/2010)

Every school library and school counsellor's office should have this book within easy reach of teens... Highly recommended.--Joan Marshall"Canadian Materials" (05/07/2010)

i.d. sometimes suggests that the consequences of that defining stuff might linger; this is disturbing, but also true, and food for thought both for teens and the adults they eventually become.--Gisele M. Baxter"Canadian Literature" (01/01/2010)

This is a largely serious book wrapped in fanciful illustrations and interesting print.... Sombre tales of pivotal life experiences are told from a young person's point of view, as they deal with sexuality, sizism, abuse, suicide, loss and fitting into a larger community. The stories are related with text and sensitivity, while not shying away from the awfulness that is the experience itself.... After each personal tale, there is a Question and Answer page which gives greater detail about the incident in an effort to have the reader understand and demonstrate empathy, and insight into what the writer was thinking when the act occurred. This book is divided into quick reads as the authors delve into the questions raised by young adults. To use it in the classroom, the stories could be available for teachable moments, or within the parameters of character and education. It would be appropriate in the self-help section of the library, or as stories read aloud for discussion--what would you do if it were you?

Rich in both content and design...should be in every high school library and would provide an excellent springboard for discussion in the classroom. The illustrations and first-person narratives are effective. A very insightful read for teenagers everywhere. This is a largely serious book wrapped in fanciful illustrations and interesting print. No Times New Roman here! Sombre tales of pivotal life experiences are told from a young person's point of view, as they deal with sexuality, sizism, abuse, suicide, loss and fitting into a larger community. Each story is short, between 10 -- 15 pages, and liberally sprinkled with stylized illustrations. It is written in the first person, as if the situation could apply to you or someone sitting next to you. The stories are related with tact and sensitivity, while not shying away from the awfulness that is the experience itself. After each personal tale, there is a Question and Answer page which gives greater detail about the incident in an effort to have the reader understand and demonstrate empathy, and insight into what the writer was thinking when the act occurred. At the conclusion of the book there is an Afterword about what readers can do when seeking help for their own experiences. Rich in both content and design...should be in every high school library and would provide an excellent springboard for discussion in the classroom. The illustrations and first-person narratives are effective. A very insightful read for teenagers everywhere.

The 12 short stories included in this book encapsulate some of life's most heart-wrenching moments ---- times that utterly changed people's lives... The stories are short, compelling and thoughtfully told in retrospect, ... [The] amazing blend of graphics and text will resonate with all mid-teens and help them to understand that they are not alone in their angst or suffering. Although the actual stories and graphics are moving, it is the question and answer page after each one, revealing the long-term response of the protagonist, that will provoke much discussion [and] offer hope to teens who may feel that life will never bloom again for them. The final pages give detailed phone numbers in Canada and the U.S., and books and websites that teens can access for help. The Afterword encourages teens to think about how they are building their own identity and how important it is to reflect thoughtfully upon one's life. Every school library and...counsellor's office should have this book within easy reach of teens... Highly recommended.--Joan Marshall"Canadian Materials" (05/07/2010)

The illustrations and first-person narratives are effective. Each story is followed by a brief Q & A that brings some clarity and closure and offers the reader more insight as to how the event changed the person. The lesson here is that our identity is shaped to a degree by the things that happen to us and how we respond to that event.--Debbie Wenk"VOYA" (06/01/2010)