I haven't read much of Chicken Soup before -- it never seemed like my kind of thing, I guess. But I've liked and been reading the Teen Ink magazine since the beginning of this year, and when this book came out I thought I'd give it a try.
First off, don't judge it for its looks or its title. No, seriously. The writing in here isn't "soupy" or sugar-coated, no matter how smiley the six teens on the cover look. Some of it gets pretty visceral; it's a book by teens with their experiences right now, not just people who WERE teens once upon a time. And it's not half-hearted in describing anything.
The writing isn't the same as writing by adults; it's got a fairly different quality about it, not better or worse, just different. It's not pretentious or "trying too hard." I liked that.
On flipping through the book, looking at the cover and the little cartoons inside (what's up with those little cartoons?), I have to say I got a little leery. But when I sat down and read the whole thing, I found it as good as Teen Ink magazine itself, and for the same reasons: it's earnest. It's honest. And, as a teen myself, it did feel real. |
Chicken Soup for the Teen Soul: Real-Life Stories by Real Teens (Chicken Soup for the Soul) Books In Print, Audio Books.