A valuable and affirming overview of depression’s many layers and comorbidities.
An age-appropriate conversational discussion covering depression’s signs and symptoms, who is affected and why, and possible treatments and preventions.
This overview covers basic facts about depression and its complex set of symptoms, pointing out how they vary from person to person, including how long depression lasts and how much it might affect someone’s day-to-day life. The text, which is written in a clear and concise way, doesn’t patronize teens or sugarcoat the data. The illustrations and graphs are easy to read and support the evidence-based information, which is offered in a just-clinical-enough manner throughout. The authors clarify commonly held beliefs about depression, its causes and treatments, break down the stigmas and myths surrounding the subject, and carefully describe depression’s various iterations. Readers learn that anyone can have depression, no matter their gender, race, age, or socioeconomic status. The book makes sure to mention relevant social and economic factors, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, racism, and being unhoused, and it includes information specific to gender and sexuality, which are often overlooked in medical studies. Along with walking readers through diagnosis and treatment options in a way that could prepare them for their own experiences, the text includes information on suicide and its prevention. Quotes from experts included throughout add important context. The stock photos depict a diverse range of young people.
A valuable and affirming overview of depression’s many layers and comorbidities. (content warning, glossary, source notes, bibliography, resources, further reading, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9798765626986
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future.
An adaptation for teens of the adult title A Queer History of the United States (2011).
Divided into thematic sections, the text filters LGBTQIA+ history through key figures in each era from the 1500s to the present. Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D.J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few. Throughout, the author and adapter take care to use accurate pronouns and avoid imposing contemporary terminology onto historical figures. In some cases, they quote primary sources to speculate about same-sex relationships while also reminding readers of past cultural differences in expressing strong affection between friends. Black-and-white illustrations or photos augment each chapter. Though it lacks the teen appeal and personable, conversational style of Sarah Prager’s Queer, There, and Everywhere (2017), this textbook-level survey contains a surprising amount of depth. However, the mention of transgender movements and activism—in particular, contemporary issues—runs on the slim side. Whereas chapters are devoted to over 30 ethnically diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer figures, some trans pioneers such as Christine Jorgensen and Holly Woodlawn are reduced to short sidebars.
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future. (glossary, photo credits, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8070-5612-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Beacon Press
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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