A thoughtful biography that examines depression, self-harm, suicide, coming out and so much more. Hutchinson has such a powerful storytelling message that teens who may be struggling to overcome from a similar life story will be able to walk away knowing they're not alone. A must-read and necessary addition to YA collections.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.I have read and admired much of Shaun David Hutchinson’s fiction. This memoir was everything I expected it to be: raw, real, and compelling. Despite the difficulty of the subject matter, the author has such a compelling and honest voice that the book was hard to put down (I read it in a day). I was particularly struck by the frankness with which Mr. Hutchinson speaks about his experiences with depression: the book does not offer easy answers and there is no “magic” moment of recovery; instead, Mr. Hutchinson acknowledges that managing depression is a lifelong task. I was also a queer teenager in the 90s and, while my experiences of queer culture varied significantly from Mr. Hutchinson’s, I did enjoy some moments of nostalgia (who among us can forget listening to Tori Amos for the first time?). Although the world has changed a great deal since the 90s, the issues raised in the book are still immediate and relevant and I believe this memoir will resonate with today’s teens. This is an important and, yes, brave book, and I hope it finds the wide readership it deserves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the advance reader copy Brave Face by awesome diverse author, Shaun David Hutchinson, in exchange for an honest review. I could not put down this book; this memoir was searing; Shaun suffered so much as a teen and young adult because he did not have enough faith in himself as a guy who realizes he is gay and how to handle being gay as a teen, son, and friend. Shaun takes the reader through his self-hatred, his preconceived notions, and how depression bullied him into believing no one would ever love him. I was so glad for his best friend, Maddie and his English teacher who encouraged him to continue to write and urged him to accept himself. Even at his lowest, Shaun continued to hold out hope that he would find happiness. He is a talented YA writer; teens love his books and they will most certainly identify with his anger, insecurities, and his feeling of being overwhelmed and misunderstood. This is a must read for teens; about gender and differences, the formal and informal messages Shaun received and how they empowered him and also caused him to live/believe in a world where bullying, AIDS, and gender stereotyping made him question himself over and over again as a queer/gay teen and young man. Highly recommended.

Brave Face is a powerful, painful personal journey. As I read it, I thought of students who are wrestling with their own sexuality and with possible depression, and I wondered if Shaun David Hutchinson’s story would help them feel seen and understood. I think so, although I also wish he had shared more light and hope and success spliced in. He refers to it at the end, as I knew he would. Sharing his story is important. I grew weary in the middle of the book, though, and skimmed pages when I felt like the same rhetorical questions repeated. I would be sad if someone who really needs to get to the success at the end gave up halfway through.

I have loved every single SDH book that I've read. His characters are strikingly intimate portraits that jump off the page with stunning realism. After absorbing his memoir, I now understand why. They're him. Between his struggles with coming out in the gay-hating 90s to his battles with mental illness, SDH takes the raw and unpleasant parts of his youth and lays them bare on the page like a wound. He takes the concept of "it gets better" and smacks it with a dose of "yeah, eventually, and in phases, and sometimes with setbacks, and etc" realism. He is unapologetic, uncensored, and completely unforgettable. Struggling queer kids, I know you're out there, I know you're hurting, and I know it feels like there's no chance at happiness for you. You are not broken, you are not alone, you are loved, and you need to read this book. And when you're done, when the tears have dried and you realize that your struggle is not only yours, go pick up his novels. Because those characters? Your story is theirs, too. Make some new friends courtesy of Shaun.