Thank you New Harbinger Publications and NetGalley for this ARC.

The Highly Sensitive Teen is a mental health resource created by the “ Instant Help Solutions Series” .

Dr Elaine Aron pioneered first Highly Sensitive People HSP, in 1996. Since then a plethora of literature has materialised. Like other psychological terms the word “sensitive” gets thrown around a lot. This fabulous hands-on guidebook clearly explains what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person and provides a self-test to help identify if you may be highly sensitive.

The book assists HS teens navigate their world by providing examples of how to explain their high sensitivity teachers, parents and friends, links to encouraging affirmations and more.

I found the content of this book fascinating, it describes how the brain of a HSP differs, that HSP feel the five senses more acutely than non HSP and that it has more mirror neurons which results in enhanced human empathy, as just one example of many given. The difference between HSP’s and introverts is also explained.

I was intrigued to learn Dr Aron discovered that “not all HSP’s avoid intense stimulation” that ‘some are actually drawn to it and intentionally seek out strong stimulation, Dr Aron calls these High Sensation Seeking HSS.

HSP are said to sometimes be very hard on themselves and the book uses CBT to help guide thought processes for the reader. It also uses DBT to help the reader cope with the suffering they may experience from their thought errors. I particularly liked the analogy of having a Defense Attorney in your head and encouraging the reader to be open to a myriad of options rather than “this or that” thinking.

I really like DBT and the role it plays in partnership with CBT in the book. It is valuable for HS teens to learn these skills and to understand that they have the ability to handle painful experiences and also bounce back from them. The affirmations provided throughout the book really cement this and help the HS Teen find the positive gifts the HS brings to others.

This guidebook is a nurturing, gentle and invaluable resource to HS teens and their families.

I really liked this as a concise primer for a young teen to learn more about themselves, with some practical guidance for typical scenarios they could encounter. The way the chapters are setup make this an accessible reference for when situations can arise!

Reinforcing self advocacy concepts and the reality of complex relationships is fundamental to help teens learn themselves. The suggestions in this book can be customized to what each person needs.

Thank you to Netgalley and to New Harbinger for an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, New Harbinger Publications and the author for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As someone that learned about being a highly sensitive person at a later stage in life, I do feel that I would have loved coming across this book during my teen years. It would have helped me understand that there is nothing wrong with sensitivity without having to figure out some of the practical tips on my own. Some of these tips I still use daily in my professional life so while some can be used to prepare teens for adulthood, not all of them are very practical in a friend, family, school or even work environment.

Standing up for yourself and speaking up about your sensitivities is not always the best course of action, and while the author does mention that is all dependable on a variation of factors, the book deals very little about the aftermath in case you judge a person wrongly. We do still live in a world with insensitive people, bullies and people who find joy in using your words against you.

The facts of HSP brains and the short explanations of these are quite enjoyable. As are the types of sensitivities and therapy-based tips. Taking all of this into account, it's a good book for teens to find understanding in why they are who they are but the bulk of advices and tips should be taken in with a grain of salt.

The Highly Sensitive Teen by Lea Noring is a great resource for both teens and their parents. As the parent of a 14-year-old, I found the book insightful and incredibly practical. Noring provides tools to help highly sensitive teens see their sensitivity as a strength, offering relatable advice on managing emotions, setting boundaries, and building self-confidence.

I especially appreciated how the book normalizes sensitivity and reframes it as a superpower. The strategies are actionable without being overwhelming, and my teenager has already found them helpful. While it’s written for teens, I think adults who identify as highly sensitive would also benefit from the empowering perspective.

This book felt extremely basic. It's already fairly short (ca. 150 pages) but the amount of substance could be summarized by a 15-minute youtube video: recognize your needs, set the boundaries, tell people about your needs. It's another book "for teens" that tries to paint a naive picture of the world where all families are supportive, all teachers understanding and peers friendly and not bullying at all. Someone hurt you? Just talk to them. Nvm that now they'll know you're bothered and will pick on you even more. I guess for that we aren't really given any tools, esp. when walking away isn't an option.

I seriously need to stop requesting "self-help" non-fiction because they always hit the same notes, i.e. "just change your mindset and everything will be fine". Or "just communicate your needs and boundaries and everyone will be nice and understanding and accommodate you".

I remember when I was 10 and on a 3-week long school trip and after 2 weeks I told my "friend" / roommate to leave me alone for a bit because I needed space and she took it as a grave offense and stopped being my friend. I was 11 on a summer camp where 2 other roommates would trample my bed in their shoes because "they needed to access the mirror" to put gel in their hair (11yo girls btw) and telling them not to walk with shoes on the bed was met with laughter and "y so srs" "this isn't a big deal". This wasn't the only time they were obnoxious. Tons and tons of stories including them throwing cubes of processed cheese and messing up the whole balcony. I was calling my parents to take me away, but nope, I needed to force myself to socialize and fit in, according to them. Finally I managed to get moved to a spot in a room with 7yos who were at least not complete brats.

No, you can't reason with peers, and no, your teachers and parents won't do anything because you need to "toughen up" and "learn to fit in" and "no wonder nobody likes you when you're so antisocial". Somehow, no book tells me how to deal with THAT. No one will give me tools how to deal with people who are deliberately selfish, ignorant and cruel.

I guess it's not very politically correct in the world of "think positive" to point out that people, on average, aren't very accommodating, because it inconveniences them and they simply don't care and will continue as they were no matter what you tell them, how you tell them, and how many times you restate it.

Now, many years later, I have neighbours who keep playing loud music / tv at night, you think they stopped after they were told numerous times to tone it down at night? Ofc not.

You can't reform people and then you'll be told it's all your fault because you didn't communicate enough or hold the boundary firm enough.

Truth is, if "just tell them" worked nobody would need self-help because that's the first idea everyone has. And then they find out it works maybe on 10% of the people the rest will keep ignoring your requests and doing w/e they want.

We always hear "just be assertive", "stand up for yourself" because that shifts the responsibility to you and your behaviour rather than the people who are deliberately obnoxious.

Thank you New Harbinger Publications for the ARC.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy for my honest opinion. I am a highly sensitive person and have a son who is as well. This book is incredibly informative and I plan to gift him the paperback copy when it releases. This book starts off with a quiz to see if you fall into the HSP category, then it goes into how to approach parents, teachers, friends, etc about why some things are so upsetting and how to work around that. The book gives very specific tips on what to do in certain situations like for example when your sense of smell is affected, you can step outside, open a window, chew a piece of gum, smell something that is pleasing to you, put on a mask…it does this for all the senses and provides practical solutions for getting out of situations when you are extremely bothered. The book addresses interpersonal conflicts, being away from home and more. I think this is an excellent book for anyone who is highly sensitive or has a sensitive family member or stident. It would be an amazing gift for an HSP teen.

This is my honest opinion on this book. I rate it 5 stars.

This was the book that I needed as a Teen. It makes understanding the personality of a Highly Sensitive Person super easy. I also loved all the practical tips for walking through the world with this extra gift. I will definitely be getting a copy of this for my classroom, when it's released.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

This was a really great resource, thank you so much for this ARC opportunity. Our household is highly sensitive, we are mostly learning what that means now. Our oldest is entering preteen phase and we’re seeing changes already where we feel in over our head. This has given me some peace of mind and reassurance. I want to get this for the shelf for her to start looking through and it to be there when she’s ready. Thank you again!