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ciuli's review against another edition
4.0
4/5
"Depression works best when it creates an environment where it can't be detected. It wants you to wonder if you're depressed because you have depression or if it's because of the external circumstances in your life."
CW: depression, self-harm (burning and cutting), homophobia, homophobic slurs, internalized homophobia, suicide.
It's honestly really weird to rate a memoir, especially when the author himself is still alive (lol) but I'll try best!
Shaun David Hutchinson is one of my favorite YA author and I was very curious about this memoir. If you've read at least one of his books, you know that depression, suicide and homophobia are recurring themes, and in the acknowledgements he's always mentioned his relationship with his mental health, his suicide attempt during his teenage years and his internalized homophobia. Him putting his life and his and his personal experience, the good and the ugly, into words is something that had to have taken a lot of courage and I'm so glad he did it.
This book is a memoir but it reads a lot like a novel, the writing is very fluid and it doesn't get overspecific about certain moments of his life as some memoirs sometimes get. It tells the story of the author from middle grade until his first attempt of suicide, a journey during which he fought with himself to discover his true identity and how he dealt (or not dealt) with it, through depression and internalized homophobia. It was mainly focused on his teenage years, which is to expected considering those were the years he came to terms with his sexuality.
Hutchinson doesn't play around with words, he doesn't try to smooth things when talking about his self-harm or his attempted suicide. He calls things with their named because he wants to be true and honest to his readers. He wrote the content warnings himself before the beginning of this book and, if you recognize one of them as a trigger for you, I do not recommend you this read.
He uses a light tone throughout the book but then all of a sudden he'd be casually mentioning hurting himself, or a depressive episode when you least expect it. He is very serious about this and so am I, if you think one of the warnings might be a trigger don't read this book.
mdevlin923's review against another edition
3.0
Very emotional memoir of author Shaun David Hutchinson.
_reading_with_kate_'s review against another edition
Shaun David Hutchinson's YA novels are an automatic must-read for me, and it was very interesting to get this insight into his life. He points out that this memoir is far from "unicorns shitting Fruity Pebbles" and I would second that assessment.
baoluong's review against another edition
3.0
T R I G G E R W A R N I N G : S U I C I D E , M E N T A L I L L N E S S
I'm aptly familiar with Shaun David Hutchinson's novels from We Art Ants to The Past and Other Things that Should Stay Buried. Their bazaar conceptual plots drive not only drive LGBTQ+ literature but the human condition especially concerning young people. I can't begin to explain how complicated Hutchinson's stories are as they explore intersections of sexuality to identity. Brave Face is a more intimate take on LGBTQ+ stories as Hutchinson shares a coming out story that lacks the grandness. It's a long journey into recognition as the author tries many different ways to love people.In the process, Hutchinson, or can I call him Shaun, decides at a young age to not be a victim. To not be pitied. It's takes years of finding a strength relying on anger and violence. Then it takes even more years to undo the damage. The happy ever after is not exactly so immediate. I know this isn't what people want to hear but it's the truth. Even after Shaun knows he's gay, it doesn't mean he accepts it or fully understands what that means for him.
This is an important coming out story because it involves the act of hiding until you know you're safe. Everyone is completely justified in their own coming out. It hurts to know that your family won't support you and to ensure that you have a place to sleep maybe it takes lying to the ones you love. Sometimes love is conditional and we don't have the opportunity to expose ourselves to danger. Shaun displays many forms of not so nice acts and maybe writing is a catharsis. A release to correct what has been done. An alternative to prove that there is more than "nothing" that can be done.
I recommend this for fans of Shaun of course and a those who want to read about the intersection of mental illness being exacerbated by sociality pressures.
I love the illustration. It's honestly a "queer" book cover as the title is not centered, the author's name is not so prominent, and the perspective is looking up at the figure.
Let's chit chat! What do you like about memoirs and how does it compare to fiction?
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Unflinching and unapologetic look at the author's battle with his mental health and his coming out process.