Customer Reviews

I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book has received some critical acclaim, and I was a bit skeptical. I wondered how much of an impact 6 words could have.

Well, while it's still not the kind of work that can transcend age or genre preference (which is the kind of book I give 5 stars), I can definitely see this appealing to some teens.

In fact, I can see teens copying certain of the entries out onto their notebooks or putting them up in their lockers as they think "Finally -- someone else understands!"

Another strong point -- they are indexed in the back by topic, so a teen who was in fact dealing with abuse or or rejection or death would be able to find the lines that might speak to them.

They deal with typical teen issues, but seem to lean more heavily towards homosexuality and sexual dalliances or abuse than perhaps is the norm. However, having something for every teen from every experience -- from drop out to over-achiever to good girl to slut -- is part of the appeal.

A note -- though the title promises memoirs by teens "famous and obscure," there are only a small handful of famous memoirs, and the rest are quite obscure, and noted only by a first name and last initial. I think that some people will buy this book expecting more famous memoirs, while in fact, I think that the anonymity and universality of the memoirs is what will cause it to have a strong impact.

The Good: This is my first anthology and it totally sky rocketed through my expectations.

Some made me want to track down these people and just give them a huge hug. Some made my day a whole lot brighter and better. Some really hit the nail on the head, made me think, "Damn straight!", and give them a huge round of applause. Some just made me snort milk out my nose because they were hilarious!

But, what all of them did was make me feel less alone.

The Bad: It may be a little too short for some... but, that's okay since it's a paperback! But yeah, it flies by really quickly (I read it in under 30 minutes) and by the time you blink, you're done.

Overall: Read this book. You will love it.

Grade: A+

Everyone has a story to tell about themselves, but few can tell their story in six short words. Six hundred authors between the ages of thirteen and nineteen have done just that. They talk about their sorrows, their fears and their hopes. Some want to talk about their gaming, food, friends and family. From best friends to love, lies and war, it's all in this book. Every life is special and unique and you're going to hear a slice of life from young people in six words, no more no less!

"Defined by numbers: age, weight, SATs."

"Loved college until I got there."

"I will be that cat lady."

"Always the friend, never the girl."

"The distance could never break us."

I loved this wide assortment of memoirs, memoirs that could just as easily have been written by adults. The variety of emotion, hope, fears and day to day topics was amazingly fun to read. This book is very light on the illustrations and photographs because the written word creates the power in this one. If you want to know about the younger generation, this book is a good starting point!

Finding reading material that catches (and keeps) HS students' attention is an endeavor I'm always willing to accept. I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure fits the bill, for both guys and gals.

Not only is it a terrific book for a quick read aloud and discussion, but it becomes the go-to book my kiddos grab during SSR once I've introduced it. When combined with Smith Magazine's site, smithmag.net, this book can be a great tool for teaching 'memoir' and how to infer - through print and digital media - starting with Mr. Ernest Hemingway's famous six-word story: Baby shoes for sale; never worn.

And yes, we're working on our own six-word stories...

Very necessary for a teen to read carefully,not for speed, and ponder the circumstances that a person is faced with that resulted in their six-word conclusion. Some are happy, most are sad, great amjority from girls. You can learn from this to avoid the bad predicaments of life.

I devoured this book last night. I couldn't stop reading it! It reminded me a little of the Post Secret books - but more interesting because of the word limits.

Some of my favorites included:
Met Online, love before first sight - Chris S.
Hung Myself. Sister found me. Alive. - Anna-Lise M
Ripped open, sewn back up, healing. - Traci V
Defined by numbers: age, weight, SATs. - Jocelyn P.
A boy wizard saved my life. - Rebecca G
Waiting indefinitely for life to begin. - Jocelyn P.
My mom had my boyfriend deported. - Candra T
I don't rock, guitar hero lies. - Lacy F

This book is a real quick read because there are generally only a few quotes on each page. You can relate a lot to each person even only reading 6 words about their lives. Some are stupid, some reference things I don't get, but most are amusing or made me laugh. I'll probably pick up the other books in this collection because I enjoyed this one so much.

After NOT QUITE WHAT I WAS PLANNING: SIX-WORD MEMOIRS BY WRITERS FAMOUS & OBSCURE came out, many teens wrote in to Smith Magazine with their own six-word memoirs. And the editors put them together to create a book that is filled with teenage thoughts and insights.

This was an incredibly easy book to fly through. And totally engaging. There were so many great things that the teens said. And a lot of them were shocking.

There were memoirs about falling in love, being heartbroken, being gay, having parents who were neglectful, having diseases, missing family members who passed away, and so much more!

I think my favorite one was actually the very last one in the Advanced Readers Copy that I have: "My life story: to be continued.~by Cassie H." And it made me think. Just what would I say if I had to write about my life in six words?

How about:

Huge Florida Gator fan and bookworm.

Reviewed by: Andrea

This was an incredibly easy book to fly through. And totally engaging. There were so many great things that the teens said. And a lot of them were shocking. There were memoirs about falling in love, being heartbroken, being gay, having parents who were neglectful, having diseases, missing family members who passed away and so much more! I think my favorite one was actually the very last one in the Advanced Readers Copy that I have: "My life story: to be continued.~by Cassie H." And it made me think. Just what would I say if I had to write about my life in 6 words? How about

Huge Florida Gator fan and bookworm.

Creatively telling the life stories of teenagers by the teenagers themselves in only 6 words, this collection of memoirs captured my attention.

Even though the teens were only allotted six words, each painted an accurate picture of what the lives of today's teenagers truly entail. Some of their stories were witty. Others told emotional tales of tragedies. Many of the memoirs were uplifting and gave a peek of hope, while others forced me to laugh out loud.

This collection is absolutely impressive and excites me about the futures of our young people. These short, intimate glimpses into the lives of teenagers are sure to be enjoyed by people of all ages.

I Can't Keep My Own Secrets will remain on my shelves as a favorite, and it is definitely a book I will be rereading many more times to come!