The Secret Life of Teens: Young People Speak Out About Their Lives (Paperback)

by Gayatri Patnaik (Author), Michelle T. Shinseki (Author) "America, what happened to your face?..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, British Columbia

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This collection of 200 essays and letters was culled from 5,000 submissions gathered by bolt.com, a popular Web site for college and high school students. To combat the negative teen image often presented in the media, editors Patnaik and Shinseki, former teachers, invited teens to write about their lives, thoughts and hopes. Covering a variety of topics including friendship, divorce, love, substance abuse and sexuality, the entries are well written and often quite poignant ("The world. What an interesting, magical, scary, loving, hungry and wonderful place it is"). While some entries chastise adults, many are surprisingly forgiving; parents who read this collection may be amazed to hear how much teenagers love and need them. Instead of the sullen, angry teen portrayed in the news media, many express heartfelt concern for others and for family: one girl writes of her memories of her grandfather, a 17-year-old boy writes of his search for God and another girl reveals her love for an alcoholic father. The entries help adults understand teens' worries and the difficulties they face each day in a changing, challenging world. This book will be of interest to adolescents, and invaluable to parents and educators hoping to gain a more profound understanding of what it means to be a teenager today.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
The book about Generation Y everyone has been waiting for -- a raw, revealing report from the teens themselves of what they are thinking, feeling, and doing.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (August 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688170765
• ISBN-13: 978-0688170769
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,495,826 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In one word - Honest..., February 11, 2001

By	Jammie Sayers (West Deptford, NJ) - See all my reviews

The Secret Life of Teens can only be given praises. Being a contributor to something so raw, groundbreaking, and wonderful is a huge honor. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a beating heart, and who doubts what our generation can do. Watch out America, here we come, loud, aware, and confident!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enter into the minds of the teens, September 7, 2000

By A Customer

Having contributed to this book, I feel very blessed and honored to speak for the youth today. A most compelling compilation of letters written with passion, feeling, and much revelation, THE SECRET LIFE OF TEENS is one of the most heartwarming books I have read.

While I thought it would be another one of those books depicting the negativity of being teens, this book will let the readers know otherwise and that the teens of today are not exactly WHAT most adults make them out. Most letters end with in positive notes, or at least in most fulfilling notes with strong convictions deeply resounded.

I highly encourage readers of any age to get a copy of this book and to see for himself. It is a glimpse of the generation we either love or hate. It is a peek into their world, with thought-provoking and touching letters guaranteed to make you think twice, if ever you have though of doing so, about putting all teens into one predetermined and stereotyped box.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A comforting book to have..., December 27, 2001

By	"prariewitch" (Nebraska, USA) - See all my reviews

I was one of the many who contributed to the content of this book. When I recieved my copy, I was blown away at what was inside. It serves as a reminder that everything you are going through is not a singular problem. Others go through it, and they survive. I would reccomend this book to any teen.