NONFICTION

Brave Face: A Memoir

S. & S./Simon Pulse. May 2019. 368p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781534431515.
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Gr 8 Up– In Hutchinson’s raw and moving memoir, readers are transported to his life at age 19. Depressed and gay—related, though not interdependent parts of his life—the author considered suicide but ultimately chose to live. This is the story of both the large and small experiences that led him to that point and what he used to help him move forward. This story about fitting in and standing out isn’t afraid to show Hutchinson’s imperfections and doesn’t cast a dishonest optimism about how everything will eventually get better. Instead, a crucial takeaway in this memoir is that being okay is just that: being okay.
VERDICT A must-purchase for libraries, as this book will resonate with teen readers who live with depression or other mental illnesses, as well as teens who identify as LGBTQ+. Readers familiar with Hutchinson’s fiction will see many themes from his novels inspired by his lived experience.

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