The first Shaun David Hutchinson book I read was The Death Day Letter and I wasn’t the biggest fan. Fast forward to 2017 I read We Are the Ants off Riveted for free and it blew my mind. I loved it! And then I read another and another and when I saw that I’d been approved for an advanced copy of Brave Face I couldn’t read anything else until I finished this.

I’m glad that the beginning started with a warning of the contents seeing as the contents cover some heavy topics. He also said it’s ok to take a break from the book if the contents got to be too much and then later before another part gave a warning and said if it’s too much to skip it.

I liked that the author didn’t sugar coat things. He was not always a nice person when he was younger granted he was hurting and depressed and his way of coping was anger. But when writing about yourself you don’t have to write the bad stuff in. it’s pretty brave to be that open and admit that you were kind of an asshole when you were younger.



***Also spoiler***

Who’s first crush wasn’t Chris O’Donnell circa Batman forever?



But most of all I really loved that he didn’t end it with falling in love. He did talk about his relationships good and bad but that didn’t cure his depression and he didn’t make it look like that’s all that matters. Which is really refreshing.

This is Shaun David Hutchinson's memoir of growing up gay and coming out. It reads true, not only because it is literally his true story, but also because he describes the difficulty of growing up gay and knowing you were gay and also knowing it's not safe to come out.

I would recommend this book to teens and adults who enjoy reading the life stories of authors they enjoy. I very much appreciated Hutchinson's trigger warning at the beginning of the book, as he uses homophobic language in his life story since that language was considered appropriate when it was spoken.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purposes of review.

This is an important book that tackles a lot of tough subjects: depression, self harm, suicidal thoughts, sexuality, internalized homophobia. It's a very honest look at the life of a depressed gay teen who has gone on to become a successful author. And I really, really wanted to love it. I'm a fan of Hutchinson's work and hoped this would have the same feel despite being a memoir. Unfortunately, it fell a little short for me. I hate to even admit that--especially since I do think this book could be important for a lot of people. But the narrative structure (particularly in the first half) just felt kind of flimsy. I'm glad I read it, and I really hope other's enjoy it, but despite my hopes I wasn't blown away.

A thoughtful biography that examines depression, self-harm, suicide, coming out and so much more. Hutchinson has such a powerful storytelling message that teens who may be struggling to overcome from a similar life story will be able to walk away knowing they're not alone. A must-read and necessary addition to YA collections.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.I have read and admired much of Shaun David Hutchinson’s fiction. This memoir was everything I expected it to be: raw, real, and compelling. Despite the difficulty of the subject matter, the author has such a compelling and honest voice that the book was hard to put down (I read it in a day). I was particularly struck by the frankness with which Mr. Hutchinson speaks about his experiences with depression: the book does not offer easy answers and there is no “magic” moment of recovery; instead, Mr. Hutchinson acknowledges that managing depression is a lifelong task. I was also a queer teenager in the 90s and, while my experiences of queer culture varied significantly from Mr. Hutchinson’s, I did enjoy some moments of nostalgia (who among us can forget listening to Tori Amos for the first time?). Although the world has changed a great deal since the 90s, the issues raised in the book are still immediate and relevant and I believe this memoir will resonate with today’s teens. This is an important and, yes, brave book, and I hope it finds the wide readership it deserves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the advance reader copy Brave Face by awesome diverse author, Shaun David Hutchinson, in exchange for an honest review. I could not put down this book; this memoir was searing; Shaun suffered so much as a teen and young adult because he did not have enough faith in himself as a guy who realizes he is gay and how to handle being gay as a teen, son, and friend. Shaun takes the reader through his self-hatred, his preconceived notions, and how depression bullied him into believing no one would ever love him. I was so glad for his best friend, Maddie and his English teacher who encouraged him to continue to write and urged him to accept himself. Even at his lowest, Shaun continued to hold out hope that he would find happiness. He is a talented YA writer; teens love his books and they will most certainly identify with his anger, insecurities, and his feeling of being overwhelmed and misunderstood. This is a must read for teens; about gender and differences, the formal and informal messages Shaun received and how they empowered him and also caused him to live/believe in a world where bullying, AIDS, and gender stereotyping made him question himself over and over again as a queer/gay teen and young man. Highly recommended.

Brave Face is a powerful, painful personal journey. As I read it, I thought of students who are wrestling with their own sexuality and with possible depression, and I wondered if Shaun David Hutchinson’s story would help them feel seen and understood. I think so, although I also wish he had shared more light and hope and success spliced in. He refers to it at the end, as I knew he would. Sharing his story is important. I grew weary in the middle of the book, though, and skimmed pages when I felt like the same rhetorical questions repeated. I would be sad if someone who really needs to get to the success at the end gave up halfway through.

I have loved every single SDH book that I've read. His characters are strikingly intimate portraits that jump off the page with stunning realism. After absorbing his memoir, I now understand why. They're him. Between his struggles with coming out in the gay-hating 90s to his battles with mental illness, SDH takes the raw and unpleasant parts of his youth and lays them bare on the page like a wound. He takes the concept of "it gets better" and smacks it with a dose of "yeah, eventually, and in phases, and sometimes with setbacks, and etc" realism. He is unapologetic, uncensored, and completely unforgettable. Struggling queer kids, I know you're out there, I know you're hurting, and I know it feels like there's no chance at happiness for you. You are not broken, you are not alone, you are loved, and you need to read this book. And when you're done, when the tears have dried and you realize that your struggle is not only yours, go pick up his novels. Because those characters? Your story is theirs, too. Make some new friends courtesy of Shaun.