I thought this book provided practical advice for both navigating difficult social and personal situations. Although I've never been a trans teen, many of the chapters would have been helpful to me growing up as a queer teen.

I read this book as a part of expanding my knowledge as an ally, and even though the content isn’t directed at me, there are lots of ways in which it still applied. So, that was a nice bonus.

The book helps readers thoughtfully develop self-care habits and routines. It’s packed with solid, tried-and-true information explained clearly and gently. I love that the suggestions include practical steps for how to navigate relationships with unsupportive versus supportive people.

The book includes journal prompts and encourages readers to dance or exercise or get outside in nature to help manage anxiety and other difficult emotions.

The only thing I wish was different about the book is the way it’s organized. Though it’s pretty short– I think the whole book is only 122 pages– it’s only broken up into seven chapters. The text is broken up by bold subheadings. Each chapter ends with a bulleted list of “takeaway” ideas.

I think breaking up the text with dialogue boxes or separating out the journal prompts (or repeating them at the end of the chapter) would make the book easier to use. It’s possible that the final version has better formatting– I just read an electronic ARC (advanced review copy) that I got on NetGalley.

As a person connected to a couple of people who are trans and/or gender diverse, I found the book helpful, too. I learned some things about internalized transphobia that weren’t obvious to me before. It also helped to sit with information about the experience of being trans or gender diverse.

In a world that often struggles to understand, The Trans and Gender Diverse Teen Resilience Guide by Deborah Coolhart, Jayme L. Peta, and Rylan Jay Testa isn't just a book—it's a vital conversation. This isn't merely a self-help manual; it's a profound journey into diverse experiences, offering not just insights but actionable pathways to well-being. Each chapter is a gift, brimming with takeaways and exercises that don't just inform, but ground and uplift the reader. The messages resonate with a clarity and relatability that transcend age, making it an essential beacon for queer youth, trans individuals, and even those of us who simply seek a deeper understanding. This book is a powerful testament to resilience, a truly meaningful guide in a time when it's needed most. My sincere thanks to NetGalley for the invaluable opportunity to read and review this ARC.

What a great resource guide for teens!

There are some great, solid takeaways for adults too if you're looking for self-improvement lessons and techniques, so definitely don't write this off as a guide that's strictly only for teens.

What I love about this book is that it's written by trans and queer psychologists and therapists, with anecdotes by four trans teens. In each chapter, the experts provide affirmation for teens in their journey of self-discovery. There's no judgement or negativity, but there's a lot of real talk with subjects such as self-harm and short-term coping.

I also love the short "Takeaways" sections at the end of each chapter that summarizes the important points in a quick and digestible format. Like I said, there's a lot of information to take in, so the short summaries are very helpful.

My favorite chapters are the ones that discuss self-compassion and how to be in tune with yourself. I remember my teenage years being extremely confusing and stressful. I really like that the authors provide a guide for teens to slow down, acknowledge, and understand the parts of yourself that are hurting and to treat yourself with kindness, gentleness, and understanding.

I do think that this is geared towards older teens and/or teen readers who prefer self-help type books. It's a bit wordy with long paragraphs and there's a wealth of information to digest.

Thank you to New Harbinger and NetGalley for this arc.

This book is part therapist friend, part how-to-thrive guide, and part guided journal. The authors hone in on the stressors to be mitigated as a gender diverse teen and address them with compassion, clarity, and helpful strategies to heal and build yourself up. More importantly, this guide focuses on finding joy and gender euphoria as the goal in navigating your identity, body, self-talk, and environment. Having been through gender-affirming therapy myself, I can say this guide is exactly what I would have needed when I was struggling and I would highly recommend it to youth, new adults, and their loved ones.

Fantastic guide!! I highly recommend for any young trans/nonbinary kids that are still finding their footing with the world. This is a very solid and affirming book!

Now, I recognize that I am not the target demographic of this guide (I'm an adult), however, I was thoroughly impressed by the advice in here! I realized that a lot of the tips and ideas were stuff that I had figured out the hard way and have been doing for a while. Heck, I even learned a few things myself and took plenty of notes throughout! I also appreciated the real-world testimonies from teens going through the same stuff.

Something like this would've saved me a whole lot of trouble and grief growing up. I feel really happy I read this and I'm grateful that resources like this are available to the youth of today!

Thank you to NetGalley and New Harbinger for providing me an advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book was just as informative as I was expecting from the title and the description. In my opinion it was written a little bit too difficult at times for teens, hence why I gave it 4 stars, but it wasn't too bad. The little summaries at the end of each chapter definitely would help a teen who struggled reading through the chapter a bit.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone needing advice like this!

To preface this review, some context of my lived experience is helpful. As someone who had a very sheltered upbringing, I was barely aware of the concept of being trans or gender diverse as a teenager. In fact, I am still in the process of self-discovery regarding my own identity. Therefore, when I saw this guide, I decided to request an advance copy in light of my younger self, my trans and gender diverse friends, and working with teenagers as part of my library job.

With that, I found this guide very approachable, informative, and useful. It teaches skills regarding self-compassion and self-care, in ways that are effective and accessible. Each chapter brings in examples and quotes from teenagers that were interviewed about their lived experiences as trans and gender diverse people. This makes it easier to connect to the scenarios and experience empathy while reading this book, and will likely help teen readers feel more seen and understood.

Additionally, the advice given within this book is actionable and simple, yet could be life-changing for teenagers who don’t have the support systems and resources they need. While some of the examples given regarding suicidal thoughts and gender dysphoria are rather dark, it is important to recognize that these are real and significant challenges that TGD youth face at disproportionate levels than their cisgender friends. Pairing with that, the authors effectively emphasize the intersectionality of identity, and how race, size, and other factors can also affect self-esteem and self-perception.

If you know teens in your life that are learning more about their gender identity and need gender-affirming support, this is a great resource focusing on maintaining a healthy mindset, boosting self-compassion, and providing tools for effective self-care.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this title.

I wanted to read this because you never know if I can recommend it to someone that needs it in the future, but I do think it puts a lot of pressure on the persona when they always have to be resilient cause it will get better. I do think we need to educate people so they can be accepting and trans/queer kids don't have to always be resilient. Do I make sense?

"The Trans and Gender Diverse Teen Resilience Guide" by Deborah Coolhart; Jayme L. Peta; Rylan Jay Testa is a well written resource for Trans* teen and I liked the inclusion of their voices. The takeaways were hard to read as they appeared white font on light gray.

This book was a really insightful read. It offers takeaways from each chapter, providing valuable insights into the experiences of various experiences and exercises to help. It is not just a self-help book, but a great understanding of different experiences. The book's messages are well-written and relatable, making it great for all ages, including older people, queer youth, and trans individuals. The takeaways provided by the book makes the reader feel grounded and meaningful, making it a valuable resource for those looking for some guidance and understanding.

This was an arc read

I had the opportunity to read this book thanks to

Netgalley

As a trans guy currently navigating his second puberty at 23 I am so grateful that future generations will have access to resources like this.
I am grateful that this book encourages young people to severe ties with people that do not nurture them. I feel like trans people are often encouraged or even expected to be the bigger person and forgive when people do not respect or even mistreat us. Not respecting my identity as a man means not respecting me.

I am grateful that this book gives several distinct exercises one can do to steady themselves and reevaluate their experiences.

This is a very versatile book touching on many different topics relating to transhood. It was a great and quick read and I recommend it even if you are not part of the LGBTQ+ community. Be an ally and inform yourself, it’s not our job to educate those around us.

I am thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

The <i>Trans and Gender Diverse Teen Resilience Guide</i> is a guide aimed at prioritizing mental health and well-being for teens who are part of the transgender and/or gender diverse community. This guide focuses on resilience, compassion, and positivity and guides the reader to integrate coping skills to manage life's challenges and build a community in order to "build a meaningful life". One unique aspect of this guide is that four trans or non-binary teenagers were interviewed as part of the guide, and their thoughts, feelings, and experiences are also integrated throughout the book. Another helpful aspect is the "key takeaways" page included at the end of each chapter for a helpful overview.

I really appreciated chapter 2, which focuses on "self-compassion" and also offers education on what self-compassion truly looks like. I also appreciated the types of coping skills included in chapter 3 which helps to normalize the challenges of body dysmorphia associated with being part of the TGD community, but also focuses on utilizing relaxation. I loved that tapping was included as a skill in this section as I believe this can be a very valuable coping skill. Another aspect that I loved about this guide is that the "self-care" chapter is extremely expansive and includes multiple avenues of self-care, many of which we tend to forget about. These include physical, medical, sexual, and emotional self-care, but also included self-care associated with academics, media, and insight into how self-care can be different for those who identify as neurodivergent. Chapter 6 focuses on building community and I personally found this to be the most impactful chapter as a reader and as a mental health professional. Overall, I thought this was a very well-written guide which could be used in clinical work if you are a therapist or school counselor, but could also be used for teens who are looking to implement changes independently and can use this guide as a tool.

Thank you to NetGalley, New Harbinger Publications, and the authors for providing an early digital ARC in exchange for my honest review! <i>The Trans and Gender Diverse Teen Resilience Guide</i> is available for purchase beginning May 1, 2025.

I haven't been a teenager for a long time but I wish I had something as helpful and informative as this when I was. This is a really great guide for TGD people, with good resources on getting help, building resilience, finding your people, and creating better and more inclusive communities. The exerts from TGD teens were a really lovely addition, and it helped to have examples of real-life experiences and how people were able to cope.

I think the book does a good job of explaining resilience and how to survive and take care of yourself really well, especially for gender diverse teens. The inclusion of real teens' experiences and stories adds a human element that takes the book beyond a typical self-help book, and legitimizes the advice beyond it being an expert's opinion. The book is definitely aimed at teens, but it does offer good advice for adults and could be enjoyed by adults. The introductions of all the authors were a smart move, which makes the book feel more real, and the answers will be more useful, and there will be evidence to prove them. The key takeaways at the end of each section was also very helpful.

A must read for any counselor. I am in the process of receiving my masters in school counseling and this will be a wonderful tool that I will use.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

An incredible resource for all ages. Resilience is so important and yet hard to maintain in the current political environment.

I do appreciate that the author themself identifies as nonbinary and is a health care professional. Therefore they are professionals from both their own life experience and with scientific background.
This reflects especially in the wording and use of different concepts. Offering plenty of opportunities to find themselves and explore new aspects and language.

Thank you Net Gallley and New Harbinger for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This book is an incredible resource not just for teens, but adults as well. As someone who is still learning about my own identity I found a lot of good advice and practices I will use in the future.

The authors take a lot of care in their wording of different concepts, making sure that the reader is educated on the topic at hand, as well as providing plenty of additional resources to reference.

I would recommend this book to any teen or adult who's interested in learning more about how to navigate the everyday world as a trans and/or gender non conforming person.

A great book to give to the teen in your life who is TGD! I found a lot of good advice here, I loved the emphasis on self-care and the takeaways from each chapter and I think that even teens (or adults) who aren't Trans and Gender Diverse will find something from this book.

This is a complete guide with many tips for teenagers on how to manage their mental health in a world that isn't mend for them. Although there were only a few, I did like that there were stories told by trans teens. This is a great way to connect with the story. I also highly appreciate that they took the time to write about neurodiversity, as loads of trans people are neurodiverse as well and it's likely to give them extra challenges in life.

The only thing I do have to note is that I didn't feel like the writing style was targeted towards teens. There were topics related to teens, but the text was rather dense, and I feel like a teen, especially a younger one, would struggle to get through it.

Thank you NetGalley and New Harbinger for giving me access to an e-arc for review. All opinions are my own.