The stories are related with text and sensitivity, while not shying away from the awfulness that is the experience itself. Sombre tales of pivotal life experiences are told from a young person's point of view, as they deal with sexuality, sizism, abuse, suicide, loss and fitting into a larger community. This is a largely serious book wrapped in fanciful illustrations and interesting print. Every school library and.counsellor's office should have this book The Afterword encourages teens to think about how they are building their own identity and how important it is to reflect thoughtfully upon one's life. The final pages give detailed phone numbers in Canada and the U.S., and books and websites that teens can access for help. Although the actual stories and graphics are moving, it is the question and answer page after each one, revealing the long-term response of the protagonist, that will provoke much discussion offer hope to teens who may feel that life will never bloom again for them. amazing blend of graphics and text will resonate with all mid-teens and help them to understand that they are not alone in their angst or suffering. The stories are short, compelling and thoughtfully told in retrospect. The 12 short stories included in this book encapsulate some of life's most heart-wrenching moments - times that utterly changed people's lives. sometimes suggests that the consequences of that defining stuff might linger this is disturbing, but also true, and food for thought both for teens and the adults they eventually become. The lesson here is that our identity is shaped to a degree by the things that happen to us and how we respond to that event. Each story is followed by a brief Q & A that brings some clarity and closure and offers the reader more insight as to how the event changed the person.

The illustrations and first-person narratives are effective.

I.D. by Kate Scowen