Brave Face: A Memoir - Couverture rigide

Hutchinson, Shaun David

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 1534431519 ISBN 13 : 9781534431515

Editeur : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2019

A propos du livre

Revue de presse :

"Shaun David Hutchinson has been hammering out one brilliant book after another, and Brave Face is his most honest and courageous one yet. This profound memoir is a triumph--a full-throated howl to the moon to remind us why we choose to survive and thrive."

    (Brendan Kiely, New York Times bestselling author of Tradition)

"Shaun David Hutchinson has long been one of our brightest lights and best storytellers. In Brave Face, he shares all the sh*t he had to survive to get there - and how we can too. Brutal and essential.”   (Sam J. Miller, award-winning author of The Art of Starving)

"As much a book about coming out as it is a book about simply coming to be, Brave Face is the bravest memoir I've read in years. Illuminating, brutally honest, poignant, and sometimes laugh out loud funny, this isn't a book just for queer kids, it's a book for any teen (or adult) who feels left out, rejected, confused, and scared about their place in the world.”  (--Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces)

"Fearless and resonant, Hutchinson’s memoir explores personal darkness with profound candor and earned wisdom. Courageous, devastating, and beautiful.”  (--Caleb Roehrig, author of Death Prefers Blondes)

"It takes talent to render personal truth with clear-eyed honesty, and deep empathy for the wounded, bewildered selves we’ve been. It takes greater bravery to share that truth. Hutchinson has talent and bravery in droves and BRAVE FACE is a triumph. This book is a balm and I’m grateful it exists."  (--Alex London, bestselling author of Proxyand Black Wings Beating)

YA author Hutchinson (The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried) explores the travails of coming into his sexuality in the early 1990s, when homophobia was deeply rampant in the U.S., the AIDS crisis was in devastating full force, and equal rights for anyone on the LGBTQ spectrum were still a distant dream. With the lack of positive representation of queerness, Hutchinson’s views of gay people were so negative that it took him years to recognize his own sexuality. In the meantime, trying to live an inauthentic life left him angry and depressed for reasons he couldn’t grasp. The author explores his teenage years with raw honesty, presenting the truth as he saw it and sharing passages from his diaries to illustrate the turmoil he experienced—which many queer teens will continue to empathize with. Though he describes himself at times in deep depression and engaging in self harm, the memoir ends on a positive note, sharing the ways in which he finds acceptance both within himself and within the queer community, and sending an important message to other queer teens: your life is a gift, and support is out there.                  (Publishers Weekly *STARRED REVIEW March 25, 2019)

Hutchinson (The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried, 2019) lays bare his high-school and early college years—his coming out, the resulting family tension, friendship difficulties, depression, selfharm, failed relationships, a suicide attempt—in this razor-sharp, deeply revealing, and brutally honest exploration of growing up gay in the South amid an intolerant sociopolitical backdrop that seems hell bent on denying him a future. Emotionally raw and deeply insightful, Hutchinson's reminiscence of his earlier years is not tainted by the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia, nor is his story so macabre as to avoid heartwarming moments and frequent instances of humor to break up the tension: "I was right! Kissing really was like an H. P. Lovecraft story, but with less xenophobia and racism." Although this is a straightforward coming-out narrative in some ways, the depth and complexity of each recounted moment serve to illustrate to readers the myriad ways in which society creates paradoxical and near-impossible expectations for queer young people to adhere to on a daily basis. Brave Face serves not just as a personal story but as a guide to help queer and questioning readers survive—better yet, to thrive—against all odds, in defiance of a world that so often appears to want them to fade away. — Rob Bittner (Booklist *STARRED REVIEW* April 15, 2019)

Coming of age in the 1990s, Shaun David Hutchinson (At the Edge of the Universe) knew certain things about being gay from the messages society sent: "Gay people, especially gay men, were so often portrayed as promiscuous sexual deviants and drug abusers that, even in spite of my own limited personal experience, it's how I saw them too." Through pop culture, politics and news headlines, Shaun learned "there was no future to being gay," which presented a tremendous problem for the teen when he finally came to terms with the fact that he is gay.

In his powerful memoir, Brave Face, the young adult author bares his soul to the world about realizing his sexual orientation and suffering from a depression so profound he attempted suicide. Hutchinson's raw honesty pierces readers as he describes his fight to find an identity in a world that viewed homosexuals as "so worthless that they didn't even deserve to live." His fear and pain radiate off the pages, demanding others experience a small part of it, too. Audiences will be hard-pressed not to feel the emotional weight Hutchinson carries: "It was like every person I came into contact with was plugging themselves into me, and occasionally I'd overload and short." His journey to acceptance is one marred with struggle and loss, but also imbued with hope.

Hutchinson's gift for language makes this uncomfortable story beautiful and forceful. Courageous and commanding, Brave Face is a bold, banner announcement that there is a future for everyone. --Jen Forbus, freelancer

Discover: A young adult writer tells his personal story of coming to terms with his sexual orientation and his battle with life-threatening depression. (Shelf Awareness June 18, 2019)

Extrait :

Brave Face CONTENT WARNING,

PART 1

I’LL KEEP THIS SHORT. A lot happens in this memoir. There’s drug use, sex in the backseat of a Mustang, discussion of homosexuality, alcohol use, a smidge of profanity, and a little petty theft. Those, of course, aren’t worthy of a content warning. Those are just the hundred million pieces that make up a life, and I’m not ashamed of them. But I’m also going to talk about depression, about cutting and burning myself, and about my attempted suicide. I’m not ashamed of those things either, but they might be tough for some of you to read, and I want to make sure you’re aware of what’s coming.

I’m also going to use words that will probably make you uncomfortable. Words like “faggot” and “fag” and “homo.” I know these words hurt to read. They’re not pleasant to write, either, but they’re part of my story. There were a lot of misconceptions about what being gay meant in the 1990s, and I absorbed them all. Many of my attitudes and beliefs were a result of internalized homophobia and are not beliefs I hold today.

I should also warn you that I was selfish, arrogant, and kind of screwed up when I was younger. I made a lot of mistakes. And while I had my reasons for many of the things I did, they’re not excuses. There are no excuses for the ridiculous crap I did when I was younger, and if I could apologize to every single person I hurt, I would. It’s fine to hate teenage me a little, but trust me, no one will ever hate that arrogant little prick more than he hated himself.

As you’re reading, it’s okay to put the book down if it becomes too much or if you need a break. I took lots of breaks while writing. Just remember that no matter how dark it gets along the way, I’m working on this from the light at the other end of the tunnel, and I’ll be waiting for you there.

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Date d'édition: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1534431519
• ISBN 13: 9781534431515
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 368