Blog Tour Stop: Dear Teen Me

Dear Teen Me
Edited by E. Kristin Anderson and Miranda Kenneally
189 pages
Release: October 30, 2012
Publisher: Zest Books
Source: the publisher
★★★★☆

You can read the Goodreads summary here.

Dear Teen Me is a compilation featuring seventy letters from YA authors to their teenage selves.  Such YA celebrities as Ellen Hopkins, Lauren Oliver, and Jessica Spotswood are included, just to name a few.  Interspersed between some letters are little sections asking the authors quick, fun questions like, "What was your first job?" and "Where was your first kiss?"

Long story short, Dear Teen Me is one hundred percent relatable.  If you are or ever were a teenager (I think that covers most everyone,) you will find something in this anthology that resonates with you.  I was excited to read the book and be apart of the tour, of course, but I had this little thought in the back of my head that Dear Teen Me would be preachy and that all the letters would sound the same.  Thankfully, I was wrong!

A wide array of topics are covered, everything from hair and makeup, boys and clothes, to more serious topics, like eating disorders, bullying, and mental disorders.  Some of the letters had me giggling, like Jo Whittemore's account of trying to be sexy while eating rotisserie chicken, but there were also a handful of letters that had me close to tears, like Saundra Mitchell's letter about how she's struggled with guilt over her brother's death for years.  There really is something for everyone in Dear Teen Me.

Four stars!  I enjoyed Dear Teen Me a lot more than I anticipated because of the diversity of the letters. Some were serious, some were humorous, but they were all relevant and made a great compilation.  This is a book that needs to be under the Christmas tree (or Menorah, or what have you) of every teenage girl this holiday season.  It's that gift you get from your aunt that you don't think you'll like, but end up really appreciating.

Can't get enough?  Here's a link to the rest of the Dear Teen Me Blog Tour stops.  Still can't get enough?  Check out the Dear Teen Me website, which is filled with even more letters!