Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gripping look at boy's struggle with depression, coming out.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In BRAVE FACE: A MEMOIR, author Shaun David Hutchinson looks back on his struggles as a teen with depression and with accepting himself as a gay man. Hutchinson didn't want to be like the stereotypical gay men he'd seen and heard talked about all his life, and couldn't even if he did. That just wasn't him. Plus, laws and policies enacted by his government reinforced the idea that gay people were best hidden away, doomed to a depraved lifestyle and early death from AIDS. That's more than enough for anyone to struggle with, but Hutchinson also had a mind that kept showing him that he would never fit in because he was ugly and didn't deserve to love or be loved by anyone. Suicide became the most logical course. It was an ending, but what he couldn't know then was that it was also a beginning.
Is It Any Good?
This honest, eye-opening, and moving memoir is for anyone who is or loves someone who doesn't fit in, doesn't feel loved, isn't sure who they are, needs help, wants to help; in short, anyone. Brave Face: A Memoir tells one particular teen's story in a frank, no-holds-barred way that deftly balances the way he sees things now, 20 years later, with the only way he was capable of seeing things in the moment, as things happened. Readers who are trying to cope with the same or similar problems will find an oasis of understanding here and be encouraged to envision a future where they belong. Readers who are having an easier time will still find a lot that's easy to relate to. They'll get a profound understanding of what depression is and does, as well as what's it's like when you don't like, and are even pretty scared of, what you think you're becoming.
A lot of the issues Hutchinson deals with are difficult to think and talk about, let alone experience. But it's a good chance to try to start talking about how we see ourselves, what we think the future holds, what our value is as human beings, what we hope for, what our inner voice tells us, when we're OK, and when we need help. Ultimately the messages are hopeful: that it's OK to hurt, it's OK to ask for help, and that although it doesn't happen quickly or easily, it does get better. Strong language, frank sexuality, and difficult themes of self-harm and suicide make it best for teens and up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Hutchinson's suicide attempt in Brave Face. Do you know anyone who's thought about it, talked about it, or tried it? Have you? What happened? Please check the front of the book if you need help, for yourself or someone you care about.
How does his depression affect the way the author thinks about himself and his life? What did you learn about depression from reading Brave Face? Did it change the way you see or think about people who are clinically depressed?
How do you think Hutchinson's life would have been different if he'd seen more non-stereotyped LGBTQ people represented in books, movies, music, etc.? Why are positive, inclusive representations important?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Autobiography
- Topics : Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Simon Pulse
- Publication date : May 21, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 368
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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