Dealing with Death: The Ultimate Teen Guide

Gr 7 Up—Veteran teen nonfiction author Gay presents a compendium of information related to death or dying, from customs (vigils, funerals) to terminal illness to euthanasia. The material is wide-ranging but fairly superficial. Gay offers in-depth examinations of some subjects, such as how military families cope with death or how individuals deal with the loss of a service animal. Other topics, however, seem tangential, including the discussion of protest-style peace vigils as political statements. Sidebars and quotes are generous, focusing on, for instance, teens who have experienced parental death, suicidal thoughts, and fatal illness; legal cases involving patients in a persistent vegetative state; and depictions of death in the arts. Stock photos overwhelmingly depict white subjects and occasionally look staged. A final section reprints the advance care directive specific to Florida.