Stay Solid!: A Radical Handbook for Youth

Gr 9 Up—Stay Solid misses the mark due to its tone and organization. Each chapter consists of a collection of essays, pictures, poems, memoirs, etc., about a given topic, including family, media, drugs, and sex. The authors range in age from high school senior to mid-adulthood. Throughout the text, the language comes across as disingenuous. "But we're not talking at you. We want it to be very clear—super clear-totally clear-right off the hop that we're not perfect people looking down on ignorant kids and showing them how to lead a good life" and "We want you (and us!) to stay radical" are examples of writing that is trying too hard to appeal to a teen audience. In addition, the scrapbook format is confusing and disorganized. While the text discusses having an open mind and tries to appeal to those youths with nontraditional values, it is extremist, especially when discussing traditional values. ("Over the past couple of decades the idea of the 'family' as a unit of strength and support has been co-opted by right-wing reactionary forces: think of the term 'family values' for example, or extremist Christian groups like 'Focus on the Family' that are deeply homophobic, racist, anti-feminist, anti-sex-and pretty much horrible on everything.") In that regard, the book narrows its readership as not all youth are nontraditional and some will find the narrators to be unreliable due to this tone. On the upside, it does present the topics from multiple viewpoints, and if readers can wade through some of the language and the formatting, they may find a few excerpts that speak to them. It is unfortunate that a book that could have such impact for today's youth fails in its delivery.—Tammy Turner, Centennial High School, Frisco, TX