Dead Serious

Dead Serious: Breaking the Cycle of Teen Suicide
Author: Jane Mersky Leder

Published: January 23, 2018
210 Pages

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: February 1-10, 2019
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars

Book Description:

Are you under a lot of stress? Feeling too much pressure to get good grades? Trying to avoid social media because you’re being bullied? Grappling with your sexual/gender identity? Feeling depressed—even suicidal?

What are the reasons why teens decide to take their own lives? What can be done to stop them? Through stories, studies and strategies, Dead Serious helps teens, parents and educators navigate the choppy waters of adolescence and provides tools that can help break the cycle of teen suicide.

Teen suicide is preventable.

Jessica’s Review:

Suicide is a difficult subject to think about. The first edition of Dead Serious deals with teen suicide and was published in 1987, and now author Jane Leder has published a second edition.  Why a second edition now?  In the 30+ years that have passed our world has changed significantly: we all lived through 9/11 and terrorism, bullying is at an extreme, and there was no internet and social media. There is so much more that today’s kids have to deal with that we did not.  And don’t forget LGBTQ, there are so many variations on sexual preferences and gender identity that it seems impossible for one to keep up with.

Jane Leder is no stranger to suicide.  She has lost several family members to it, including a brother to whom this book is dedicated.  Dead Serious is written to teens and it does not talk down to them. It is also for adults and educators.  This is one that should be read by all teachers and be in school libraries. This should even be taught in class. 

Each story begins with a musical lyrics or similar.  There are candid stories throughout the book that are shared, and a variety of subjects that including bullying, and there are also LGBTQ definitions. Leder outdid herself with this second edition as you can see she worked with an abundance of research that includes useful information on where one can seek help from different organizations. 

Teen suicide is a major problem, but we can all work together to help stop it. Every life matters, you matter. You ARE worth it.

Dead Serious is highly recommended. Special thanks to the author Jane Leder  and her team for sending me a copy to read and review.

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK