Nerves Out Loud: Critical Moments in the Lives of Seven Teen Girls

Elizabeth Levin is a professor of psychology at Laurentian University.

Each of the seven stories in this book is about a pivotal episode in a
teen’s life. The title story is about a 15-year-old girl whose parents
have recently died. At school her acting out from sheer nervousness
always gets her in trouble, hence the title, “Nerves Out Loud.” One
teacher offers her a beacon of hope; this story is a thank you for all
that the teacher did, even though some of it was unknown to the author
at the time.

“After the Flood” is about a girl who feels that she doesn’t fit
in. “Fourteen Turns” is about a girl whose foster father lusts after
her. “Will You Kiss Me?” is the story of the first love of a female
who comes to realize that she is a lesbian. “Home” is the story of a
family that falls apart. “The Skinny One” recounts one girl’s
battle with an eating disorder. In “Going Crazy, Wanna Come?” the
editor recounts her experience with LSD.

Despite the claim that there will be something for every reader to
identify with in these stories, I am not so sure. While there is some
comfort that comes from knowing that you are not the only one to have
experienced a certain problem, if you have not encountered the problem
you may not enjoy reading so many tales of tragedy. The writing of the
stories may have been therapeutic for the authors, but reading them is
less likely to be so for the readers. These are mature themes written by
women looking back on their lives and may not be suitable for
young-adult readers. Not a first-choice purchase.