It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller


Jun 29, 2011

An offshoot of their YouTube video project with more than 6000 video testimonials, Dan Savage and Terry Miller’s It Gets Better is a timely collection of original essays from a wide range of voices urging teens not to give up or give in to bullying.  This collection includes essays from President Obama, Bishop Gene Robinson, Suze Orman, Prime Minister David Cameron, Ellen Degeneres, as well as authors, soldiers, rabbis, musicians and other compassionate people who were moved by the rash of youth suicides from last year.  The essays range from bittersweet, shocking, happy or humorous, but all are eventually uplifting and each is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.  The point of each essay seems to be that no matter how you are treated in school, by faculty, by peers, by family, it is possible to be happy, successful, and fulfilled, just get through it!  If you know someone who is gay or perceived as being gay, this book is for them.  An enlightening read for a parent or teacher, too, as it would show just what LGBT youth must endure during some of the worst years of school.

Reviewed by Jed D.
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