BRAVE FACE is a memoir by author Shaun David Hutchinson. He is truly brave as he shares his story of growing up in Florida. Beginning in the early 1990s, Shaun tells of being a tall, skinny kid with buck teeth struggling to make friends and find himself.
A self-confessed Nerd, Shaun wasn't into sports or other physical activities. He preferred video games, reading, writing, music, and movies. In high school he got into drama. Performing in school plays and/or working behinds the scenes helped him find a place where he felt accepted. He also found he had a talent for the debate team and was a hit at off-the-cuff speaking.
Shaun's grades were subpar mostly because he skipped school as often as he attended. When it was time to go to college, he dreamed of going to acting school in NYC, but wasn't accepted. He was sure if he could get away from Florida, he could find his true self. Instead he attended a community college where he tried to fit in and find friends.
Around that same time, Shaun was coming to terms with the fact that was gay. Many failed relationships with girls lead him to the conclusion, but finding his place in the gay community was more difficult than he anticipated. He didn't feel like the stereotypical homosexual. He wasn't flamboyantly gay. He wasn't like the gays he saw in movies, and he definitely wasn't into drugs and sex. He was just gay.
Readers of BRAVE FACE will quickly fall in love with Shaun and cheer him on and grieve for him as he attempts to navigate a decidedly unfriendly world. They will learn that his parents didn't hate him for being gay, but they weren't a big help either. His few friends were supportive, but again not a big help. Shaun takes readers on the roller coaster ride that was his early life. From sexual experimentation to a suicide attempt, Shaun bares it all. BRAVE FACE is a book that may be just what some struggling teens need to give them the confidence to deal with the fact that the tough stuff does exist, but that tough stuff can be survived.
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