RED: TEENAGE GIRLS IN AMERICA WRITE ON WHAT FIRES UP THEIR LIFE TODAY

I have just started reading Red: Teenage Girls in America Write On What Fires Up Their Lives Today. Its a collection of personal essay written by girls about what's in their hearts and what issues are important to them. After finishing my social action picture book, i think that this book is really making me think about how my book could keep some of these events from happening and how this issue effects everyone.The essay that really stood out to me so far is the essay "lucky". This is the story of a girl who falls in love with her best friend, her struggle with cutting herself, her boyfriend Devin and her attempt to commit suicide.

This essay made me think so much about one of my friends that I have become recently close to. She cuts herself and she was almost hospitalized for it this month. She see a therapist and she is really trying to stop but until reading this I never understood why she did it. She said it made her feel happy, even if was just for one minute she said it was better then nothing. I try everyday to be their for her but it scares me to think what she could be doing to herself. She keeps a wall up like Caro, the author of the essay did. They both try to act like everything is okay but something is really affecting them.

This essay also made me think about my picture book, It made me think how bullying really affects people. Caro cut her self because she was exiled because of her sexual orientation. All of her friends dropped her because she had feelings for another girl. They cause her to try and take her own life because she thought it was easier then facing her problems. If she was just accepted by her friend she wouldn't have developed such a life threating condition.

I have a lot of respect for Caro for telling her story and this essay has really opened my eyes. i really want to change this world and make it a safer place. I think i want to write an essay on my friends situation for independent writing to let girls know that things will get better.