Teenagers Face to Face With Bereavement
Grade 6 Up --Psychotherapist Gravelle and social worker/Episcopal priest Haskins asked 17 teens, all of whom have lost a relative or a close friend, to tell their stories. These responses are discussed at length from the points of view of teens and counselors, as are difficult situations which may follow a death: overprotective parents who fear another loss; observance of significant anniversaries; whether and how to tell new friends about what happened; fear of risking new relationships; reluctance to leave home to attend college. The young people speak honestly and earnestly, offering coping strategies that worked for them. Both interviewees and compilers offer hope and comfort. The compilers endorse survivor counseling and point to successful outcomes of peer group therapy. Despite its potential use as a tool for information and guidance and its compassionate intentions, this is difficult reading. In fact, the style is disastrous: repetitive statements, chapters that amount to nothing more than elongated paragraphs, and confusing organization. There is great need for a work of this type to supplement LeShan's Learning to Say Good-bye (Macmillan, 1976), which is directed to a younger audience, and Richter's powerful Losing Someone You Love (Putnam, 1986), both of which are more narrowly focused, but this one is not totally successful. --Libby K. White, Schenectady County Pub . Lib . , N.Y.Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.