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Talking About Adolescence: Supercharge Your Body and Brain Power review by sp2010 | LitPick Book Reviews
Talking About Adolescence: Supercharge Your Body a...

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Age at time of review - 14
Reviewer's Location - Oakland, New Jersey, United States
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Talking About Adolescence: Supercharge Your Body and Brain Power by Eichin Chang-Lim is a teenager-focused guide that outlines the core changes of adolescence. It is divided into three chapters, which cover physical, neurological, and emotional development.
 
The book's first section addresses puberty, outlining hormonal changes, the development of sex traits, and how they influence emotions and behavior. It also touches on the influence of culture and environment briefly.
 
The second part explains brain development, including the still-growing prefrontal cortex. Concepts such as synaptic pruning and myelination as well as key lobes and cortexes are explained in a Minecraft analogy to make the science clear and engaging. The book explains that teenagers will have more emotion-based brain regions that may affect behavior and decision-making.
 
The last segment provides strategies for promoting mental and physical well-being. It covers executive function, trauma, addiction, and self-esteem, and is grounded in psychological theories and research.
 
A quote and reflection questions are provided at the beginning of each chapter. In a conversational style with visuals, the book aims to educate and interest teenagers as they go through this transformative period.

Opinion: 

Talking About Adolescence: Supercharge Your Body and Brain Power stood out to me as a teenager because it didn’t follow the usual path of offering generic life advice and took more of a scientific approach to growing up, which was something I didn’t realize I needed until I started reading. The author’s conversational tone made the content feel personal, while the abundance of bullet points, highlighted words, and video links kept it engaging and easy to follow.

The way the book broke down complex information into digestible parts was one of the most standout and helpful aspects for me. Brain anatomy development was explained through the relatable analogy of the video game Minecraft, which actually helped me understand and remember what different brain regions do. The chapter reflections at the end of each section were also incredibly useful and assisted in information retention and made the book feel interactive rather than overwhelming. I also noticed that each section/module built upon information already mentioned, which helped with content retention. 

What I appreciated most was how the book handled sensitive topics. Instead of simply saying drugs are bad, for example, it explained why; what they do to a developing brain and how they can affect decision-making and long-term growth. That kind of explanation felt more respectful and informative than fear-based messaging or values/ethics-centered teachings, and it helped me make sense of the challenges teens like myself often face. I felt like I had been taken on a journey upon finishing this book, not just through the facts of adolescence, but through a process of understanding myself better. The ending chapter used a flower analogy to reflect on the transition from adolescence to adulthood, and this genuinely moved me. Despite its medium length, the book had a deep impact, and it helped me feel more informed and connected to who I am and who I’m becoming in the transitional period of adolescence.

Overall, I would say that Talking About Adolescence: Supercharge Your Body and Brain Power strays from cliches in the field of adolescent education and is definitely a worthwhile read for any teenagers or parents who are interested in introspection and navigating through the teenage years. Its stylistic choices and presentation style formatting make it captivating for anyone who reads it.  The author's relatability, wittiness, and strong sense of empathy for teens made the science behind adolescence far more entertaining than it is when taught in a classroom.

Rating:
5
Content Rating:

Content rating - some mature content

Explain your content rating: 

Part one of the book focuses on physical maturation/bodily development and includes a small number of images and photographs containing nudity to depict human genitalia. These graphic images are purely educational though, and this is made very clear.
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