‘Soup’ Stories Warm The Soul

“Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul” is the newest addition to the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book family.

The first-person stories touch on topics ranging from relationships, to friendships, to family and all that’s in between. Each story relays an important lesson - one readers will keep with them for a long time.

Sometimes the passages were upsetting - dealing with stories about suicide, drunken driving, eating disorders and cancer. But with each story came the accomplishment of one person or group that inspires the spirit.

Some of the stories come from contributing authors including Bill Cosby, Jennie Garth (“Beverly Hills 90210”), A.J. Langer (“My So Called Life”) and Jennifer Love Hewitt (“Party of Five”).

But most of the stories come from teens across the country who shared their experiences with the book’s editors.

The stories help to show how difficult it is to be a teenager, and also how hard it is to be a parent. The stories show how easy it is for the strongest to fall, and for the weakest to pull through.

The book does have a few poorly written passages, possibly the fault of multiple contributors and lack of proper editing. But what it lacks technically it makes up for in emotional grandeur.

These stories change your sense of life. Reading about someone else’s struggles and finding that your own are very similar is what makes this book so worthwhile.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a teenager, has a teenager or will be a teenager.