About the Book:

Feelings, fears, friendships, insecurities, passions. All of us go through these intense emotional experiences, and the start of it all, without the shadow of a doubt, is teenagerhood. As we start to realize that we are our own person, many questions inevitably follow, as who we want that person to be, and how to get there.⠀
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Saania Saxena, the sixteen-year-old author of Teenage Chronicles: My Journey of Self Discovery knows well what she writes about. With curiosity, a bright analytical mind, and the wise humility of someone who knows how much there is to learn from this world – regardless of the age one has reached – she narrates her first-hand life experiences and the consequent lessons she has elaborated and learned, sharing them with her readers.⠀
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Philosophy and science are no longer intellectual and abstract concepts, but tools to better understand ourselves and ease our journey to self-discovery. A fresh, rich, and interesting work between narrative and essay, providing at the same time entertainment and suggestions to consider.⠀
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A book recommended not only to teenagers but as well to adults that are still questioning themselves and in need of a fresh and original point of view to improve their self-perception.

My Thoughts:

Teenage Chronicles is a well-written book that is extremely relevant and relatable not just to teenagers but to everyone. The book brings out some basic emotions that we all face through examples, situations, facts and scientific thought. Though the title and focus of the book is on teenagers and teenage years, I think that most of us can relate to the emotions highlighted and examples in the book.

I love the idea of the book and the presentation of each chapter. It is clear that author Saania has taken time not only to introspect but to understand and reflect on what she is going through as well as others around her. She then takes this one step further and tries to articulate how these emotions affect her peers and then finally extending this to a larger group. The presentation of the content is captivating and informative without being preachy.

This book will help teenagers realize that they are not alone, that everyone feels almost the same emotions but to varying degrees. A good way to deal with things is to just pause for a moment and think. A little bit of understanding and lending an ear or a shoulder to lean on can go a long way. What I liked the most is the candid nature with which Saania presents her thoughts and the research and care that has gone into writing about each emotion.

Even though I do not read a lot of books in this genre, Saania’s book is one that I truly enjoyed and could relate to even though I am way beyond my teenage years. This book took me back and helped me think about what I felt and how I handled it. The book is thought provoking and the beauty lies in the simplicity of the writing and ideas. I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages!