Brave Face

A Memoir

By: Shaun David Hutchinson

Narrated by: Shaun David Hutchinson

Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

A YALSA 2020 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Selection

The critically acclaimed author of We Are the Ants opens up about what led to an attempted suicide in his teens, and his path back from the experience.

"I wasn't depressed because I was gay. I was depressed and gay."

Shaun David Hutchinson was 19. Confused. Struggling to find the vocabulary to understand and accept who he was and how he fit into a community in which he couldn't see himself. The voice of depression told him that he would never be loved or wanted, while powerful and hurtful messages from society told him that being gay meant love and happiness weren't for him.

A million moments large and small over the years all came together to convince Shaun that he couldn't keep going, that he had no future. And so he followed through on trying to make that a reality.

Thankfully Shaun survived, and over time, came to embrace how grateful he is and how to find self-acceptance. In this courageous and deeply honest memoir, Shaun takes listeners through the journey of what brought him to the edge, and what has helped him truly believe that it does get better.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Shaun David Hutchinson (P)2019 Simon & Schuster

Mind blowing

I give this a full five stars and will be recommending it to people
This book made me realize there are parts to me that I didn’t know about. Parts of me that I now under stand better. I have struggled with depression before and I have had those bad thoughts before. This book has helped me. I have been scared of what life would bring. Scared of who I could or couldn’t become. And finally I was scared of hurting the people I love the most. I didn’t want them to know I hurt and that I have these thoughts. But now I truly believe that if these thoughts come around again and I go into the dark hole I have gone into before that I can and will ask for help. I have tried writing little stories before but they never really went far and I just ran out of ideas but after hearing this book and hearing about the ups and downs that he has had I feel inspired and feel as if I could write something that would actually work for me. Always remember and I will to that there is always hope and someone to go to.

Full transparency

I love how vulnerable and transparent he was able to be. This book really pulls on your heart strings.

Worth the time

I really loved this book. I identified with the story with the emotions and the man. my only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of five is I feel like it ended abruptly. you went to listening to detailed entries of his early life to a, ok shows over, feel. I still would recommend this book.

A Beautiful Story

This was a beautiful, real, and raw story of life. So many of us in the LGBTQ community feel this way and it was so refreshing to hear that we are not alone. This story is worth the listen.

Great memoir AND a top-notch YA story

Thank. You. Shaun! What a wonderful book and narration.

As a fellow depressive gay guy who lived his teens in the 90s (as well as a fellow fan of Patrick Stewart, Beautiful Thing, XY and whatnot), I found this so relatable I was compelled to spend a day of my foreign vacation just listening to the whole thing from beginning to the end.

The book was especially impressive in how I could enjoy it equally well as an honest memoir or a fluently progressing YA story.

very good but a bit triggering

a wonderfully written story of hutchinson’s life but if your mental health is fragile while reading, i would suggest not reading

Life Changing

There are no words to describe how amazing this book is!!! Ten out of ten! Would recommend to everyone, especially any fellow LGBTQIA+ teens ☺️

A Moving Story!

Wow! This was such a moving and nostalgic work for me. Being the same age as the author and also being queer, this story hit me with such powerful waves of nostalgia that I had to stop listening a few times just to get my emotions under control.

There are quite a few triggers in the book though, so I would do a little research before reading, but if you can get through it, it's so worth it.

There isn't really the quirky odd humor featured in so in so many of his books, but it is an earnest and well written recounting of being a teenager in the 90's. I think there is so much to take away from this beyond the author's journey of discovering his sexuality...there is much to relate to even if you aren't queer.

Also - I had never heard SDH speak so I was a little apprehensive about buying the audiobook because maybe he just didn't have a voice that would be pleasant listening to for 7 plus hours. My worries were unfounded! It was a joy to listen to, and maybe he'll narrate one of his own works somewhere down the line!

an amazing book

I loved this show much, I related to it and I finished it in one day.

Loved it!

One of my favourites books ever! What an experience! I certainly will never forget it!