Review of "When Nothing Matters Anymore"

When I read in the foreword that the author was a cousin of the former rock group Nirvana's lead singer Kurt Cobain, who she had not even ever met, I expected this to be a case of someone capitalizing on a relative's name by writing a meaningless book. I am pleased to inform you that I was wrong. Although author Bev Cobain focuses on him and his suicide at the very beginning of the book, she quickly gets away from him and that's when the book and her valuable insights on teen depression and suicide begin to shine through.

I found a majority of her subjects descriptions of what they were going through easy to identify with and loved how she gave survival tips at the end of each chapter. I also liked how she packed a lot of information into each chapter without going on and on and boring you.

The book was broken into two sections: What's Wrong? and Getting Help and Staying Well. I liked how she still gave suggestions throughout the first section rather than keeping both parts completely separate. The way she used quotes and bullet points and sprinkled suggestions throughout the book kept me engaged and interested and made me think more while as I was reading it.

I felt some of the simplest advice Bev gave resonated most with me like: If your friends drop you when you need them most, they are not your friends, or how we are often harder on ourselves than anyone else and need to give ourselves a break or a pat on the back more often. I also liked how she emphasized the importance of setting small goals over short periods of time like four-weeks and then setting new goals every four weeks to help you feel in control of your life.

My favorite part of the entire book was where Bev pointed out that how you think about an event is more important than what happens or even the event itself. This is a lesson I only recently learned and has been of more benefit to my growth and happiness than anything else. The story she used to illustrate this point about a boy breaking his leg really drove the point home about things often being more than they seem on the surface.

If you like light informative reading (and who doesn't?), I think you will like this book. It is full of resources and suggestions that are sure to help many suffering teens.

 

© 2004 Judith Carlson

Judith Carlson writes about herself:

I'm a senior in high school. I'm on the soccer team at my school and take several honors courses. I have lived with my foster family since I turned nine. I plan on attending a good college after I graduate and would love to continue playing soccer in college (but I need to improve some more first). I have battled anxiety since I was very young and did not even realize it for a couple of years but I think I have it under control now. Everyone thinks I'm shy but I think I'm just naturally quiet.