Book Review~Blame My Brain by Nicola Morgan

Title: Blame My Brain
Author: Nicola Morgan
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
Pub Date: November 5th 2007
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Genre: Non-fiction, Teen, Mental Health, Psychology
Links: Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Book/Author Site

Synopsis: Contrary to popular (parental) opinion, teenagers are not the lazy, unpleasant - frankly, spotty - louts they occasionally appear to be. During the teenage years the brain is undergoing its most radical and fundamental change since the age of two. Nicola Morgan's carefully researched, accessible and humorous examination of the ups and downs of the teenage brain has chapters dealing with powerful emotions, the need for more sleep, the urge to take risks, the difference between genders, the reasons behind addiction or depression, and what lies ahead.

Rating: 10/10
Source: Borrowed from the school library

My Thoughts: I know I've never reviewed a non-fiction book on the blog before (I don't read many of those anyway) but I really liked this book and I wanted to share it with my readers. My friend showed me this book in our school library. I wasn't going to borrow any book because I already had too many books to read, but this book really interested me. And since it was just 192 pages, I borrowed it anyway.

This was a really interesting book. I wish I'd have read it sooner because now I'm pretty mature and I don't have the problems mentioned in the book. Whereas at the beginning of my teenage I was very much like the teenager mentioned in this book. So I think if I'd had read it sooner it would've helped me cope better. But I'm still glad I read it. It's nice knowing what was happening in my brain and why I was acting the way I was acting.

This book basically tells you what is going on in a teenager's brain, how it is changing, that is affecting his/her behavior. It deals with issues like drug use, drinking and depression and suicide. It also tells us about sleep, why teenagers take more risks, etc and links it to our brain and hormones and evolution. It also has fun facts and tests etc

I think this book is a must-read for all teenagers, especially the younger ones. And I think this would be useful for parents too. I recommended it to my teacher who has two teenage kids she seems to be struggling with. I think this book could really help them understand what is going on in there child's brain. Same goes for high-school teachers.

About The Author:

Nicola Morgan has written a number of critically acclaimed books for teens, including the Scottish Arts Council Award-winning Fleshmarket, Mondays Are Red, Chicken Friend, The Leaving Home Survival Guide and Sleepwalking, winner of the 2005 Scottish Arts Council Children's Book of the Year Award, as well as numerous home learning titles and a series of Thomas the Tank Engine stories. She lives in Edinburgh.