Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: Stories of Life, Love and Learning by Jack Canfield, Kimberly Kirberger, Mark Victor Hansen

3.66 AVERAGE

orionmerlin's profile picture

orionmerlin's review against another edition

2.5
emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
Credibility & Research – 4/10
The book lacks any substantive research or factual grounding, relying entirely on anecdotal experiences. While personal stories have value, they do not offer a well-rounded or nuanced understanding of teenage struggles. The absence of expert insights, psychological perspectives, or even referenced studies weakens its credibility. It presents itself as a source of wisdom, but the wisdom is entirely subjective, drawn from individual experiences that may or may not be applicable to a wider audience. The book also leans heavily into a sentimental, almost idealistic portrayal of struggles without addressing systemic or deeply rooted issues teenagers face, such as mental health disorders, socio-economic disparities, or cultural differences.
Authenticity & Uniqueness – 6/10
While the book presents itself as deeply authentic, it feels curated to fit a specific, feel-good narrative. Many of the stories lack real depth, focusing on surface-level lessons rather than grappling with the complexity of teenage emotions and experiences. There’s an almost formulaic approach—each story presents a struggle, followed by an uplifting realization or resolution. This predictability makes it feel less raw and unique than intended. There is little exploration of darker, unresolved emotions, making it more of an idealized scrapbook of teenage struggles rather than a true reflection of the unpredictable, often messy reality of adolescence.
Writing Style – 5/10
The writing is accessible, but that’s about the best thing I can say about it. The quality varies wildly since the book is a compilation of different voices, leading to an inconsistent reading experience. Some stories are well-written and emotionally engaging, while others feel generic, overly simplistic, or even saccharine. The structure of the book is functional, organizing stories into themes, but it doesn’t create a compelling narrative arc. Many stories blur together because they rely on vague inspirational messages rather than distinctive storytelling. At times, the book feels like an extended chain of motivational social media posts rather than a thoughtfully composed collection of impactful narratives.
Personal Impact – 5/10
While I understand why this book resonates with many, I found it emotionally manipulative rather than genuinely moving. It relies too heavily on sentimentality, delivering predictable moral takeaways rather than deeper reflection. There are certainly moments of connection, and some stories do feel powerful, but the book's one-size-fits-all approach to emotional struggles makes it difficult to walk away with anything truly transformative. Instead of offering diverse perspectives, it provides an almost sterilized version of teenage issues—something that makes it comforting but ultimately shallow. It offers reassurance but no real guidance or new insights, which limits its lasting impact.
Intrigue – 5/10
The short-form structure helps keep attention, but the content becomes repetitive very quickly. Because many of the stories follow a predictable arc, they lose their emotional weight as the book progresses. The overuse of cliché life lessons reduces the book’s ability to surprise or challenge expectations. I found my engagement waning as I realized that most stories boiled down to variations of “believe in yourself,” “things get better,” or “appreciate your loved ones.” While these are valuable messages, the book does little to explore them in a way that holds lasting intellectual or emotional intrigue.
Logic & Informativeness – 3/10
This book offers little in terms of structured wisdom or practical takeaways. The lack of expert perspectives or researched advice makes it feel hollow if you’re looking for anything beyond emotional reassurance. Many of the stories oversimplify complex issues, offering conclusions that feel unearned or too neatly resolved. The absence of critical engagement with real-world teenage struggles—such as mental health crises, academic pressure, or identity struggles beyond broad strokes—limits its usefulness. It’s more about emotional validation than providing any substantial guidance, which makes it ultimately unsatisfying if you’re looking for a book that helps navigate real teenage challenges with depth and nuance.
Enjoyment – 6/10
I can see why this book appeals to a younger audience, particularly those seeking comfort rather than critical insight. However, I found it lacking in depth, variety, and meaningful exploration of teenage issues. The oversimplified messages, inconsistent writing, and predictable structure made it feel more like a collection of comforting platitudes rather than an insightful or transformative read. It has its place as a feel-good, easy-to-read book for those needing encouragement, but it falls flat when viewed critically. 
itgirl's profile picture

itgirl's review against another edition

4.75
emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced
This is the first book I owned and the cover is literally disintegrating but all the pages are fine. My aunt gave this to me like 4 yrs ago and I thought I would never read it cause I never read back then. Well it made me cry like 3 times because this is literally full of true stories of real people from almost what.. 30 years ago? Like damn.

highladyofthenightcourt21's review against another edition

5.0
From sad stories to happy stories, teenage girls can relate to at least one story in this book. Reading about things that have happened to others, whether good or bad, helps to make you realize what it's like to be a teenage girl. The Chicken Soup books are books that I will read over and over again.

amirite's review against another edition

4.0
it's very cute, I finished it in one weekend.

marizzla's review against another edition

3.0
challenging emotional informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced
a cute book, felt maybe a little cringe at some points but overall it was inspiring. i wouldn’t have been able to read it in one sitting, you have to read the small stories separately. it’s also kinda old which is why some things might just be outdated.
breama2022's profile picture

breama2022's review against another edition

3.5
emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

ignisda's review against another edition

3.0
I'm gonna say that I have a love/hate relationship with this book.
I love this book because it is written by Jack Canfield, and he is one of my favorite people in the world. He is an intellectual, far sighted and understanding person- basically an ideal role model. In addition to this, some of the stories ARE very moving. My eyes would be filled with tears of sympathy or my heart would fill with joy when some character did triumph through difficult times.
Which brings me to why I hate this book too- most of the stories are not as moving as the book promises. I know that I should not count a book's foreword to be moving as a promise, but since it is written by Jack Canfield, I had very high hopes with it- too much probably.
Concluding, I recommend you read this book if you have a lot of free time on your hand, but I would not count on it as my 'life-book' which would guide me through ups and downs in life (as the foreword suggests). That being said, it is an interesting book and mostly relatable if you happen to be a teenager (or were one once).
chiom_ah's profile picture

chiom_ah's review against another edition

4.0
i love.this book, this was my birthday gift to myself.The stories really touch ones soul.

malaynachang's review against another edition

5.0
MY OPINION: *****

This is going to be a short review: it's late and I have another one to do after this so this is going to be short. Besides, I'm pretty sure you all like the short reviews better.

**COMMENT DOWN BELOW WHICH YOU LIKE BETTER: LONG REVIEWS OR SHORT REVIEWS BECAUSE I AM THINKING ABOUT MAYBE NOT MAKING THEM SO LENGTH BECAUSE INSTEAD OF IT BEING FUN, IT HAS BECOME A TASK FOR ME AT SOME POINTS**

I really liked the whole concept of this book. I thought that the title was clever and it really was helpful to me. I just became what we call "a real teenager" (NOT 13) and I thought that maybe this book would help me to navigate this new world of adolescence.

It was definitely helpful to me. It was a compilation of stories and poems and essays by people who shared stories from their teenage life. It was split up into sections, such as Family, Love and Relationships, and so on; you know, all of the important things in a teenage life.

I thought that the stories were definitely well-thought out and I actually enjoyed reading them for entertainment. I thought that they were interesting and some were surprising and some were funny and some were tear-jerking. It's crazy how these people actually did some of these things.

I liked the whole idea of this. After a time, it did start to seem like they were all variations of the same story but I still enjoyed reading through the whole thing. I actually just went from cover to cover instead of skipping around like the author recommended and I found that I liked the Love ones and the ones where they were "going for it" the best.

I would recommend this book to teenagers who are looking for something to relate to, to strengthen, or just to read.

Main Character: The people featured in the stories
Sidekick(s): Their friends... maybe the reader?
Villain(s): VARIES
Nonfiction Elements: All of this were real events and such.

imyou's review against another edition

5.0
funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing