Title: Perfect Teens Do (Not) Exist
Author: Gbenga Obakin
Publisher: Richie Freggs Limited
Pages: 52
Reviewer: Faith Moyosore
Agboola
In a world of persistent moral decadence, a manual for teenagers is a shining light. The book, Perfect Teens Do Not Exist, has a striking and commendable feature, and it’s the reflection of the wealth of experience the author possesses in the quality of the book’s content.
Gbenga Obakin, a youth coach with several years of experience, leaves nothing hidden as he bares his childhood experiences, revealing both positive and negative accounts in several pages of the book. In the introduction, the author gives a background about his childhood with the aim of bringing to the fore the contrasting realities of the world at the time he grew up and the world now. He aims for his book to be “a compass that will come in handy in this fast changing and technology-driven world.” He doesn’t fall short on this promise, as each chapter bears so much insight, wisdom and beauty.
Chapter one is focused on peer pressure, a very common struggle of many youth. But the beauty of his account is how he doesn’t fall victim of the single story perception of peer pressure being only negative. He reveals to his readers that there are two types of peer pressure: “Pressure from external forces that make you want to fit in or pressure from your friends who are forcing you to go further in life.”
The second chapter doesn’t fall short of the insightful legacy the previous one left. He delves even more deeply into the already raised issue of peer pressure by offering special guidance on how to resist it. He begins the chapter with an analogy of the popular Mean Girl’s Movie, one that a lot of young people would relate to. He rides on this unique opening by sharing six distinctive pathways for fighting peer pressure as a teenager. All of which would offer fresh perspectives and tips for teens battling with peer pressure.
Finding your purpose, a quest that teenagers and adults alike have searched answers to endlessly, is fluidly treated in the third chapter. The author starts by asking piercing questions such as, “How would I like to be remembered?” and “What do I admire about others?” among others. He advises teens to start the quest for self-discovery early, stressing that doing so now would help them to plan towards the man or woman they want to be in the future.
Talking about teenage issues and omitting the battle with drug addiction is like talking about the problems of a country while ignoring its decade old battles. Interestingly, he uniquely veers once again from the popular point of view by opening the chapter with, “Not everyone can speak to young people about drugs, alcohol and addiction without condemning them. I am not here to preach. I am neither a preacher nor a religious fanatic. Here’s what I’ll tell you for free…” He narrates the negative journey of addiction, giving personal examples of himself and friends as well as revealing shocking drug addiction statistics to bring to fore his principal message. He ends by offering counsel on how to beat addiction with tips such as being productive and seeking for external help.
The final chapter of Perfect Teens Do Not Exist is focused on a pressing issue, which is the use of the Internet by teenagers. Obakin advises teens to steer clear of “doing dark things while hiding behind screens” but rather they should endeavour to “use the Internet for good”. To beat the dark things, he proposes having the right attitude and doing away with comparison and entitlement. His examples of using the Internet for good include applying for scholarships, internships and volunteer opportunities.
In succinct terms, Perfect Teens Do Not Exist is the perfect book for teens in a world that is desperately in need of moral guidance. The style of writing is conversational, the stories and examples are relatable and there is hardly any rigidity common in lots of self-help books. A strong characteristic is how compact and easy it is to read while still doing justice to its central message. The exercises at the end also greatly complement the goals of the book and will definitely bring more measurable results in the lives of its readers. As a result of these, Perfect Teens Do Not Exist is wholeheartedly recommended to young people all over the globe. And like the foreword indicates, one can confidently affirm, “this book is needed at a time like this”.