Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book from StartupPR, free of charge, for review purposes on this blog. No compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own
Looking for an unique Valentine's gift for your pre-teen that loves Anime?
Check out this entry!
Dark Agents: Violet and the Trial of Trauma is the first book in a ground-breaking new series for teens and young adults, written by leading clinical psychologist and award-winning author Janina Scarlet.
Synopsis:
A gripping comic-book adventure into the underworld
Meet Violet, a young witch who is battling to overcome the experience of witnessing her parents’ murders, at the hands of one of the magical world’s most wanted villains.
When she turns 19 years old she is selected to join the Underworld Intelligence Agency, created to keep the fragile peace between magical and non-magical beings. She begins her training in magical law enforcement but soon finds the greatest challenges she faces are within herself.
With the help of her fellow first-years and professors she begins to process the trauma she has suffered. Learning mindfulness, self-compassion and acceptance she slowly starts to overcome her fear of death, self-doubt and struggle to control her emotions. But, when she comes face-to-face with her parents’ killer, everything she’s learnt will be put to the test…
A powerful read for teens and young adults who’ve suffered trauma – and those who haven’t
Review:
Modern teens face a lot of mental health problems, due to the extra avenues of exposure they have. In fact, by age 14, 50% of mental health problems are established, and 70% of adolescents experiencing mental health problems have not had appropriate treatment early enough to keep ongoing trauma at bay. So by trying to reach out in a way that teens understand, to get them valuable info they need, is very important. But finding the method can be hard, which is where this book comes in.
My almost 13 yr old declared the book "a bit dark and hard to start, but I understand where they were going with PTSD, but I don't know is murdered parents is something teens would relate to as being a core trauma. I think divorce or extreme bullying might have been a better start, and then the murder could be brought in later? Overall it was ok, I thought it was a bit hard to follow at times with too much info, but some people need that, but in a graphic (novel), it was sorta info overload. "
My almost 13 yr old declared the book "a bit dark and hard to start, but I understand where they were going with PTSD, but I don't know is murdered parents is something teens would relate to as being a core trauma. I think divorce or extreme bullying might have been a better start, and then the murder could be brought in later? Overall it was ok, I thought it was a bit hard to follow at times with too much info, but some people need that, but in a graphic (novel), it was sorta info overload. "
Overall, I agree with her, it's a good approach and idea, but maybe a bit more work with a graphic editor might help to get the message to kids better, without the info overload.
About the Author:
Dr Janina Scarlet is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who works to help treat mental illnesses through Superhero Therapy. This unique form takes evidence based therapies and integrates fictional characters.
After surviving Chernobyl radiation, Janina moved to the United States as a refugee at age 12. It was there that she fell in love with superheroes. They had also survived radiation and used their abilities to help others – but they weren’t victims, they were survivors. Janina has dedicated her life to helping others – writing multiple award-winning self-help books, speaking at conferences and working with patients suffering from anxiety, depression and PTSD.
About the Illustrator:
Vince Alvendia is a freelance artist/illustrator, native to San Diego, CA. His work has been featured in the official souvenir books for San Diego Comic-Con International; and also created one of three exclusive library card designs for the San Diego Public Library, in conjunction with the 2017 Comic-Con. Vince has contributed art to indie comic anthologies; and also continues to contribute to group art shows at various galleries, centered around pop culture and comic books. He loves carne asada burritos and Chinese food, and enjoys annoying his wife and fellow geek, Sabrina, and their spawn of “geeklings.”
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