In It’s All Love: Reflections for your Heart
and Soul, eighteen year old Jenna Ortega gives the readers a refreshing
dose of teen optimism with her anecdotes of the various life lessons she has
learned. It is clear that her family is her main support. Although
she is quick to point out that one’s family of choice is just as important as
family by blood, her stories consistently illustrate how a loving family can be
crucial to a developing teen. Although Ms. Ortega is an actor, her
stories of boy crushes, family, faith, true friends, and believing in oneself
are universal.
Many teens may not be able to relate to her
devastation of being passed over for a role in a movie; however, they will be
able to relate to what she has done to overcome that devastation. Those who
have read Dr. Honos-Webb’s book, 6 Super Skills of Executive Functioning (New
Harbinger, 2020) will see some similarities when it comes to seeking help for
depression. Both Ms. Ortega and the teen subjects in Dr. Honos-Webb’s
book describe their struggles in the same way. They talk about not
wanting to seek help thinking they were being too dramatic, or that their
problems seemed miniscule compared to others they know. After seeking
help, they all realized that problems are personal and not to be compared to
others. With the growing rate of depressed and suicidal teens in today’s
society, this message is something they need to hear.
In addition to depression, there are many other
applicable life lessons Ms. Ortega depicts in her book. She talks about
confidence, asking for help, believing in oneself, how to manage stress, and
how her faith fits into her hectic life. She also continues to emphasize
how good relationships make one’s life better while bad relationships should be
seen as an opportunity to learn. The wisdom exuded in these pages is unexpected
from the typical perspective of an eighteen year old. Ms. Ortega is wise beyond
her years.
The short stories and fast pace of the book
makes this an effortless read. The inconsistent sentence structure does not
dilute Ms. Ortega’s passion. What makes this book most relatable is that it is
a collection of stories from a teen for other teens. Ms. Ortega does not
talk down to her readers. She only wants to help. . For these reasons, It’s
All Love: Reflections for your Heart and Soul will appeal to reluctant
readers as well as those just seeking more positivity in their lives.
