Covering everything from sexual abuse to gangsta rap, from the decision to seek revenge in "the hood" to combat in the Persian Gulf War, Things Get Hectic offers a kid's-eye view of a world infinitely more terrifying than the one most of us grew up in. Here is a book that chronicles with vivid immediacy the violence young people are subjected to in their homes and neighborhoods; the sudden, wrenching loss they experience when friends and loved ones are taken from them; and their daily struggles to fashion a sane response to a world gone completely mad. Each piece in the collection is full of insight into the ways different forms of violence are learned, endured, resisted, and ultimately overcome. Things Get Hectic will let teen readers know that they aren't alone and will help them cope with their own sense of menace, loss, and rage. The book also offers teachers and parents a unique opportunity to listen while kids share their most urgent concerns.