Book Review #789 - Family Don't End With Blood: Cast and Fans on how Supernatural has Changed Lives by Lynn Zubernis

How a Show, and the Support of Its Fandom, Changed—and Saved—Lives

May 2017 marks the end of the twelfth season of the CW hit Supernatural, a television show about two demon-hunting brothers (and an angel) that is at the center of a fan community as tight-knit as family—a virtual support system that spans the globe. The three-time People’s Choice Award winner for Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show and Tumblr’s 2015 Most Reblogged “Live Action TV” show has made a name for itself by supporting and encouraging its fans to “always keep fighting,” a main theme echoed in the show, and demonstrating the inspiring truth to a memorable line from early in the show’s run: “Family don’t end with blood.”

In twenty powerful chapters written by Supernatural’s actors and fans, including series lead Jared Padalecki, Family Don’t End with Blood: How Supernatural Has Changed Lives examines the far reach of the show’s impact over the last eleven years. Supernatural has encouraged fans to change their lives, from getting “sober for Sam” to escaping a cult to pursuing lifelong dreams. But fans aren’t the only ones who have been changed. The actors who bring the show to life have also found, in the show and its community, inspiration, courage, and the strength to keep going when life seemed too hard.

In keeping with the show’s message to “always keep fighting,” and to support the important work of combatting stigma and encouraging those who are struggling to speak out, a portion of the proceeds from the book will be donated to charity Attitudes in Reverse, whose mission is to educate young people about mental health and suicide prevention.

Contributors from Supernatural’s cast include:

Jared Padelecki (“Sam Winchester”)

Jim Beaver (“Bobby Singer”)

Ruth Connell (“Rowena MacLeod”)

Osric Chau (“Kevin Tran”)

Rob Benedict (“Chuck Shurley aka God”)

Kim Rhodes (“Sheriff Jody Mills”)

Briana Buckmaster (“Sheriff Donna Hanscum”)

Matt Cohen (“Young John Winchester”)

Gil McKinney (“Henry Winchester”)

Rachel Miner (“Meg Masters”)

My Rating: 4/5

This book deals with the Supernatural TV show and the impact the show and its conventions have had on not only fans of the show but the cast as well.

The majority of the shows cast wrote stories in here from Jensen Ackles' page to Jared Padalecki's short story and many other in between. It really demonstrated that there is no other TV show out there that cares about its fans more than Supernatural.

There was just so much love for what is my favourite TV show in this book that it made me want to go back and rewatch the show (again). I even spoke to my mum so much about this book that she has started reading it (she is also a fan of the show). 

I loved all the fan stories as well and not just how the show saved them but how they originally found the show. I just found that part really interesting because the reason was different for each person.