DeMario Tatum's It Gets Better is a powerful memoir that depicts the trials and tribulations of an African American teen as he awakens with disabilities after a tragic car accident. When Tatum returned to Durham School of the Arts to begin his freshman year of high school, his impairment steadily revealed itself. Not only did they affect his thought process, but they also impacted Tatum's role in relationships, both romantic and platonic. Tatum responded to his new conditions by exploring coping mechanisms through trial and error. He juggled the weight of his internal battles with the sporadic deaths of both family members and childhood friends. The plot touches on several concepts, including male mental health, effectively confronting depression, and black trauma. Tatum emphasizes the importance of persistence, expressing how your situation always gets better, even if it has to get worse first.