Posts Tagged 'trauma'

After Life by Gayle Forman

Published October 3, 2025 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

One day Amber rides her bike home from school feeling like it’s any other day, but when her mom sees her she starts screaming because Amber died seven years prior in a hit and run. Amber does not remember anything about the accident and hasn’t aged at all, but everyone around her has moved on including her sister, Melissa. Melissa is Amber’s younger sister, but now she’s officially older than Amber ever was. Strangely, Melissa is the one person who does not seem that surprised by Amber’s appearance and seems genuinely pleased to see her despite the fact that Amber was very mean to her when she was alive. Amber’s father, who was never religious, has declared her appearance a miracle and wants to tell everyone, but Amber’s mother is scared of what is happening and does not want to get her hopes up. As Amber comes to terms with the fact that she was never able to do any of the things she dreamed of with her life, she also learns that many unfortunate things have happened since her death, including her parents’ separation. Why is Amber back now? Is there any way she can resume her life, even if in a different way? Can she find closure with those she left behind? Will she ever find out who hit her and ran away to leave her to die in the street?

This story really makes you think about life and how to make the most of it. Amber thought she had time to do all the things she wanted with her life and she also thought she had time to fix her relationship with her sister. Amber also struggles watching how much her family has suffered, but seeing her does bring them some peace and the strength to make some changes in their lives instead of being forever burdened by her untimely death. Forgiveness is a major theme in this story and most readers will connect with one of the characters because they are all justified in their feelings but also need to find ways to forgive and move forward. Recommended for anyone dealing with a loss, but everyone will find themselves thinking about the characters even after the story is done.

Happy Head by Josh Silver

Published June 3, 2025 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction/Futuristic

Seb and his family are thrilled when he is chosen for the pilot program of Happy Head, designed to curb teenage unhappiness. He desperately wants to make his family proud and tries his best to do well on the challenges, but he does start finding himself drawn to the bad boy Finn. Eleanor, a very competitive girl form his small group, decides if they work together and pretend to be a couple then they can rise to the top of the competition. Seb doesn’t particularly care for Eleanor, but sees that she seems to know a lot about how to do well here. As you rise up the ranks you are rewarded with a nicer room and other perks, but these challenges are no joke and seem designed to break them physically as well as mentally. As things begin to escalate, Seb wonders if he should be resisting some of these challenges, but those who do are punished severely. Not to mention he is worried his family would never believe him when he told him what has been going on here. To make things even worse, the woman who created the program seems to be under some kind of physical control by those in charge and does not seem able to actually influence things as they get out of hand. Should Seb rebel against the increasingly unethical program that has labeled him a rising star? Is there any way out of this program? How can teenagers expose a program when everyone around them desperately wants to believe it is a program designed for good?

Fans of the Program series will enjoy this story as there is a lot to unpack. There are many secrets in this new program and it is very difficult to see who Seb can trust and who he can’t. The overall program itself is very challenging and seems to be designed to humiliate and humble those participating. The adults in charge mostly seem to believe they are doing good and it is rare for any of them to have second thoughts about what they are doing to these teens. Seb’s feelings are easy to identify with because he knows things they are asking him to do are wrong, but he’s being told to do it by those with authority and therefore it makes him feel conflicted. Plus, there is always the severe threat of punishment if he refuses to comply. This story really makes the reader think about society and the things people do to be successful and fit in. Highly Recommended.

Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Published April 15, 2020 Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

306 p.

This story alternates between “then” and “now” and tells the story of how “Jane Anonymous” was abducted, held captive for seven months, and then returned to her family.  Jane was taken from her place of work very suddenly one day and although she was able to call her mother from the abductor’s car, they were unable to find her before she was taken away.  Jane finds herself in a tiny room that is filled with her favorite snacks, clothing, and toiletries.  She is told to perform certain tasks in order to earn gold stars that will get her rewards that she would like, such as books.  At first, she refuses to do anything, including shower, and is punished for her behavior.  It’s only when she begins speaking to someone through the wall that she learns her captor has others in this place and the best way to survive is to follow the rules.  She begins looking forward to hearing the voice of the teenage boy being held captive down the hall from her whenever he can sneak away through the vents to visit.  When she manages to find a way to escape she is unable to find anyone else to release before she has to flee.  She feels immense guilt as she returns to her very grateful family knowing that she left others behind.  As details of her captor are revealed, however, it becomes obvious that there was a lot she didn’t know about her situation.  Can she trust the police’s version even if it’s difference from the one in her own mind?

This powerful story tells how a teenage girl could be stalked and abducted without anyone being able to do anything about it.  In the end, she rescues herself and then must deal with the aftermath of returning to her home.  She has many strong people around her who want to help her adjust back to her life, but she isn’t sure she can after what happened to her.  Recommended for fans who like intense stories such as Pretend She’s Here or Ruthless.

The Leaving by Tara Altebrando

Published November 2, 2017 Mystery , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

# of Pages:  421

On their very first day of school, six kindergartners are mysteriously abducted from school and do not surface for eleven years when they are all mysteriously dropped off with no memories and only their parents’ addresses clutched in their hands.  One of the original six, Max, does not return with the others and the realization that he hasn’t returned breaks his family even more.  His sister, Avery, decides to start investigating on her own to see if she can find out where Max is.  The others, meanwhile are struggling as well.  Scarlet comes home to a mother who has become obsessed with the idea that aliens stole her daughter and Caleb comes home in time to witness a tragedy.  They have been told repeatedly that it’s probably a good thing they can’t remember the last eleven years and the horrors they witnessed, but most of them still want to know where they have been especially since they are exhibiting knowledge in certain areas and they don’t know why.  They have missed most of their childhood and they each need to figure out how they fit into their own lives again.  Will they ever learn the truth behind their disappearance?  Where is Max?

Mystery readers will love this book because it is engaging, but also believable with many unusual facts they need to put together in order to get a general idea for what happened to them.  They know they may never know everything, but even learning the person responsible would be helpful when trying to move on.  The characters are all developed so that the reader can understand their feelings and motivations, while also understanding how hard it would be to go through something like this.  The ending is also very satisfying while not being too tidy or predictable.  Recommended.

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