A Survivor's Story

Scars

I’m the one who wants to run screaming from my own head.

Author: Cheryl Rainfield
Publisher: WestSide Books
Date: 2010

Kendra is defined by her secrets – one: the identity of the person who sexually abused her as a child, and two: the fact that she cuts herself to cope with the trauma of her past. A deeply emotional book dealing with complex themes, Scars mixes psychological drama with mystery. Semi-autobiographical with a realistic portrayal of therapy, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the compulsive, destructive nature of self-injury, Scars is a harrowing read with a handful of supportive characters to give light and hope.

Recommended for: 18+ years

If you like this book, try: Willow by Julia Hoban

Image Source: LibraryThing
Source: FictonConnection

Grief After a Suicide

Hold Still

Maybe there is no right thing to say. Maybe the right thing is just a myth, not really out there at all.

Author: Nina LaCour
Publisher: Dutton Books
Date: 2009

Caitlin’s best friend Ingrid is dead. She committed suicide, and now Caitlin has to work out who she is without her best friend, and how to keep going. She finds the journal Ingrid’s left for her and reads it one entry at a time, trying to hold on to her friend and understand why she chose suicide. Both voices come through strongly, their pain and love giving the novel a raw emotional tone as it follows one girl to her grave and the other back into life. A poignant story of grief and hope.

Recommended for: 15-20 years

If you like this book, try: 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Image Source: LibraryThing
Source: NoveList