About This Book
Reach for this book when your teenager is processing a profound or world-altering loss and seems to be retreating into a shell of numbness or self-alteration. Green Angel is a lyrical, atmospheric exploration of a fifteen-year-old girl named Green who must find her way back to herself after her family is lost in a sudden, catastrophic event. Through the metaphors of gardening and ink, Alice Hoffman explores the visceral stages of grief: the initial hardening of the heart, the loss of identity, and the slow, fragile rebirth of hope. This is a secular, highly poetic story that offers a safe space for teens to explore deep sadness without being overwhelmed by graphic details. It is best suited for mature middle schoolers and high schoolers who appreciate magical realism and introspective storytelling. Parents might choose this to open a door for conversations about how we protect ourselves when we are hurting and how we eventually let the world back in.
