Girlhearts succeeds by portraying the messy, unfiltered reality of adolescent grief through a fiercely independent protagonist who resists adult control. This story finds beauty in unconventional support systems and the resilience required to build a found family. Books in this family share a commitment to emotional honesty, featuring young characters navigating life-altering transitions with grit and autonomy.
Reach for this book when your teenager is processing the sudden loss of a parent or is struggling with the feeling that adults are trying to manage their grief for them. This moving story follows thirteen year old Sarabeth Silver, whose world is shattered when her mother dies unexpectedly. It captures the authentic, often messy reality of mourning while dealing with well meaning but overbearing relatives. While the subject matter is heavy, the book is written with a gentle humor and a deep respect for a teenager's autonomy. It is an ideal choice for middle schoolers needing to see their own complicated feelings of loneliness, anger, and resilience reflected on the page. Parents will appreciate how it validates that there is no right way to grieve.
