Hothouse by Chris Lynch

Hothouse by Chris Lynch is about Russ, a high school student who has just suffered a terrible loss: his father, and the father of his best friend DJ, have died fighting a fire. The entire small town is celebrating these two men as heroes, which trickles down to the two boys. It's almost as if they are celebrities. That is, until some terrible news comes out of the investigator's report about the fire. Suddenly, Russ and DJ not only have to deal with the loss of their fathers and their own heroes, but also the wrath of the town who only days before had celebrated their existence.

This was a very interesting and sad story. I really liked the way the author showed how much people want to believe in heroes, but also how quick they are to tear them down. The story stayed very true to life, rather than true to traditional "happily ever after", feel-good fiction. This book is for more mature readers due to language and some content.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is about the tragic murder of Suzie Salmon, a 14 year old girl. It is told from the perspective of Suzie, through her memories of her family, through her experiences in life, and her reality in heaven. Suzie was survived by her mother, father, 13 year old sister, and 4 year old brother. Each of them deals with her death in their own way. Her father, trying desperately to pin the blame on their neighbor, Mr. Harvey. Her mother, who eventually has to leave the family to escape. Her sister, Lindsey, who tries to distance herself from her own last name and works to solve the mystery of her sister's life and death. And, Buckley, the 4 year old who just wants to move on while keeping Suzie's memory safe. Mr. Harvey, who in fact did kill Suzie in a most brutal way, trying to maintain his innocence while living 2 houses down from the Salmons. Suzie watches from her own version of heaven, seeing her family and friends grow without her. She knows an old acquaintance, Ruth, can feel her presence, but doesn't know how to reach out to her family to help them solve the crime.

This was a very good book. It took a very realistic look at an incredibly tragic event, following the path from the time of the murder through Suzie's eventual "letting go" of earth - years and years later. It makes me wonder (even hope?) if any of my loved ones are so closely with me in my day to day activities. This book is definitely for a more mature reader due to violence and language.

Green Angel by Alice Hoffman

Green Angel by Alice Hoffman is about Green, a 15 year old girl whose family was killed by a terrible fire that raged through the nearby town where they had gone to sell their vegetables. Green finds herself living alone, trying to survive her guilt over being the only survivor in her family, trying to fend off looters, and dealing with her grief at the loss of her sister.

I really liked this book. It was short and a quick read, but one that was extraordinarily through provoking. It reminded me a little bit of The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It was easy to understand the changes Green went through during her experiences after losing her family.