Lessons from a Dead Girl

Laine hated her, and wished many times that Leah would die and leave her alone. She didn't understand Leah, or why Leah chose her to be her best friend all those years ago. She didn't understand the things that Leah did to her in the doll closet, or why Leah would torment her with that knowledge and the shame that Laine felt. As they grew older, she didn't understand the problems that Leah faced, or the impact that they had on her behavior. As their English teacher told them once, you only hate what you don't understand. Now that Leah Greene has died, Laine forces herself to try to understand Leah, and the things that Leah taught her about friendship and secrets. Friends are forever, Leah told her. Permanent just like the ink that Leah used to stake her claim on Laine's hand back when they were young. Laine must now face the impact of what "forever" really means, and how it has affected her own aspects of the world. Jo Knowles has penned a stunning book that takes an introspective look at the scars of childhood abuse at the hands of a child's peers. Laine's experiences will have a profound impact on anyone who has ever wondered about the dynamics of child sociology, and how the damaging effects of abuse resonate from the original victims. For the mature young adult. Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

Jo Knowles' gripping debut zeros in on a painful childhood friendship. I love the complexity of Lainey's relationship with pretty and abusive Leah and the confused emotions it brings out in her. The characters are nicely balanced. Even though there is a clear victim and a definite villain, they never seem stock. The story feels very real, partly because of this zeroed in effect, and the natural motivations for actions. I also like how even though Lainey is the "weaker" character, she has a strong voice that stays with you. Count me among what can only be Knowles growing fan base.

With every turn of the page, Jo Knowles twists the knife yet again. Lessons From a Dead Girl was one of those books that spirals down, down, down, but still you have to read on. The relationship between Leah and Laine reminds us that there is very little black or white--that things are mostly shades of grey. And that we can sometimes find light in the darkest of places. It's rare for a book like this to grab me so forcefully, yet Knowles does it here. I highly recommend this novel and am looking forward to her next!

The title suggests this novel won't be a happy-happy read, and the partly closed door on the cover suggests we might want to enter carefully, but who can resist? And once inside this book, the pages turn as fast as that old wooden door. Lessons from a Dead Girl deals with a variety of friendships, but the one at the center, between Laine and Leah, is one complicated by issues of power. Knowles bravely shows the hazards of control and submission played out by some little girls, and how those patterns can haunt their years as teens. She shows the courage it takes to try to break the patterns and the inevitable set backs as one girl grows into knowing herself better, and another stumbles. The writing is pared to what's beautifully necessary. Not one word feels out of place. This novel made me cringe and cry a bit, but also exult. I'll never, ever forget it.

Laine is an ordinary teenager with a gut-wrenching secret that haunts her from the very first page of LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL and haunts readers long after the last page is turned. The "dead girl" in the title is Laine's friend Leah -- a friend who steals away Laine's childhood through an abusive relationship that escalates so painfully that you want desperately to step into the book and shout, "NO!" This book is definitely an older YA -- one I'd recommend for high school rather than middle school readers. It made me feel anxious and uncomfortable, but it also made me reflect on the nature of friendship and kids -- why some of our kids' friendships can become so frighteningly destructive, and why they don't turn away. What makes this book remarkable is the way is portrays the fear, guilt, and confusion of abuse, without completely demonizing the antagonist. At the end of this gut-wrenching story, there remains room for forgiveness and for hope. LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL has a rare gift of being a compelling page-turner and an important novel all at once -- a book that teens will tear through in a sitting or two and then think about for years.