Green Angel

"Green Angel" is a powerful young adult novel by Alice Hoffman that explores the profound impact of loss and the arduous journey of healing. Fifteen-year-old Green loses her entire family in a catastrophic city-wide fire, leaving her isolated and consumed by grief. She renames herself Ash, cuts her hair, and covers her body with symbolic tattoos as a way to cope with her pain and erase her past. The story follows her retreat into her ruined garden, where, through a series of mysterious encounters with a ghostly dog, a silent boy named Diamond, and a kind old neighbor, she slowly begins to process her trauma. This book is ideal for mature young readers (12-17) who are ready to engage with themes of grief, resilience, and self-discovery, offering a hopeful message about finding strength and connection after immense tragedy. Parents should be aware of the intense emotional content and the protagonist's self-tattooing as a coping mechanism.