Just Now I Feel Angry

A parent would reach for this book when their teenager is experiencing the profound, soul-crushing weight of a first major breakup or the sudden loss of a central support system. While it is set within a world of vampires and werewolves, the core of the story is a deeply realistic portrayal of adolescent depression and the slow, messy process of emotional recovery. Parents will find it a useful tool for normalizing the intense grief that can follow a separation, as well as the complicated feelings of guilt that arise when a new friendship starts to provide healing. Appropriate for ages 12 and up, the novel uses supernatural metaphors to explore very human experiences of abandonment, risk-taking as a coping mechanism, and the search for identity when a partner leaves. It is an excellent choice for opening a conversation about the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships, and how to find one's footing when the person you relied on most is suddenly gone. It validates the teenager's pain without dismissing it as 'just a phase.'