Shark Girl

"Shark Girl" is a compelling young adult novel in verse that delves into the profound emotional and physical journey of fifteen-year-old Jane Arrowood. After a devastating shark attack results in the loss of her arm, Jane grapples with intense questions of identity, self-worth, and how she will navigate a world that now sees her differently. The book uses a unique and accessible format of poems, letters, and other documents to portray her raw feelings of grief, anger, and anxiety, alongside her gradual path towards acceptance and resilience. It's a powerful story for ages 12 and up, offering deep insights into coping with trauma and finding strength within oneself.

A teenager struggles through physical loss to the start of acceptance in an absorbing, artful novel at once honest and insightful, wrenching and redemptive. (Age 12 and up) On a sunny day in June, at the beach with her mom and brother, fifteen-year-old Jane Arrowood went for a swim. And then everything -- absolutely everything -- changed. Now she’s counting down the days until she returns to school with her fake arm, where she knows kids will whisper, "That’s her -- that’s Shark Girl," as she passes. In the meantime there are only questions: Why did this happen? Why her? What about her art? What about her life? In this striking first novel, Kelly Bingham uses poems, letters, telephone conversations, and newspaper clippings to look unflinchingly at what it’s like to lose part of yourself - and to summon the courage it takes to find yourself again.