What We Lost

Reach for this book when your teen is navigating the lonely territory of a crisis that feels both public and private. While the plot involves a local disappearance, the story is truly a gateway for discussing family instability, the burden of being a 'perfect' child, and what happens when your parents are unable to show up for you during a hard time. Samara's father is a pastor and her mother is struggling with addiction, creating a heavy atmosphere that validates a teen's feelings of being overlooked. It is a quiet, thoughtful exploration of faith and disillusionment for readers aged 12 and up. You might choose it to help a child articulate the sense of loss that comes even when a death has not occurred, but when family life has fundamentally changed.