LOST FOR WORDS

Unable to deal with the tragedy that killed her sister, Emily, Sophie retreats into herself, refusing to talk about her grief. Her mother, drowning in her own pain, is unable to help Sophie heal. Sophie tries to navigate the confusing drama of high school while suffering through flashbacks, irrational emotional outbursts and panic attacks. Her therapist encourages her to write about her memories in a journal, which forms the narrative, but it is her new friend, Rosa-Leigh, who introduces her to the world of poetry. Through her poems and her frank discussions with her new friend, Sophie is able to start healing. British-born Kuipers takes the 2005 bombing in the London Tube as her springboard and artfully manages to make Sophie’s tale achingly real and yet still hopeful. Her distinct, first-person voice and quirky details shine through the dark tragedy, giving familiar themes a fresh take. More than just a story of one girl, this is a look at a family trying to rebuild after their lives have been literally blown apart. (Fiction. 14 & up)