The New York Times bestselling story of a friendship frozen between life and death
Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in fragile bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the thinnest. But then Cassie suffers the ultimate loss—her life—and Lia is left behind, haunted by her friend's memory and racked with guilt for not being able to help save her. In her most powerfully moving novel since Speak, award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia's struggle, her painful path to recovery, and her desperate attempts to hold on to the most important thing of all: hope.
Laurie Halse Anderson has received both the Margaret Edwards Award and the ALAN Award for her contributions to young adult literature. She has also been honored by the National Coalition Against Censorship in recognition of her fight to combat the censoring of literature. She is the author of the groundbreaking National Book Award finalist and Printz Honor Book Speak. She is also author of the critically acclaimed YA books Prom, Twitsted, Catalyst, Wintergirls, and The Impossible Knife of Memory. She has also authored a number of middle grade titles including The Vet Volunteers series, and the historical fiction Seeds of America Trilogy, which includes Forge, ALA Best Book for Young Adults Fever 1793, and the National Book Award finalist and Scott O’Dell Award-winner Chains. She and her husband live in northern New York State. Follow Laurie on Twitter @halseanderson and visit her at madwomanin theforest.com.
This post originally ran on B&N Reads. The subjects of combat ethics, PTSD, and sexual identity in the military might seem like exceptionally heavy ones for young adult literature…until you remember that enlistment begins squarely in the age range of YA’s target audience. Regardless, these books will resonate with readers of all ages who’ve been […]
Welcome back to another edition of YAs That Get it Right, in which pros weigh in on YA books they think nailed an aspect of the human experience. Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, I asked some of my favorite authors of mental health YA, as well as (and including) authors who are also […]
Issues of mental health are tricky enough to understand in life; to capture them well in literature can be nearly impossible. It’s far too easy to get caught up in stereotypes, misinformation, and stigmatization. But when a book does get it right, it can be a literal lifesaver. Literature with teen protagonists suffering from mental […]
The subjects of combat ethics, PTSD, and sexual identity in the military might seem like exceptionally heavy ones for young adult literature…until you remember that enlistment begins squarely in the age range of YA’s target audience. Regardless, these books will resonate with readers of all ages who’ve been touched by PTSD, military families/communities, “Don’t Ask, […]
Laurie Halse Anderson is the best-selling author of young adult novels including Speak, Wintergirls, and, most recently, The Impossible Knife of Memory, out this week. Based on Anderson’s own experience as the daughter of a WWII soldier, The Impossible Knife of Memory traces the struggle of an itinerant father-daughter pair whose constant relocations can’t help them […]
