Tag: Trauma

Book Review

The Hidden Girl

TheShelfLife

The Hidden Girl by Louise Bassett

Publication Date: October 2025 |Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: A surface level but tactful look into human trafficking with emotional characters.

3/5 Stars

Book Summary: Melati has had her share of teenage struggles, including a bully who just can’t seem to stop targeting her. When she finds a diary written in Indonesian, she starts to learn the story of a girl named Devi. While Mel is on a school trip to Indonesia, she continues to translate the diary with the help of a boy named Michael. She learns that Devi is stuck in a tragic situation, and has been trafficked. Hidden in the written words is a cry for help that Mel can’t ignore. She begins to track down Devi and uncover what has happened to her.

My Analysis:

I decided to read this one to see how sensitively the topic of human trafficking (trigger warning!) was depicted. I do think the author was successful and tactful in addressing this tough topic, how impactful and emotional it is, but also without going into extreme detail of Devi’s encounters. It did feel to me for the first 70% of the book that it was two separate stories that she was trying to mesh together, it just didn’t really flesh out till the end. I am also not very confident the author has spent much time around teenagers as the way they spoke and their actions towards each other were overly immature. Even if a character had some immature qualities in their growth, this was every single teen character. Again though, the emotion of both Devi and Mel’s characters were well done, and readers can see a glimpse into their individual experiences. It should be noted that this is set in Australia and features a trip to Indonesia. I enjoyed reading about some of the cultural aspects of Mel’s time in Indonesia. Overall if you’re looking for a book that discusses trafficking at a pretty surface level but also provides emotional characters then this one would work for you.

Book Review

The Wilderness of Girls

TheShelfLife

The Wilderness of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin

Narrated by Rebecca Soler

Publication Date: June 2024 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC | Audiobook Version

Overall Verdict: If you’re willing to put up with the very slow pace, this is an original concept that discusses some heavy topics.

3/5 Stars

4/5 Stars for Narration

Book Summary: Eden is placed with her estranged uncle after her father ends up in jail and her step mother runs off. Wanting to start fresh, she dawns a new name as Rhi, and tries to find some happiness in Happy Valley. While working for her uncle at a nature preserve, Rhi stumbles upon a group of girls who appear to have lived in the wilderness for quite some time. While trying to help them, the girls are forced into a world they have never known. They tell Rhi that they have been living with a man named Mother and that they are princesses from another land. Grappling with her own past and present, Rhi balances figuring out herself and the unique bond that she has established with the girls.

My Analysis: This is an original idea and an ambitious one. The story starts off strong, then slows down dramatically before picking up again at the tail end. Honestly a good quarter of the book couple probably have been cut out. If you’re willing to put up with such a slow pace and some ambiguity, it is an interesting read. It is important to note there are some trigger warnings including sexual abuse, suicide and cannibalism. Given those incidents, this is probably suited for older YA readers. The themes, although heavy, are very well portrayed. The characters and their relationships as sisters, friends and more is the cornerstone of this book. I really liked all the characters equally too, there wasn’t one that stood out among the others in terms of keeping my interest. Readers will grapple with fantasy vs reality with one, and a lot is left up to interpretation. This novel isn’t for everyone, but those who really buy into the parallels it presents will find value in the stories told.

Book Review

Grief in The Fourth Dimension

TheShelfLife

Grief in the Fourth Dimension by Jennifer Yu

Publication Date: July 2024 |Thanks Netgalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: Speculative fiction that dives deep into grief and the process of healing from a loved ones death.

3/5 Stars

Book Summary: After their deaths, Kenny and Caroline find themselves together in a mysterious white room. They come to realize that they are able to view their families and friends as they work through the process of grieving their losses. In addition, there are small ways in which Kenny and Caroline can influence the events that are currently happening to others back home. As the two connect further in the room, they realize their connection to one another and their deaths extended beyond coincidence.

My Analysis: The uniqueness of this plot made me want to pick this one up instantly. There are a lot of heavy themes within this one- content warnings for discussions of death and suicide. Yu does a nice job of making the topics of death and grief and their impact very accessible. If it weren’t for the depth of the topics, I would almost say this reads a little younger. The characters are interesting and I liked the connections that were made both in and out of the white room. The depictions of Kenny’s family restaurant were my favorite scenes. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I’ll just say that I’m not entirely on board with how things wrapped up for this one. I get where the author was coming from in how she had some characters react to certain situations, but I’m not sure if I totally agreed with some of it morally. That though is definitely something that could be subjective, based on the opinions of the reader. I was also able to figure out one of the bigger twists early on (which was a good one but I wish I hadn’t seen it coming) and another which I had not and was interestingly revealed. If you’re into speculative fiction and want an introspective look into grief, give this one a try.

Book Review

Girls Like Her

TheShelfLife

Girls Like Her by Melanie Sumrow

Publication Date: June 2024 |Thanks Netgalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: Heart wrenching story of a young girl on trial for murder, and the trauma she has faced from childhood. Excellent representation of this topic.

4/5 Stars

Book Summary: Fifteen year old Ruby Monroe is on trial for murder. She has no one who she can count on her entire life, until she meets her court appointed social worker Cadence. With her trial drawing nearer and life in prison on the line, Cadence must work with Ruby to determine exactly what happened the day a rich philanthropist died. Ruby’s past has been one challenge after another, and she must work to convince a jury that this trauma has impacted her and make them hear her truth.

My Analysis: I started reading this one expecting a mystery/thriller but what I got was more realistic fiction. Not to say that is a bad thing, it just wasn’t what I anticipated based on the synopsis. I also actually thought this was the authors debut book based on her writing, but it is not. Not to say the writing was bad! But I would have expected a little more from a seasoned author. I really liked the fact that the author was a lawyer in the Texas court however and drew this character together based on her experiences. She has a nice authors note in the beginning which explains this, as well as the fact that this book does contain mention of trauma and some trigger warnings for readers. This novel was a combination of court transcripts, letters and narrative, which I thought was a great way to present Ruby’s story. I did find the narrative a little repetitive though, until things really picked up toward the end. This was a heart wrenching story and I think it is a needed representation of the girls like Ruby who find themselves in a cycle of trauma and can’t navigate their way out alone.

Book Review

All That’s Left to Say

TheShelfLife

All That’s Left to Say by Emery Lord

Publication Date: July 2023 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: A powerful look into the impact of opioid addition with well-developed characters. A slow pace, but well worth the read.

4/5 Stars

Book Summary: Hannah is lost in the grief of her cousin, who died unexpectedly of an overdose. No one close to Sophie knew she was using, and Hannah is determined to find an explanation for her death. Enrolling at her cousins private school, Hannah uncovers secrets while keeping many of her own. Along the way, she ends up teaming with Sophie’s friends and her long time enemy.

My Analysis: I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure at first as it went at a bit of a slow pace, but I do ultimately think that is was necessary for the author to get the depth of character development that she was able to accomplish. This story shares an important topic about opioid addition and the fallout for everyone involved with those using. The author handles the topic very well, and gives insight into the impact of family and friends of those who have overdosed. There is also a dual-time line with past events and present events intertwined. I thought this was helpful to the overall story and keeps the reader guessing, but as the time lines came closer together I did find myself having to double check which I was currently reading through. Overall, definitely recommended to any fans of realistic fiction.