Chelsey: My True Story of Murder, Loss, and Starting Over

Chelsey is used to loss.  She lost her mother when she was six years old.  But she still had her father.  Their relationship is strong and loving though he travels a lot on  business.  Then the unthinkable happens.  One night, a week before her fourteenth birthday, her father is murdered in a botched robbery.  Chelsey feels her life coming apart.  She struggles to come to terms with this tragedy while dealing with a new home life, a new school, and a new identity.
 

This is a new non-fiction series written by teens for teens.  I especially enjoyed reading Chelseys story as my own nephew lost his mother--my younger sister Colette--to gun violence.  He was nine when this happened and struggled too.  But unlike Chelsey, he didn't speak of the tragedy.  I really like that Chelsey shows through poetry her own road to recovery.  Once her anchor in her life is gone, Chelsey has to figure out such things as just making sense of what her reality is. She has some serious things to deal with, one that also includes her biracial background. Her search for her own faith is also something I know other teens will relate with.  When she decides that she doesn't believe in traditional religion, she searches for what she feels comfortable with and comes to terms with that.  Finally, this isnt a sad tale but one of recovery on beating the odds. 

There are two other books in the series: Emily, a teen who deals with West Nile virus during her senior year and Marni, a teen who suffers from plucking her eyebrows and hair out (trichotillomania).  Each book is a fast paced read.  At the end of the books are book club questions.  I recommend these books for those who want to read real issues by teens.