Stronger Than You Know

Gr 9 Up—Joy is a 15-year-old who has been removed from her mother's care and placed in the home of her aunt and uncle after suffering years of abuse and neglect by her mother and her mother's "friends." The novel flashes back to Joy's terrible moments of imprisonment in her mother's trailer, but the story's strength lies in the protagonist's recovery process and how she learns to trust and become part of a family. The teen's phobias and difficulties are depicted with honesty and sympathy, and readers will struggle along with her as she begins to interact with her new family and her peers. While the subject matter is tough, this realistic title will draw teens in with its believable characters, including the well-written portrayal of the adult protagonists. A go-to work for fans of realistic fiction about teens who have survived severe abuse: physical, sexual, and emotional.—Sarah Wilsman, Kent Free Library, Kent, OH