Lessons from a Dead Girl [Hardcover]

Jo Knowles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2007

An unflinching story of a troubled friendship — and one girl’s struggle to come to terms with secrets and shame and find her own power to heal.

Leah Greene is dead. For Laine, knowing what really happened and the awful feeling that she is, in some way, responsible set her on a journey of painful self-discovery. Yes, she wished for this. She hated Leah that much. Hated her for all the times in the closet, when Leah made her do those things. They were just practicing, Leah said. But why did Leah choose her? Was she special, or just easy to control? And why didn’t Laine make it stop sooner? In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laine is left to explore the devastating lessons Leah taught her, find some meaning in them, and decide whether she can forgive Leah and, ultimately, herself.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Knowles does a credible job of exploring friendships, particularly those of girls, in all their complexity and depth." -- Teenreads.com, November 2007

"The concise, clear style of this short novel belies the sophistication of its subject matter... [Knowles'] characterizations are sharp and nuanced, and she handles Leah, Laine, and the complex dynamic between them with respect and insight." -- School Library Journal, December 2007

"[Readers will] be riveted by this haunting story of a girl's journey to understanding." -- Booklist, December 1, 2007

Spare and evocative prose weaves the story of Leah and Lainey's turbulent and abusive friendship. Fast friends from a young age, Leah is outgoing, "smart, so the teachers love her and . . . beautiful so the boys love her," while Lainey is plain and introspective. During the younger years of their friendship, Leah is sexually abusive to Lainey, claiming that the two are "practicing." As the girls grow older, Lainey pulls away from Leah, confused and hurt by Leah's opprobrious behavior. Lainey falls in with new friends, while Leah becomes self-destructive. Over time, Lainey comes to understand the roots of Leah's odd behavior, but by the time she comes to fully grasp it, it's too late. Clearly and concisely written, Knowles's provoking exploration of children abusing children portrays the tense and finely crafted dynamics between the two girls. Lainey's character is extremely well-developed showing her metamorphosis from hypercritical and withdrawn to self-realized with a focused and knowing clarity. A razor-sharp examination of friendship, abuse and secrets. (Fiction. YA) -- Kirkus, October 1, 2007

About the Author

Jo Knowles is the author of the young adult novels Lessons from a Dead Girl, Jumping Off Swings, Pearl, and See You At Harry's. She has a master's degree in children's literature. Some of her awards include the PEN New England Children's Book Discovery Award, YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults, YALSA Quick Picks Top Ten, YALSA's Popular Paperbacks, International Reading Associations Young Adult Choices List, Tayshas List, and Bank Street College's Best Books for Children (Outstanding Merit). Jo lives in Vermont with her husband and son.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (October 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763632791
• ISBN-13: 978-0763632793
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #817,404 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking and Hopeful..., November 7, 2007

By 

L. K. Messner "Kate Messner" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lessons from a Dead Girl (Hardcover)

Laine is an ordinary teenager with a gut-wrenching secret that haunts her from the very first page of LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL and haunts readers long after the last page is turned. The "dead girl" in the title is Laine's friend Leah -- a friend who steals away Laine's childhood through an abusive relationship that escalates so painfully that you want desperately to step into the book and shout, "NO!"

This book is definitely an older YA -- one I'd recommend for high school rather than middle school readers. It made me feel anxious and uncomfortable, but it also made me reflect on the nature of friendship and kids -- why some of our kids' friendships can become so frighteningly destructive, and why they don't turn away.

What makes this book remarkable is the way is portrays the fear, guilt, and confusion of abuse, without completely demonizing the antagonist. At the end of this gut-wrenching story, there remains room for forgiveness and for hope. LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL has a rare gift of being a compelling page-turner and an important novel all at once -- a book that teens will tear through in a sitting or two and then think about for years.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Turn, Twist, Turn, Twist, Turn, Twist..., January 22, 2008

By 

Eric Luper "author" (Albany, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lessons from a Dead Girl (Hardcover)

With every turn of the page, Jo Knowles twists the knife yet again. Lessons From a Dead Girl was one of those books that spirals down, down, down, but still you have to read on. The relationship between Leah and Laine reminds us that there is very little black or white--that things are mostly shades of grey. And that we can sometimes find light in the darkest of places. It's rare for a book like this to grab me so forcefully, yet Knowles does it here. I highly recommend this novel and am looking forward to her next!

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Daring to Open Doors, December 9, 2007

By 

Jeannine Atkins - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lessons from a Dead Girl (Hardcover)

The title suggests this novel won't be a happy-happy read, and the partly closed door on the cover suggests we might want to enter carefully, but who can resist? And once inside this book, the pages turn as fast as that old wooden door. Lessons from a Dead Girl deals with a variety of friendships, but the one at the center, between Laine and Leah, is one complicated by issues of power. Knowles bravely shows the hazards of control and submission played out by some little girls, and how those patterns can haunt their years as teens. She shows the courage it takes to try to break the patterns and the inevitable set backs as one girl grows into knowing herself better, and another stumbles. The writing is pared to what's beautifully necessary. Not one word feels out of place. This novel made me cringe and cry a bit, but also exult. I'll never, ever forget it.