Happy Child

This unique and heartening YA novel by Sky Barrozo is about a young teen who starts writing a journal about her day-to-day life as a way to cope with the trauma she experiences. She keeps up with the journal for six years, dealing with death, trauma, mental illnesses, and more, and throughout that time she discovers a lot about herself through her writing. In the end she lets go of her trauma. Not entirely, but she has weathered enough to realize she doesn’t need the journal anymore to get through her day, and she is ready to heal. The poetic story is a little sad but warm at the same time, with the main character very relatable, and will encourage both teen and adult readers to think back on their lives.