Story of a Girl (by Sara Zarr)

When she was 13, Deanna had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old boy, Tommy, which was ended by her father who caught them in the act. Now it's the summer between her sophomore and junior years, and she is still dealing with the repercussions: Her father can't look at her and seems to hate her, and Tommy's stories have made most of the high schoolers in her small town think she is nothing but a slut.

Hoping to make enough money to move out, Deanna takes a job at a local pizza place, even though Tommy works there too. Meanwhile she is dealing with her brother, who has become a teen father; his girlfriend, who takes off, leaving them with the baby; and her changing feelings about her only two remaining friends.

The feelings and motivations of all of the characters, but especially of Deanna, are subtle and complex here in a way that most young adult novels aren't. For instance, Deanna is repelled by Tommy, angry at him, contemptuous, a bit frightened, and yet still attracted to him. Tommy himself is a lout, but not evil, and with complex feelings of his own. Every character and every relationship gives the reader much to recognize and think about.

The theme of forgiveness is similarly subtle and complex here -- this is not an author to hit the reader over the head with The Point. Forgiveness is something all the characters confront in one way or another, and those who can manage it do it for themselves more than for others. It becomes an act of survival, not sainthood.