A Psalm for Lost Girls

Parents need to know that A Psalm for Lost Girls, Katie Bayerl's debut novel, is about a 17-year-old girl who's suddenly venerated as a saint even before her untimely death -- and how she and her left-behind loved ones cope with everything from crushing, anxiety-inducing pressure to perform "miracles" to long-buried family secrets. The story's steeped in Catholic practices and Portuguese culture in a present-day Massachusetts fishing town. Faith, miracles, and the need to believe are strong themes -- and so is the quest of younger sister Callie and secret boyfriend Danny to set the record straight about the flesh-and-blood girl they loved, who was a lot more complicated than a plaster saint. There's strong language in English and Spanish, and while some characters are in sexual relationships, there's no explicit description.  A child is kidnapped; an adult fatally struck by a car; a child in the past beaten to death by abusive parents. Plenty of positive messages and hard-won wisdom about friendship, courage, family, kindness -- and cutting other people slack.