Pixley, Marcella. Without Tess.

Pixley, Marcella.  Without Tess.    Farrar Strauss see Macmillan Children's Pub Group,  2011.  277p.  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-374-36174-7  hs     E-BN  Realistic Fiction    

     This is a heart-wrenching novel about how a family copes with the mental illness of a child, and with her death by suicide.  It is a beautifully rendered YA story that deals with the topic of pediatric mental illness and suicide, two subjects that are still taboo in most American communities.  The author portrays the family with hope and anguish, through the eyes of Lizzie Cohen, the sister of Tess who views herself and the world as “magical”.  We follow the girls as they age and come to recognize the realities of Tess’ mental health, and we see how the family survives. This is just a beautifully written novel.         

Lynn Fisher