If you like books that deal with hardship and neglect growing up, The Glass Castle is a great book. The author of the book Jeannette Walls relives her past memories growing up in a broken household. It starts off with her first memory when she was 3 years old cooking hotdogs alone and suffers severe burns. That is just the beginning of Jeannettes abusive life as she was continuously neglected and has a hard time growing up.

The novel The Glass Castle written by Jeannette Walls surrounds the idea and theme of family and poverty. Though Jeannette and her family are not the most fortunate according to their lack of food and heat, Jeannette finds a way to seek comfort in her siblings considering she can not depend on her parents. This novel is not recommended to those who take offence in explicit language and topics of sex, but is a moving tale of unconditional love.

Mias worst fear came to life as she had to choose between life or death. If I stay is written in first person from the point of view of Mias mind who lies unconscious in a hospital bed after being in a car accident, instantly killing both her parents and her younger brother teddy. The motif of switching being present and past reflects Mias main conflict: she can live with the pain of the present or stay in the past by joining her family in death.

The lonely hearts hotel by Heather O‘Neill is based in an orphanage where two gifted orphans fall deeply in love with each other. They will go to extreme lengths to make their wishes come true. I really enjoyed this book because it shows how friendship, love, art and music can save us from ourselves. Sexual abuse, drugs, pain and suffering occurred several times in the book which can make it a not easy read for some readers.