The Beginner's Guide to Living by Lia Hills 221 pages

Purely by chance I sometimes read books written about the same theme. Just last week, I read the moving young chapter book A Monster Calls about a young boy worrying about the imminent death of his cancer-ridden mother. This is about an older boy (17), who is struggling to find acceptance after his mother's sudden accidental death. In the "monster" book, the boy and his mother lived by themselves; in this book he has a brother and a father, but a very special tie with his mother. He tries to find answers by studying philosophers teachings. He meets a beautiful girl at his mother's wake. He feels guilty at having these feelings of lust/love. By the end of the book he is able to communicate with his father, brother and girl friend. A bit sophisticated, a lot of subtle nuances make for thoughtful reading.