TEXT II

Tiger Eyes

15-year-old Davey Wexler loses her father to a shooting

death at the scene of the family’s 7-11 convenience store in

Atlantic City. Understandably devastated, she begins

suffering from panic attacks and disordered eating. Her

mother Gwen opts to whisk the family away for a change of

scenery, and they go to the small town of Los Alamos, New

Mexico for an extended trip.

Davey spends time alone in Los Alamos, exploring the locale

on her bicycle, hiking, and hanging out by a canyon where

she encounters a boy named Wolf. Wolf passes comment on

Davey’s palpable sadness, but she finds herself unable to

share the story of her father’s passing with him.

Through becoming a candy striper volunteer at a nearby

hospital, and attending counselling sessions with Gwen,

Davey gains the strength to face up to her traumatic loss. Her

sojourn in the small town will end up creating multiple healing

experiences, including the ceremonial burying of the bloodied

clothing she was wearing on the night of her father’s murder.

Available on: https://electricliterature.com/7-books-about-coming-of-age-in-a-small-town/. Accessed on: December 17 th 20