How to Make Friends With the Dark

Tiger Tolliver, a sixteen-year-old girl, lives alone with her mother June in Colorado. After an argument with her mother ends in tragedy, Tiger must navigate a world that feels impossibly dark and empty. Tiger enters the foster care system and moves between temporary homes while processing her grief. She encounters other teens dealing with their own struggles and losses, forming unexpected connections despite her pain. The story follows Tiger's journey through the immediate aftermath of loss and her attempts to rebuild her life and sense of self. Her relationships with friends, social workers, and potential foster families push her to confront difficult truths about love, family, and survival. This raw exploration of grief examines how teenagers cope with profound loss and find their way back to hope. The novel speaks to the resilience of young people and the different shapes that family can take.

Readers report that this YA novel captures raw grief and loss through emotionally intense writing. Multiple reviewers describe crying while reading and feeling deeply connected to Tiger's experiences with sudden bereavement. Readers appreciated: - Authentic portrayal of complicated mother-daughter relationships - Realistic depiction of foster care system challenges - Unflinching look at teen grief without sugarcoating Common criticisms: - Pacing feels slow in middle sections - Some found the intensity and darkness overwhelming - Several note it's too heavy for younger YA readers Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (12,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (300+ ratings) BookPage: 5/5 "Gutting but necessary" appears in multiple reader reviews. One frequent comment notes the book helps readers feel less alone in their grief. Some teachers and librarians recommend it for older teens dealing with loss, though they suggest having emotional support available while reading.

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🌟 Kathleen Glasgow drew from her own experiences with grief and loss while writing this novel, particularly the death of her father when she was young. 💫 The book tackles the challenging topic of teen grief through the story of 16-year-old Tiger Tolliver, who must navigate life after her mother's sudden death. ✨ The distinctive yellow color featured prominently on the book's cover is the same shade as the dress Tiger's mother is wearing when she dies. 🌙 Glasgow spent five years writing and revising the manuscript before it was published in 2019 by Delacorte Press. ⭐ The novel's title comes from the idea that grief is like darkness, and learning to cope with loss means learning to make peace with that darkness rather than trying to escape it.