MIRACLE

Megan goes from being an ordinary teenager at soccer camp one day to a living miracle the next—with all the heavy baggage that comes with it.

When Megan emerges from the embers of a plane crash with barely a scratch, she is hailed a miracle. However, when Megan returns to her small, rural hometown, she feels overwhelmed by both the onslaught of well-wishers and the slowly returning memories of the crash and its victims. Megan is most challenged by her parents, who are unable to see beyond her miraculous escape and fail to recognize that she is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and seriously needs help. Finding solace in strange places, Megan befriends her attractive playboy neighbor, Joe, who carries his own baggage, and a woman from her local church who is a Vietnam veteran. These two relationships enable Megan to see that she is not the only one carrying a tremendous burden and that she need not carry it alone. In addition to Megan’s PTSD, this text tackles tough topics including homophobia, complicated family dynamics, alcoholism and death without flinching or sugarcoating.

Told through the perspective of a well-defined and likable protagonist, this text shines a bright light on the importance of mental health.