Sixteen-year-old Lark Austin is left to die in the woods. Eve, a former best friend and Nyetta, a girl who was babysat by Lark, struggle with the death. Lark, Eve and Nyetta alternately voice their perspectives of the event and its aftermath.

Lark was young, full of life and into gymnastics and swimming. One day, she met a frantic man after gymnastics practice who told her that he had a sick child in the car and urgently needed her assistance finding a hospital. Lark got into the car with him and was never seen alive again. 

Eve cannot take her mind off how much vitality sprung from Lark the last time she saw her. Eve expresses herself through paints, and she sketches trees and other natural phenomenon. A coach gets too close to her, but luckily Ian is there to smooth things out.

Nyetta sees and talks to dead girl Lark. Her parents require her to visit with a psychiatrist who insists that she call her April. Nyetta believes that April should be nicer to the toys in her waiting room to show that she cares about kids. One day, Eve and Ian bring Nyetta cupcakes, and she delicately chooses one and carefully licks the frosting off of the cake.

Lark by Tracey Porter, 2011

People need to educate kids and adults about personal safety. They should avoid being lured into a car by a strange man with a fictitious story. This book was very sad; I have a family member whose friend died when she was a teen, and I remember how hard it was for that person to cope with the loss.

I like the cover, which features a wintry day with a lone tree sporting a chirping lark.  

• Books by Tracey Porter
• Books about childhood abductions
• Books about rape
• Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network
• Child Find of America, Inc.