8 - Looking for Alibrandi

Marchetta, Melina. "Looking For Alibrandi", New York : Orchard Books, 1999, c1992.

This book’s storyline focuses on an Ethnic-Australian teenager, Josephine Alibrandi, whose nationality is Italian, finding herself, but has the theme of dealing with the loss of her friend after they commit suicide; the writing is intense in describing her grief, how she handles it and how the other people around her are affected by both the initial tragedy of her friend, and by her own grief.

The theme of death is not particularly prevalent, however a large section of the book leads up to the suicide of John Barton.

10 - The Virgin Suicides

Eugenides, Jeffrey. "The Virgin Suicides", New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, 1993.

The Virgin Suicides is a recollection of memories of young man who is infatuated with his neighbours, the five Lisbon sisters. The Lisbon sisters are shrouded in parental grief after the suicide of the youngest sister. The religious parents hold the girls almost captive in their home to try and 'protect' them. However the outcome is far worse when the remaining girls decide to take action against their parents, with horrific outcomes.