Lessons from a Dead Girl
Jo Knowles
About this book
An unflinching story of a troubled friendship -- and one girl’s struggle to come to terms with secrets and shame and find her own power to heal (age 14 and up). Leah Greene is dead. For Laine, knowing what really happened and the awful feeling that she is, in some way, responsible set her on a journey of painful self-discovery. Yes, she wished for this. She hated Leah that much. Hated her for all the times in the closet, when Leah made her do those things. They were just practicing, Leah said. But why did Leah choose her? Was she special, or just easy to control? And why didn’t Laine make it stop sooner? In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laine is left to explore the devastating lessons Leah taught her, find some meaning in them, and decide whether she can forgive Leah and, ultimately, herself.
Why it was banned
Challenges to this title focus on sexual abuse, trauma, psychological harm, and the difficulty of presenting such material to young readers.
Censorship history
The censorship context reflects a wider debate over whether books about abuse are harmful because they are disturbing, or valuable because they give language to experiences often kept silent.
Bans
| Country | Year | Reasons |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | SexualViolenceMoral |
