A Unique Look at a Young Girl’s Grief

Hating Heidi Foster by Jeffrey Blount is a quick read, but this young adult novel is a surprisingly thoughtful look at the complexity of suffering, sacrifice, and grief.

Hating Heidi Foster is told from the perspective of Mae McBride. Mae is a 14 year old girl. Her father recently died while trying to save Heidi Foster, one of Mae’s closest friends, from a house fire. Mae blames Heidi for taking away her father, even though the fire was an accident that Heidi was in no way responsible for.

Mae starts to withdraw from friends and family, as she’s consumed with anger towards Heidi and struggling to figure out why her father put her friend’s needs above hers. She feels betrayed by the people around her who are urging her to reconcile with Heidi, who is suffering from emotional problems as a result of the trauma of the fire.

I thought Hating Heidi Foster was a refreshing change of pace for a young adult book. So many books marketed to teen girls focus on characters who are boy crazy. Hating Heidi Foster is solely about Mae’s struggle to cope with her father’s death and to find a way to forgive her friend. It reminded me of a Jodi Picoult novel in a lot of ways.

As I was reading, I kept thinking about how I’d react in a similar situation. I empathized with Mae, even though the rational part of my brain wanted her to reconcile with Heidi.

I would imagine this book would be appropriate for most girls ages 10 to 15, although I found plenty to love about the story as an adult reader. Hating Heidi Foster doesn’t contain any discussions of drugs, alcohol, premarital sex, or any other controversial topics for young readers. Even though the book deals with the loss of a parent, it’s a purely secular story.

Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher.

Photo credit: Barnes & Noble