The Million Pieces of Neena Gill
by Emma Smith-Barton
Interest age: 12 to 18
Reading age: 12+
Published by Penguin Random House, 2019
About this book
Neena’s brother Akash disappeared 10 months ago and her parents are broken with grief. Neena fights to keep herself sane by disobeying her increasingly strict parents, sneaking out to go partying, drinking to excess, and getting a boyfriend – all things that are strictly forbidden.
However, nothing seems to help, and Neena is gradually losing pieces of her memory, behaving erratically, not eating, not trusting anyone – even those closest to her. Neena is desperate to get to art college, but her father seems determined to stop her going if she doesn’t follow the rules. Yet above all else, she wants to find out exactly what happened to her brother.
The Million Pieces of Neena Gill is a moving portrait of a clever, talented girl who is gradually falling apart and losing her grip on reality, but doesn’t realise it. The story is seen entirely through Neena’s eyes, so the reader only discovers what’s actually going on in her life ‘in real time’. Despite the underlying tragedy, The Million Pieces of Neena Gill is ultimately a powerful, uplifting story of family, love, grief and getting through very difficult times.
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Lists of recommended reads
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Books about grief and loss for teens
Books can help teenagers to process sad feelings, especially when they find it hard to talk to adults. We’ve suggested some books that can help those going through tough times, and which are also excellent reads for everyone.