Mortality & Death

"Nothing can be said to be certain," wrote Ben Franklin, "except death and taxes." And yet, death is often ignored, dismissed, or delayed as an experience worth contemplating—until we are forced to reckon with it head-on. The books in this collection do their own reckoning.

Fablehaven

by Brandon Mull

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Place, Safety & Danger, Siblings, Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth, Animals, Family, Environment, Fear, Music, Gender Identity, Appearance & Reality, Conflict, Grandparents

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Magical Realism

Fablehaven was written by Brandon Mull (also known for The Candy Shop War and its sequels) and first published in 2006. It is the first in a series about an ecological preserve for magical creatures. In the novel, middle-school-aged siblings Kendra and Seth take a trip to their grandparents’ land in rural Connecticut, which they soon realize is hiding magic of all types. The siblings explore the magical world they have discovered while learning how... Read Fablehaven Summary

Facing It

by Yusef Komunyakaa

Publication year 1988

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Death, Grief

Tags Lyric Poem, US History, Vietnam War

The poem “Facing It” by Yusef Komunyakaa is a meditation on the first time Komunyakaa visited the US Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. Komunyakaa served in the Vietnam War as an Army journalist for the military newspaper, Southern Cross, until he was discharged in 1966. He began writing about the war approximately 14 years after coming home from Vietnam.Prior to this, he had only written one poem about his experience in the war, and... Read Facing It Summary

Fahrenheit-182

by Mark Hoppus

Publication year 2025

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Nostalgia, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Death, Appearance & Reality, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Art, Music

Tags Memoir & Autobiography

... Read Fahrenheit-182 Summary

Family Lore

by Elizabeth Acevedo

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Femininity, Love, Memory, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Death, Marriage, Mothers

Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Family Lore Summary

Far North

by Will Hobbs

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Safety & Danger, Coming of Age, Animals, Environment, Fear, Death, Childhood & Youth, Perseverance, Grief, Food

Tags Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature

Set in Canada, American author Will Hobbs’s young-adult novel Far North (1996) follows Gabe Rogers, who lives with his grandparents in Austin, Texas. When Gabe tells his father that he wants to live with him in Canada, his father tells him he may on two conditions. First, Gabe must travel up north to experience the severe cold of the Northwest Territories for one year. Second, he must attend boarding school. While flying through Canada with... Read Far North Summary

Faust

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Publication year 1829

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Death

Tags Classic Fiction, Tragedy

Faust, Part One is the first part of a two-part dramatic poem written by 18th-century German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Based loosely on the 16th-century legend of Faust, Faust, Part One was first published in 1808 and first performed onstage in its entirety in 1829. (Faust, Part Two was later published in 1832.) It is largely told in rhyming verse, except for Scene 26, which is written in prose. This study guide is based... Read Faust Summary

Fellowship Point

by Alice Elliott Dark

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Death, Aging, Love, Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Community, Beauty, Animals, Plants, Place, Literature, Perseverance

Tags Historical Fiction, Depression & Suicide, Health, Love & Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Social Justice, Science & Nature, Modern Classic Fiction

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Finale

by Stephanie Garber

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Fate, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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Final Girls

by Riley Sager

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Fear, Revenge, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Death, Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Final Girls Summary