Lulu Delacre
Bilingual Author and Illustrator of Children's Books Since 1980
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Alicia Afterimage • The Bloomsbury Review 2008 Editor's Favorites
• Flamingnet Top Choice Award • The Bank Street College 2009 Best Children's Books of the Year • SSLI 2009 Honor Book 
"A piercingly honest and compassionate picture of teen and maternal grief....In the process of coping with a loss that most parents will never have to experience, Delacre has, through Alicia Afterimage, helped her daughter’s friends, and readers of all ages, to understand that there is no right or wrong way to grieve; and that grief, as difficult a process as it is, can also be an opportunity for personal growth....Learning that “the driver” has started to tell his story publicly, in the hope that others won’t make the same mistakes he did, is just what we readers need to hear, before closing the book and telling every teen and parent we know to read it."–Aline Pereira, PaperTigers.org "The spare interior monologues create a vivid collage portrait of the dynamic teen. The friends speak about how they met her and what they did together, from text-messaging to dancing, as well as the mementos they have of her mischief and loving support.... With its messages about healing and a list of appended resources, this is an excellent title for grief counseling." –Booklist
"A story of loss, recovery and love. . . . From grief to anger and spirituality, this book of comfort for all ages shows how individuals can seek a way to ease the pain of losing someone they cherished. Finding a pathway through grief and a road map to remembrance is not easy, but finding new ways is demonstrated here." –Rave Review, Latina Style Magazine
"Delacre provides a multifaceted portrait not only of Alicia, but also of her friends. We get to know Chad who, with Alicia, walked out on an insensitive documentary, and Corrina, who dressed as a Halloween angel to Alicia’s mischevious devil. They remember the goofing around, the laughter, the sympathy, the support. Rich in detail, this nuanced memoir is a look at teen friendship and grief but is ultimately a celebration of Alicia—and of life itself." – Washington Parent Magazine
"I would hope it be widely used as part of memoir writing, oral history trainings, and most importantly as a tool for using writing to concretize responses to tragedy." –Dr. Rose Reissman, President of the New York City Association of Teachers of English, Daily News Curriculum Writer, Ditmas Literacy Consultant
"Alicia Afterimage is an emotional read. These memories of a loved one changed my own opinion on how to live my life." –Flamingnet
"A short read, the book mirrors the fleeting time Alicia spent in the world, yet overflows with the joy she spread. As each person mourns, a source of healing is found in Alicia herself. Her “afterimage,” for which the book is named, takes a different form for each life she touched. For one friend it is a song; for another, a footprint. . . . The book melds past and present, slipping in and out of memory effortlessly." –Tomiko Mason, The Blake Beat
"...much recommended to any teenager who has lost a close friend." –Midwest Book Review
A book like this would have been very helpful for my teenage friends and I when we found out a week after graduation our friend Scott Boland had been killed in a car accident. I remember acutely the pain and confusion we felt. And how going to his funeral was the saddest thing I had ever had to do in my 17 years of living. As I read through the book I noticed that many similar themes with those of us dealing with the death of a smaller child.... And then I came to the final chapter, the perspective of Mama. And was struck once again with the fact that the death of a child is the worst thing a mother can go through. No matter what age the child. And I felt I related to the changes the mother describes....I am glad for the chance to review this book. I’m glad I didn’t just discard it as a book for grieving teens." –Stepping Stones
"I lost a friend in high school and would loved to have had this book to read as I was going through my own grief because it captures the true feelings of real high school students who have lived through the tragedy of losing a friend. . . . I just fell in love with this book and hope that many of you will choose to read it for yourself, share it with someone who needs it, or buy it as a gift."–Write for a Reader
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Press"After the accidental death of her teenage daughter, Alicia, Delacre interviewed Alicia's friends and loved ones and spun their personal memories into this intimate novel. The fictionalized voices celebrating Alicia's life are memorable and distinctive."–The Horn Book Guide
"Alicia’s friends express their grief realistically and without platitudes: one pretends that she and Alicia have simply lost touch; another finds that talking about Alicia makes it worse. Bereaved readers will be encouraged that whatever their approaches, all of the individuals (including the driver responsible for the crash) eventually begin to feel better without forgetting their friend."
–Publisher's Weekly "Highly recommended for every public and school library serving young adults."
– Alma Ramos-McDermott, Reforma Newsletter "Teen readers will identify with these friends, whose messages to Alicia, along with Alicia’s own art, illustrate the book. Grief counselors, teachers and parents will appreciate this resonant discussion-starter that includes driver safety and grief resources."
–Cathi MacRae,Youth Today "Memoir touched with the lightest strokes of fiction, Alicia Afterimage is an unusual, heartrending tribute to a lost child.
But more than that, it’s a road map to healing and an appeal to young people who may be at risk for just such needless tragedies." –Uma Krishnaswami, Children's Literature Review Database "Alicia Afterimage is more than a cautionary tale for teens who are at an age where they believe they are immortal. By allowing us a look into the lives of teens who are forever altered by the loss of a friend, we see the extent of the loss and the residual pain they bear. Teens cannot help but be affected by these honest voices sharing their ways of coping when the worst happens and a friend dies. This book is not meant to shock and frighten but, rather, to help readers gain an understanding of the impact each of us makes on the world around us."
–Joan Kindig, Children's Literature Specialist “A very good picture of adolescent grief. The best I have ever read. . . . Show[s] well the two faces of pain: wanting/needing to confront it, but also the need to escape it. . . . A beautiful picture of Alicia’s continued presence, despite her physical absence.” —Dr. Mimi Mahon Advanced Practice Nurse Palliative Care and Ethics |
