Laurie Halse Anderson tells the story of teenage Hayley who struggles to survive and help her traumatized and abusive father in The Impossible Knife of Memory. He's an Iraq War veteran with severe PTSD and a long track record of self-destructive behavior. She's a snarky teenager who resents the kids at school for judging her when all they know is a life of privilege while she's dealing with problems which no kid should experience. When Hayley starts losing hope in people of ever being good, however, she meets this kid named Finn who changes her mind. He becomes a touchstone, always offering help and trying his best to listen and understand without judging or asking for anything in return. Eventually Hayley persuades her father to change his mind and continue to fight for health and happiness because he loves her and himself and will do what's best for the both of them.
Anderson's book is compelling because it presents an alternative perspective on adolescence which is rarely depicted in young adult fiction. She tackles the difficult questions of life, which most adults would never want to address with a child. With an abusive, neglectful dad and limited experience, Hayley knows just enough to understand that her teachers and peers are wrong for trying to make her fit in given her circumstances, but she doesn't know enough to solve her problem or exercise perfect control of her emotions, so she often compounds problems because she's acting extreme.
Although this dilemma of power inversion and abuse is not a pretty one, it does happen which makes this novel especially impactful. Anderson writes for the kids who are struggling with abnormal circumstances. If a parent is untrustworthy, often the child blames themselves for not being able to compensate for the parent, but, like in Hayley's situation, she simply doesn't have power over her father to make him choose love. She does her best, but she's not prepared for such an extreme situation. In the end, although there is no perfect solution, Anderson proverbially says, "You are not alone." She offers empathy and comfort to teens in difficult places by offering them a friend in both Hayley and Finn, who are also in way over their heads through no fault of their own.
