Hurt Help Hope: A Real Conversation about Teen Grief and Life after Loss

by Clarissa Moll, Fiona Moll

Hurt Help Hope is a sensitive grief guide written for teens by a grieving teen and her mother. Together they offer support, advice, and understanding for navigating life after loss. After the death of a loved one, anyone can be caught up in a whirlwind of emotions and unanswered questions. Hurt Help Hope divides lists of relatable questions into five categories covering topics like the logistics of funerals, how your body copes with grief, how it affects your faith in God, how to manage feelings, and more!Credibility and vulnerability of the The authors aren’t writing about grief from a theoretical or clinical place – they are walking through it themselves. Their deeply genuine and empathetic words will comfort readers like a friend.Written by a teen (and her mom) for grieving teens. Fiona shares her story and her experience grieving the death of her father as a teenager.Question-and-answer Each chapter is made up of questions teens may have as they experience grief. The authors don’t write in a clinical or theoretical way, but in a conversational tone, sharing what they’ve learned like an encouraging friend.Grounded in There are encouraging truths about our hope in Jesus and how our theology as Christians can be a great comfort in the face of death. An excellent balance of theology and helpful, practical advice.Practical This book is brimming with practical, day-to-day suggestions of how to handle grief. These list of tips to promote better sleepwhat to do when you’re experiencing anger, confusion, or even numbnesswhat to expect at funeralsa list of insensitive things people might say in the face of lossideas about how to respond to comments like thoseand many more!Engaging quizzes, charts, and graphs help to processes fears, feelings, and all the hard things.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian

176 pages, Paperback

Published October 8, 2024

About the author

Clarissa Moll (MA, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is an author, a podcaster, and the young widow of author Rob Moll. Clarissa’s writing has appeared in Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, RELEVANT, Modern Loss, Grief Digest and more. Her husband’s first book, The Art of Dying, was released in April 2021 with Clarissa’s new afterword. Clarissa is the author of Beyond the Darkness: A Gentle Guide for Living with Grief and Thriving after Loss.

Clarissa co-hosts Christianity Today’s “Surprised by Grief” podcast and hosts the weekly Hope*Writers podcast. She lives a joyful life with her four children and rescue pup and proudly calls both New England and the Pacific Northwest home.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like *Beyond the Darkness*, *Hurt, Help Hope* is very companionable, and the best thing I have discovered for grief *is* companionship. Fiona and Clarissa are also intensely practical, and I especially appreciate their acknowledgement of the physical component of grief. They give directions like: "This is how it might feel, this how to take good care of yourself, this is what to do when people ask these awkward questions, this is how to have a rhythm of engaging with grief and engaging with life, here's what to do when you have big questions for God..."

One excellent piece of advice: If a parent or caregiver frequently asks how you are, use another word besides "fine" to describe yourself, and they may ask less often. Being communicative with a loved one can really help in processing grief.

I would happily hand this book off to loved ones, and in fact, I have anticipated its arrival since I first heard about it, and quickly pre-ordered two copies of the book so I can share one with my bereaved nephew's family.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy to read, solid book for grieving young people. I will certainly be adding this to my school counseling shelves. My only caveat, is that I would only recommend this to students who openly ask for something with a Christian perspective as this relies heavily on Christian teachings and scripture. For others, this book could come across as preachy. That being said, is does an admirable job of speaking to its target age group. I especially appreciated the short, also most bulleted sections in the book. Easily digestible for a teenager to pick up and sit down as needed.

[Ashley Klingsheim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a new young widow and I have been looking for biblical resources to help me and my kids. This book will be a valuable tool to help each of my kids as they grieve and process the loss of their dad. It is a great mix of relatable, practical, but theological solid and focused on the hope of the gospel.