The Crying Tree by Naseem Rahka

I enjoyed this book, despite it's awful front cover. It is set in Southern America and follows a family who are dealing with the murder of their son. It is excellently written and very gripping. All the characters are realistic and the dialogue is very natural. There are some powerful emotions dealt with but it is done very sympathetically so the book is not too heavy or depressing. I enjoyed this very much and would recommend it as a well written, but not too dark, holiday read.