Each of the author's books has a young adult protagonist who struggles to make sense of problems in his or her life. In Words by Heart, Lena must find a way to cope with prejudice, violence, and injustice against black people.

Salty, in Far from Home, must accept the limitations set on his relationship with his father. In On Fire, Sammy must make his own decisions about his brother and Tater's hatred of blacks. In The Girl in the Box, Jackie must bear the frustration of living alone in darkness and wondering who her captor is.