DEAR ABBY: I am a 13-year-old girl with my own set of problems. I had a horrible childhood, but I love to read.
I read a series of novels that I grew very fond of, but in the last book the protagonist died. I cried. Can you tell me why I'm so attached? -- TEEN READER
DEAR READER: Books can be wonderfully entertaining and informative, and they can also be an escape from reality. It's possible that you spent so much time in the "world" the author created that the protagonist became like a good friend. You became so emotionally invested that you felt a sense of loss when the character was no more. It's no different than becoming emotional watching a sad movie. It means the author did a good job.