One of my favorite authors was and still is Tamora Pierce (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamora_Pierce). You might want to read over the first book of the Immortals series first as the main character's mom dies and you find this out by the main character talking about it (but you find out later she's now technically a goddess so not really dead). But I don't remember it being at all graphic. It's been a while though.

She writes very strong main female characters, which is a refreshing change from most popular books.