There was something true in this book. There was something that hit the bedrock of what life is. And this book made me legit cry.
We don’t learn the main characters name until very late in the narrative of this book, because this is not about the main character. It’s about all the things around her, and how her spot in the universe effects it, and how all the other things in the universe effect her spot in it.
It’s about a girl who was blamed for something horrible that happened to her.
It’s about loss and how do you move on from that? How do you fill that empty spot in the universe? How do you learn to live around it?
And learning to live around this empty spot is made even harder by the way other people reacted.
I loved this book. I loved how the situation was never fully explained, I love how it didn’t end at the end. I love how it did end, with the start of things mending, with the just barely trying to live around this empty spot.
And I really, really loved Chard.
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Shocking and uncomfortable- but in a good way. We need to discuss the difficult subjects and this novel does so in a spectacular way. The story unfolds very naturally. Quite good. ( )

Growing up with depression myself and surrounded by people with various mental illnesses that can sometimes lead to suicidal thoughts/ideologies and actions I am always a bit skeptical when going into books that address such things- both mental illness AND suicide. This, however, was a pleasantly surprising tale of a girl dealing with the suicide of her friend. Focusing more on the grief and the aftermath than the suicide itself it’s a well-crafted way to show how the people left behind are affected when someone takes their own life. ( )

Grade Levels: 10-12
Category: Realistic Fiction
Read-Alouds: pp. 16-19 (Zoe’s journal); 39-40 (Following Aimee); 84-88 (The plan); 257-261 (The Call)

Summary:
Zoe’s best friend Aimee committed suicide last year. As it if that isn’t bad enough, everyone thinks she helped Aimee do it. After a stint in a mental hospital, Zoe fights to adjust to a new neighborhood, school, and a life where she is forbidden to have contact with any of her old friends. Zoe struggles just to survive the aftermath as her parents and therapist pressures her to move on and forget. Zoe can’t forget though. Not until she learns to forgive.

Themes:
Suicide is the most prominent theme of the story, and, eventually, is described in fairly graphic detail. The events leading up to Aimee’s death provide insight into her plans and make a great opportunity for discussion on reasons, prevention, and response to suicide. Though the book is quite vivid in describing Aimee’s suicide, it would help to facilitate discussion about this very sensitive subject. Opposition to authority is also central to the book, but we learn that it also stems from Aimee’s suicide. Zoe struggles to respect the adults in her life because she blames them for hurting Aimee and not recognizing her cries for help.

Discussion Questions:
1. Why did Zoe take so long to come to terms with what happened on the night of Aimee’s death?
2. What would you have done if Aimee hinted to you about suicide?
3. Why did Zoe have such a hard time dealing with adults after Aimee’s death?

Reader Response:
Though the book was horribly sad, it was a problem novel and, like usual, I really liked it. It was excruciating to go along with Zoe’s journey as she tried to outrun Aimee’s death. I could easily place myself in Zoe’s shoes as I read her journal and traveled back in time through her memories. The style of the writing made empathizing with Zoe’s situation extremely easy to do. I felt relived when she was able to forgive herself and start to heal. I would definitely use the book in my classroom to help students open up about difficult subjects.

Intense and affecting look at teenage alienation and depression. A teen girl deals with the aftermath of a friend's suicide. For older teens. ( )