You Are Not Here

While reading this book I felt as though I was grieving a lost loved one.

The realness was there and it was thick! The emotions I felt were intense and the storyline easily pulled me in.



Annaleah had a secret relationship with Brian... She had true feelings and thought he did as well. When she comes to find out he passed away un expectantly her world is turned upside down. There is a hole in her heart and an emptiness in her life. As she grieves though, you come to learn that maybe Brian and her didn't have the relationship Annaleah thought they did.



Throughout this book you get glimpses of the present and the past. You get to see why she is the person she is and also why she was so wrapped up in Brian. Yes, you will have a love/hate show more relationship with him. Some parts I loved him and felt for him, others... not so much.



Overall I thought this was a great YA read with a HEA!! show less

The Good Stuff

* Absolutely wonderful, absorbing and real, you will not want to put it down
* Unusual, raw and poignant
* I'm at a loss on how to express how wonderful I though this book was. If you have ever lost someone you love, you will recognize all the thoughts and emotions that Annaleah goes through in her grieving process
* Must go find more of the author's books tomorrow - seriously impressed
* The last chapter is sad and beautiful and hopeful
* Some nice light humour
* Secondary characters bring in some nice brief insight
* Easy quick read that really could grab the attention of a reluctant reader
* Truly heartbreaking at times, I dare you not to tear up at least a little

The Not so Good Stuff

* The short prose that at first show more glance looks like poetry may turn some off (it almost made me put it down) very glad I didn't
* Once again a Mom is useless, but as I have mentioned before, teens think we are, so I really should let that go
* Not for those who are only in to fluff

Favorite Quotes/Passages

"I am a different kind of ghost. There are no traces of me here except for my fingerprints. Brian was the only other person who shared my memories here. And now that he is gone, I am their sole keeper."

"It is the day after Brian's funeral. The sky should be black. Lightning should knife through the air. There should be blast of thunder. Rain should fall in bullets and shatter windshields."

"Brian died, not you, Annaleah. Your life can't stop just because his did."

"Definitely not Mr. Lowry. He was giving me a D in history. I don't think someone who gave you Ds would speak at your funeral."

What I Learned

* Grief sucks and it is really lonely. Yeah, never mind, I have lost my Mom and my Dad -- learned that horrible lesson long ago.
* Nothing more intense than teenage love

Who should/shouldn't read

* Teens who have lost someone they love -- never mind in general teens will love this. Catches their feelings and thought processes dead on -- bought me back to those years and the heightened emotions
* Pretty much anyone who has lost someone, will understand Annaleah's grief and living and learning through it
* A must have for any high school or public library

4.5 Dewey's

I received this from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review show less

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

I was excited to see Samantha Schutz had written a novel. Her memoir, I DON'T WANT TO BE CRAZY, revealed her talent as a writer and her tremendous ability to describe her own very raw and painful experiences.

YOU ARE NOT HERE is a novel in verse. The focus is on Annaleah and the sudden and tragic death of someone near and dear to her.

If pressed, Annaleah would not be able to articulate her true relationship with Brian. They've been seeing each other for a short while and have shared a first kiss and much more, but to say he is her boyfriend still doesn't seem quite right. Their relationship has not included any outsiders. When Annaleah visits Brian, he always hustles her out show more before his father comes home. She hasn't really shared her budding romance with friends, either. Her one attempt to describe her feelings about Brian brought harsh criticism from her closest friend, Marissa. And as far as introducing Brian to her mother, forget about it. Better to leave that woman in the dark.

Because of the secretive nature of their relationship, when Brian suddenly dies while playing basketball, Annaleah has nowhere to turn. Since no one truly understands, she withdraws, spending all her time either in her room or visiting his gravesite. Their relationship was viewed as casual, causing Annaleah's mother and friends to look upon her continued grieving as unnecessary and ridiculous. Unable to explain, Annaleah sinks deeper and deeper into despair as she mourns the loss of a young man she realizes may not even have loved her.

Schutz explores the human reaction to death and loss in YOU ARE NOT HERE. The process of grieving is such a personal experience, and Schutz demonstrates that fact as she takes Annaleah on this often lonesome journey. Readers looking for a "problem" type novel will find this fast read satisfying, although rather predictable. show less

Yes, another book in verse. This one was all free verse. More than being about loss it was about overcoming grief. Figuring out how to move on with you life and feeling okay in doing so. The sudden loss of her secret boyfriend Brian, paralyzes Annaleah. She's flash frozen and defined by that moment. Slowly, she begins to understand that she cannot move beyond it all without the help of those that surround her. I loved the words of wisdom that Brian's grandmother departed to her. Although, my favorite quote from the book is, "Someone should arrest him before he befriends someone else." In the moment it was funny. The cover is beautiful as well. I'm giving this one 4 kisses!

When I received this book, I didn't realize it was a young adult book, but it turned out to be be better than I expected. It is very short, with the pages set up like little poems, but I liked the simplicity of the way the story flowed. I read the book in about an hour and a half when I woke up early and couldn't fall back asleep, and it was the perfect book for this time of day. I think my 16 year old self would have identified with Annaleah's grief over the death of her almost-boyfriend and first love. My teenage self would probably have given it another star.

Interesting look at death and loss and grieving.

Annaleah struggles with the death of her boyfriend ~ a boyfriend that was secret and only a few knew about. Her friends help support her through the grieving process.