Harper found her sister June dead in the back seat of her car with a sleeping pill bottle in her hand. Harper doesn't understand why her sister, who was perfect and everything she was not, would commit suicide. She with her best friend, Laney, starts looking for clues, anything that will lead her to understand why. They find a mixed CD that leads them to Jake and a cross-country trip to save June the best they can.
I try to stay away from suicide themed books. There is a plethora of them in YA, but I had two classmates commit suicide in high school so the subject is often too close to home for me to read. Their suicides is something I still think about all the time, as I pass Jeff's house (just a few doors down from my mom and dad's) or as my nephew plays on Jimmy's brother's t-ball team. But, I decided to read this book knowing it was all based upon the death of the main character's sister by suicide. The reviews were just so good.
I am glad I listened to the reviews. This was an amazingly powerful book. Harper is raw and emotional, but also funny and smart. It is very true to real life. Plus, there is a lot of classic rock and old jazz references that make me feel smart. Hannah Harrington has written a wonderful debut.
4/5 stars on Goodreads.
What genre or theme do you tend avoid?
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