Love You Hate You Miss You

Love You Hate You Miss You
By Elizabeth Scott
HarperTeen, 2009. 276 pgs. Young Adult

As this book unfolds, Amy is just getting out of a treatment center where she has put drinking behind her and has scarcely begun to deal with the death of her best friend, Julia. Feeling responsible for Julia's death, Amy can't adjust to life without her friend. Drifting through life, Amy tries not to and to avoid any of the few people who actually talk to her, while her psychiatrist raises issues that Amy would rather not deal with.

Amy's grief and self-imposed isolation are poignantly portrayed. The characters are realistically developed, with depth showing both their strong points and their flaws. I almost returned this book to the library without reading it, but I decided to read the first chapter instead--and ending up finishing it in one day. This is one of those books that invites you in and then haunts you after you finish it.

AE