By Dante Medema
Quill Tree Books, 2022. 391 pages. Young Adult Fiction
Mourning the death of her best friend Vanessa, seventeen-year-old Bailey creates a chat bot using their text messages and emails, but, unsatisfied with the result, Bailey seeks out more data for the app and uncovers Vanessa's secrets, forcing Bailey to reconcile what she thought she knew about her friend with what Vanessa kept hidden.
Set in Alaska this emotionally intense story had me devouring it in one sitting. It was easy to become invested and sympathetic towards Bailey’s quest to find out what exactly Vanessa was doing the night she died, and how some ethical boundaries were crossed along the way. It is delightfully suspenseful as pieces of information layer upon each other allowing Bailey, and the reader, to come organically to new understandings along the way. This book is LGBTQ friendly and themes of underage drinking and sex are mentioned.
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By Mark H. Parsons
Delacorte Press, 2022. 376 pages. Young Adult Fiction
Seventeen-year-old Jamison finds hope after the loss of his mother, and recognizes the role that family, friends, and even strangers can play in the healing process if you are open and willing to share your experience with others.
By Jeff Zentner
Crown Books for Young Readers, 2017. 404 pages. Young Adult Fiction
Looks at a teen's life after the death of his best friend and how he navigates through the guilt and pain by celebrating their lives--and ultimately learning to forgive himself.
RBL
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