I'm not sure how this book got onto my list, except that sometimes I do like to dip into the Young Adult section of the bookstore. There are some great quality books there.
This one is fine. The plot turns around 17-year old Mia, and whether she'll decide to stay here on earth and live, or move on and die, after she is grievously injured in a car accident that kills the rest of her immediate family. She's essentially having an out-of-body experience for the bulk of the book. There are a lot of flashbacks to moments with her family and boyfriend. Everyone is actually pretty well-adjusted and pleasant.
There's a lot less ruminating over the meaning of life and the loss of it than I expected, and more of it centers around her boyfriend than I expected. It's a very short book.
What bothered me the most is probably pretty minor. We can't just have Mia, who plays the cello, and Adam, who plays in band. It has to be Mia, the best cellist Oregon has ever produced, and Adam, whose band is on the verge of making it big. I think the book would have been more powerful if the characters had been a little less exceptional. Similar to my complaint about Bel Canto. With all these super fantastic people running around, the whole thing becomes a little less believable.
Final call:
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Is this a powerhouse? No, but it's a lot better than some of the mindless crap that's out there for teens!
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