Lennie and Bailey are sisters, best friends, everything to each other. Their mother took off when they were just babies, which grandma has always attributed to* the “restless* gene” that runs in the family.

    When Bailey, lively and fiery Bailey, dies of a heart disease while rehearsing for “Romeo & Juliet,” Lennie is lost. Without Bailey’s guidance, affection, and her untameable* spirit, Lennie doesn’t know what to do. She has always stood at the sidelines, happy to catch just a few rays of Bailey’s endless shine.

    Although Lennie can’t help but wallow in* her sadness, the rest of the world carries on, and finally, so must she. On her first day back to school she meets the most charming boy on earth — talented musician Joey Fontaine. Complicating* the situation is Bailey’s boyfriend, Toby, who turns to Lennie for comfort. In sharing their despair*, seeds of attraction grow and Lennie must struggle to think over a tumult of emotions* roaring inside her.

    Forced to come out of her shell, Lennie starts to see how beautiful yet confusing life can be. In her thinking about life and death, Lennie must completely reconsider what it means to truly live.

    Jandy Nelson’s debut novel is a touching story of love and forgiveness. It ties themes of wanderlust, betrayal*, and forgiveness in a love story more complex than most young adult authors dare to write.(SD-Agencies)