Playlist for the Dead: A Gut-Wrenching Young Adult Mystery of Grief, Friendship, and Truth

€œA page-turner that combines genuine intrigue with heartbreak and desire.€ €"Holly Goldberg Sloan, New York Times bestselling author of Counting by 7s

Part mystery, part love story, and part coming-of-age tale in the vein of Thirteen Reasons Why, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and The Spectacular Now, Michelle Falkoff€s debut is an honest and gut-wrenching novel about loss, rage, what if feels like to outgrow a friendship that€s always defined you€"and the struggle to redefine yourself.

There was a party. There was a fight. The next morning, Sam€s best friend, Hayden, was dead. And all he left Sam was a playlist of songs and a suicide note: For Sam€"listen and you€ll understand.

To figure out what happened, Sam has to rely on the playlist and his own memory. But the more he listens, the more he realizes that his memory isn€t as reliable as he thought. And it might only be by taking out his earbuds and opening his eyes to the people around him that he€ll finally be able to piece together his best friend€s story. And maybe have a chance to change his own.

€œAn absorbing and sensitive read.€ €"Bulletin of the Center for Children€s Books

€œFalkoff lightens the substantial topics of grief, bullying, and suicide with Sam€s engaging investigation.€ €"ALA Booklist

€œRealistic and well-written. The strong characters, dialogue and the use of the playlist to structure the book make this a good pick for struggling readers.€  €"School Library Journal

€œFalkoff treats a difficult topic with delicacy and care.€ €"Publishers Weekly

€œTruly powerful moments.€ €"Kirkus Reviews