Genre: Realistic Fiction
One day Amber rides her bike home from school feeling like it’s any other day, but when her mom sees her she starts screaming because Amber died seven years prior in a hit and run. Amber does not remember anything about the accident and hasn’t aged at all, but everyone around her has moved on including her sister, Melissa. Melissa is Amber’s younger sister, but now she’s officially older than Amber ever was. Strangely, Melissa is the one person who does not seem that surprised by Amber’s appearance and seems genuinely pleased to see her despite the fact that Amber was very mean to her when she was alive. Amber’s father, who was never religious, has declared her appearance a miracle and wants to tell everyone, but Amber’s mother is scared of what is happening and does not want to get her hopes up. As Amber comes to terms with the fact that she was never able to do any of the things she dreamed of with her life, she also learns that many unfortunate things have happened since her death, including her parents’ separation. Why is Amber back now? Is there any way she can resume her life, even if in a different way? Can she find closure with those she left behind? Will she ever find out who hit her and ran away to leave her to die in the street?
This story really makes you think about life and how to make the most of it. Amber thought she had time to do all the things she wanted with her life and she also thought she had time to fix her relationship with her sister. Amber also struggles watching how much her family has suffered, but seeing her does bring them some peace and the strength to make some changes in their lives instead of being forever burdened by her untimely death. Forgiveness is a major theme in this story and most readers will connect with one of the characters because they are all justified in their feelings but also need to find ways to forgive and move forward. Recommended for anyone dealing with a loss, but everyone will find themselves thinking about the characters even after the story is done.
Young Adult Book Reviews 