A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend

Jan 13, 2011 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Now that I have finished the book, I am not sure my review can do it justice. There's a lot that I wanted to say and I wish I had written my thoughts down when I was reading it, but I didn't. I'll do my best, though. First, I want to say that this is not a perfectly polished, perfectly written book (I will not add "for a teen novel" or "for a YA novel" because there are a lot of extremely sophisticated, beautifully written books for teenagers out there and I, myself, hope to complete and publish...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: little-romance, love-geometry, love-the-protag, past-and-present-collide, reading-challenge, your-love-is-stupid

3.5 stars.

I hate when reading one book takes me a ridiculous amount of time-- in this case, over two weeks. It's not that A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend was bad or anything, it just didn't captivate me enough for me to sit down and read six chapters in a row.

This is about Cass, a high school girl from a Quaker family who is trying to recover from the death of her best friend, Julia. Making matters even worse is that she's not sure if she was in love with Julia. In short, the book trac...more 3.5 stars.

I hate when reading one book takes me a ridiculous amount of time-- in this case, over two weeks. It's not that A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend was bad or anything, it just didn't captivate me enough for me to sit down and read six chapters in a row.

This is about Cass, a high school girl from a Quaker family who is trying to recover from the death of her best friend, Julia. Making matters even worse is that she's not sure if she was in love with Julia. In short, the book traces Cass's journey, literally and metaphorically, to understand herself. She decides to take Julia's ashes and bicycle alone during the summer to California to scatter them by the ocean. This plot alternates chapter by chapter with a different plot, set in the present school year, in which all of Julia's theater friends are working hard to bring Julia's play, Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad to life. At the same time, she's dealing with the task of mending two broken relationships. Heather, a bully from middle school, is back in town and has been cast as the lead in Julia's play, and while Heather wants forgiveness for how she used to treat Cass, Cass isn't sure she can do that. Cass also has to deal with the tension of working with Ollie, Julia's boyfriend, and all the pain and resentment that situation would entail. Cass was always taught to love her enemies, but in the real world that's easier said than done.

The thing here is that I want to give A Love Story more than three (and a half) stars, but it just wasn't that enjoyable for me to read. The writing was impressive and evocative, and Cass was a powerfully-written main character. I identified with her a lot, but at the same time she remained distinctive, not just a pair of fictional shoes for me to slip into. Loved Cass. And the emotional impact of the last few chapters was worth reading through some of the less exciting parts preceding it.

But it just wasn't... enough. There were too many problems for the book to be successful for me-- e.g. sometimes the dialogue didn't flow or make sense, the side characters weren't developed at all (other than Ollie, love him), and, worst of all, the forgiveness and developing friendship between Cass and Heather was forced and unbelievable. That was one of the main focuses of the story and I just couldn't take it seriously. (view spoiler)

Those weaknesses aside, however, I think the strengths of this novel are significant enough that I will keep an eye out for anything else from this author, Emily Horner. I think that in this book only a few of the characters had a strong presence, but if she can come up with a whole set of people that pop off the page, she'll be able to write a book that really deserves to be remembered.

My favorite part came toward the very end, so I'll put it under spoilers. It's not actually too spoilery, though, so unless you plan on reading this and don't want to know anything about how secondary story lines wrap up, I think you should go ahead and click.

(view spoiler)
(less)

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Feb 24, 2011 Melody rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Melody by: Sharyn November

The story of how a well-loved member of a crowd's death affects the crowd is not new, and I picked this up with a bit of trepidation. It was unwarranted. Horner's first novel is ably plotted and well-done. There were more than a few laugh-out-loud moments, and I liked the narrator very well. She was achingly believable and so adolescently stupid she could have stepped right off the page.

I loved the long-distance bicycle trip. I loved the growth in the characters throughout the story. I loved th...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Jill Guccini rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt-young-adult-lit

Really want to give this one a 4.5. I felt genuinely moved at the end of this, which made me realize I hadn't felt genuinely moved by a book in quite a while. And by moved, I mean it Made Me Feel A Lot Of Things. And that's an important thing. So.

I was obviously more drawn to the trying-to-bike-across-the-country-with-your-best-friend-who-you-were-secretly-in-love-with's-ashes storyline, because who wouldn't be drawn to that storyline. But the Ninja Deathsquad storyline was helpful in having som...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, lgbt

I completely fell for this beautiful story which has some truly laugh out loud moments. I would advise you to be mainly alone and in reaching distance of a box of tissues while reading though.

Cass has been friends with Julia ever since they were young and their friendship is as strong as one between two very different and complementary personalities. Cass is very introverted and loves math while Julia is into theatre and music and anything arty. If Cass is mostly withdrawn, Julia is full of life...more I completely fell for this beautiful story which has some truly laugh out loud moments. I would advise you to be mainly alone and in reaching distance of a box of tissues while reading though.

Cass has been friends with Julia ever since they were young and their friendship is as strong as one between two very different and complementary personalities. Cass is very introverted and loves math while Julia is into theatre and music and anything arty. If Cass is mostly withdrawn, Julia is full of life and bubbly. Julia has a boyfriend and a group of theatre friends and she makes Cass feel included in this group.
Then one day Julia dies in a car accident and Cass's world falls apart. She realises that without Julia, she doesn't have friends anymore, not even the theatre group who are so different from her. When they decide to do Julia's secret project - a hilarious musical with ninjas - Cass offers to help to create the set, until the group hires Heather, Cass's nemesis and the girl who has been bullying her at school, in the role that would have been Julia's, the ninja princess. They have a huge fight and Cass decides to go on the road trip she had planned with Julia for the summer. She is bringing Julia's ashes with her without telling her friends or even Oliver, Julia's boyfriend. Cass will not come back the same of this trip.

The book is divided between Then and Now, Then when Cass decides to go on the road trip and Now when she comes back home. Even though this is a tiny book, there are several themes present in the book and I liked how the serious aspects were counter-balanced by the slight craziness of Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad and Julia's personality always present in the book.

Cass is a very interesting, though not always likeable, character in this story. She is very introverted and even though her parents love her, Julia is the one to matter for Cass. Cass is bullied at school and doesn't have any other friends - not that she is interested to make any anyway. Cass didn't have much in her life, but she had Julia who made everything ok. The loss of Julia hits Cass hard, so hard that she isolates herself from everyone else.
Cass never really tried to understand her feelings for Julia - they were close friends and that was it. But when Julia starts seeing Oliver, Cass starts feeling a bit jealous. Of course there are rumours started by Heather that Cass is a lesbian and everyone assumes that Cass has always been in love with Julia, but Cass never realised this herself. Even though she toughened a bit because of this and she always had Julia to defend her, Cass withdrew herself even more.
Her progressive realisation of herself and of her sexuality comes with the painful reality of the object of her affection being dead. Emily Horner describes this very sensitively I thought. Not everyone knows which gender they are attracted to since age 4 when they had a crush on their kindergarten teacher. Some people need to fall in love with someone to realise this and it is too bad that people always feel the need to know immediately and label people. Some people need time to get to know themselves, and Cass's story shows it exceedingly well.

There are some truly beautiful passages about friendship. I have tears in my eyes just thinking about the end of Cass's road trip and how the love they all felt for Julia brought this group of friends together. I really am and it is embarrassing since I'm at work. There's a really positive message in this and it's definitely the type of book people need to read to understand how some things may affect people deeply.
The part of the story with Heather reminded me a lot of 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher and how one person's actions may cause very serious consequences. I won't spoil the story for you but Heather's character is very interesting and a fantastic counterpart to Cass. The novel also shows how much people hide from others and how much a person can change. This is definitely not a story where evil people are evil and nice people are nice. It is an age where people get to know themselves and decide which type of person they would like to be.

I loved the setting of the novel, may it be in Cass's epic road trip in bicycle through America or the set of Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad. I will be looking out for Emily Horner's next books as I loved everything in this one and I still have the story in me after reading it months ago.
I am probably being confusing as there is so many things to say about this book and how it truly touched me. Cass's story is a beautiful coming of age story where one person loses everything and manages to find herself. It brings a very positive message for themes like bereavement/death, friendship and identity/sexuality. The characters are believable: full of flaws and preceded by a trail of mistakes but it doesn't make them either fondamentally bad or selfish, only human.(less)

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Jul 03, 2011 Kyle rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I would rate this novel a 2.5/5 stars if I could.

This is actually a pretty good read, though the story of Cass may take some to get used to (varying from person to person), as it is told in two parts: the first, labeled "Then", is the time leading up to when her best friend dies, and her solo journey to California; the second part, labeled "Now", is the present time, where Cass has to deal with Heather and the looming play. The two parts don't have a large gap of time between them, but are just...more I would rate this novel a 2.5/5 stars if I could.

This is actually a pretty good read, though the story of Cass may take some to get used to (varying from person to person), as it is told in two parts: the first, labeled "Then", is the time leading up to when her best friend dies, and her solo journey to California; the second part, labeled "Now", is the present time, where Cass has to deal with Heather and the looming play. The two parts don't have a large gap of time between them, but are just set apart by a couple of months (keep in mind, Cass's road trip takes place during summer break -July to early August-, as well as her work on the play -Mid-August to September-). For some, this alternating switch of time-periods between each chapter might be irritating. But personally, I found it to be alright, as it just takes of matter of time to adapt to this style of storytelling (or the ability to have a open-mindedness about reading in said way).

Readers get to follow Cass and her process of slowly growing up and learning to cope with the issues in her life. Her pride, bitterness, self-pity, and her tendency to not take responsibility and blame everyone for her problems is evident throughout the novel, but as the two parts of the story are told and begin to coherently come together, we can also see Cass changing as well.
Cass's journey through the summer break (mostly when she was rescued from almost not being able to finish her quest) has also made Cass finally face what she'd been trying so hard not to think about; what her relationship with Julia really meant to her. Her successful journey also helped Cass face Heather and eventually to give her a second chance.

Though I wasn't surprised during events such as when Cass's bike was stolen (which, I thought was very likely to happen), I WAS unexpectedly taken aback when Cass did manage to reach California (with her friends in tow -or, rather, Cass in tow-). I wasn't expecting her journey to actually be fulfilled; I thought that when her bike was stolen, it would be the end of her escapade, and she would have to swallow her pride and return home not being able to finish what she started. It was nice for all her friends (not just Ollie) to cram into his car and be a part of Cass's road trip to California (though, obviously it would make sense for ALL of them to take part in this for Julia).

I've been mostly talking about only one part of the novel; Cass's road trip. But there is the other part of the novel, as equally as important to the plot and growth of Cass's character (which I won't go into detail about)! :)(less)

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Apr 24, 2011 Jess - The Tales Compendium rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: debut, contemporary

I really enjoyed A Love Story. It's about one girls quest to confront her grief and discover herself. It is a funny, touching, coming-of-age debut and while I wouldn't go so far as to say Cass is highly likeable, I do think teenagers will be able to relate to at least one of her struggles (including her alternative parents). The main themes are friendship, grief, relationships, self esteem, sexuality, growing up and... musicals!

Although Cass is a smart girl, she hasn't quite figured out who she...more I really enjoyed A Love Story. It's about one girls quest to confront her grief and discover herself. It is a funny, touching, coming-of-age debut and while I wouldn't go so far as to say Cass is highly likeable, I do think teenagers will be able to relate to at least one of her struggles (including her alternative parents). The main themes are friendship, grief, relationships, self esteem, sexuality, growing up and... musicals!

Although Cass is a smart girl, she hasn't quite figured out who she is or her place in the world and after the death of Julia, while she tells herself the road trip is to honour Julia, it's more about being independent, proving herself to those back home and herself and it also allows her to get away from some of Julia's friends who are striking out at her and each other amidst their grief. It also gives her the chance to get away, think clearly and discover who she is as a person and also what Julia really meant to her.

The story is a little slow and confusing at the beginning, mostly due to the fact that it goes back and forth in time, from 'Then' when Julia was alive and the subsequent road trip and 'Now' after Cass has returned and is working on the musical penned by Julia, 'Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad'. I'm not a big fan of books that go back and forth in time but I quickly got over my initial confusion as I think Emily Horner has done a really good job of keeping the story together and all events relevant.

There are two little paragraphs that have really stuck with me since finishing this book. Neither of them have anything to do with each other (they both just happen to occur at 3am).

The first is this, for no reason other than it made me laugh.

'Okay. Obviously you have not lived.'
'I was once kissed in a motel hallway by a bass player, at three in the morning,'
'Impressive, but unconvincing.'

The second is part of an entire chapter which I love but if I write down the whole chapter, aside from being ridiculously long, it will spoil some of the story. I will say that this chapter, to me, represents the true meaning of friendship.

'Thank you,' I said. Like that would cover it. Like it would come anywhere close to covering it. But what else was there to say at three in the morning?

If I was to compare it with other YA titles, I would say if you mix Will Grayson, Will Grayson, The Sky is Everywhere and Pink by Lili Wilkinson, you have A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend.(less)

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Mar 24, 2011 Celina Araujo rated it 2 of 5 stars

I feel dirty reading young adult fiction, but this book was listed in the Editor's Choice of the NYT book review, so I can use that to rationalize my intellectual downfall. The book is about an unpopular girl who is trying to honour her dead best friend's memory by putting on a play that she (the dead friend) wrote. That part of the novel I'm fine with. The topic of teenagers dealing with grief while still trying to be like teenagers is handled very well in the novel. Unfortunately, none of the...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Rachel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Originally posted at www.crackaspinebookreviews.blogspot.com

Review: The summary of this book drew me in immediately and I thought I was going to be in for a fantastic read. Unfortunately, the story fell flat for me and I was left feeling disappointed.

Cass was a likable enough lead, but she just wasn’t distinctive enough to make a lasting impression on me. She could be very selfish at times, and had a real problem facing up to her issues. A lot of the story talked about how much Cass felt exclude...more

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Oct 27, 2010 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed, glbt, ya, 2010

Cass has always been best friends with Julia. When Julia turns into a drama geek in highschool, Cass is always there, just on the outside. It's not that she doesn't get along with the other drama geeks, she just always sees them as Julia's friends, not hers. When a tragic accident takes Julia's life, the drama geeks decide to stage the play that Julia was writing and Cass, unable to cope, decides to ride her bike across the country from Chicago to California.

The story is told in 'then' and 'now...more

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Oct 21, 2010 Becky rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-show, lgbtq, on-the-road, ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 16, 2010 Bunker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Horner weaves a tale of loyalty, love, and loss in this novel featuring Cass, who has recently endured the death of her best friend, Julia. Julia, who perished in a late night car accident in the rain, had long been the object of Cass's love, even though Cass does not realize her feelings until it is too late. While Julia's boyfriend, Oliver, and the rest of her drama friends band together to bring Julia's secret project- "Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad"- to the stage, Cass decides to honor Jul...more

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Jul 03, 2010 Shawn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I feel dirty reading young adult fiction, but this book was listed in the Editor's Choice of the NYT book review, so I can use that to rationalize my intellectual downfall. The book is about an unpopular girl who is trying to honour her dead best friend's memory by putting on a play that she (the dead friend) wrote. That part of the novel I'm fine with. The topic of teenagers dealing with grief while still trying to be like teenagers is handled very well in the novel. Unfortunately, none of the...more

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Jan 23, 2010 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids-books, so-very-very-gay

It might not have been perfect, but I pretty much adored this book. Funny, touching, and relatable - this is one of the best YA debuts I've seen in a while. I'll mention the couple of (minor) problems I had: the letter at the beginning was cheesy and almost had me putting the book down; I'm not a huge fan of books that skip back and forth in time because it is extraordinarily difficult to do well enough that it actually benefits the story; the cross-country road trip was unrealistically free of...more It might not have been perfect, but I pretty much adored this book. Funny, touching, and relatable - this is one of the best YA debuts I've seen in a while. I'll mention the couple of (minor) problems I had: the letter at the beginning was cheesy and almost had me putting the book down; I'm not a huge fan of books that skip back and forth in time because it is extraordinarily difficult to do well enough that it actually benefits the story; the cross-country road trip was unrealistically free of skeevy/scary experiences (I can't even travel across town without some of those, let alone hundreds of miles!); and the ending was maybe a little too tied up with a bow perfect. On the other hand, though, Cass was a fantastic character: complex, introverted, still figuring herself out but basically relatable and likable. Musicals may be one of the new big things in YA lit, but Ninja Death Squad was fun and meaningful and I totally want to see it. Friendship and love and sexuality are all presented as a big tangled up mess that can be confusing and scary and wonderful all at the same time, which is pretty much true for everyone in high school. I liked how Heather didn't fit into the mean girl role neatly, because she was actually a person, not just attributes, and there were reasons for her actions even when the reasons and the actions weren't commendable. In other words, I liked how this book gives teens credit for being able to see and appreciate nuances in feelings and behaviors and people. Life isn't straightforward, even if YA books frequently write it that way.

And, of course, I always appreciate it when authours write great queer books for kids - especially for all those queer girls in high school. Right now, the gayboy YA outnumbers the girls by around 3 to 1, and I'm constantly having to give "but" recommendations. You know, "This is a great book, but it's a little dated." Or "This is a sweet story, but the writings not all that great." Or "I really like this book, but none of the characters actually identify as queer." Or "This book is about a queer girl, but she goes crazy/has a shitty life/tries to kill herself/is abused/etc." So I am so excited to see books coming out (ha!) that I can recommend without any caveats. Thanks, Emily!(less)

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Nov 04, 2010 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 26, 2010 Cathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Why I read this. I was in the hospital with nothing else to read. However the nature of my being in the hospital made concentrating on the first part very difficult (come to think of it I started it before I was hospitalized, but was having severe headaches anyway). Once I got going, I found it easier, but I found the former friends of Julie (who died and whose play, they are putting on) pretty annoying. It wasn't that the amount of angst was unrealistic, just annoying. Cass had been Julie's bff...more

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Aug 09, 2010 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, friendship, glbtq

This is one of those books that I wish had come out a decade ago, because I could really have used it back then. I saw a lot myself and the people I knew in high school in this book, and I suspect it will resonate with a number of teenagers I know today. Don't get scared off by the beginning, which is sort of weird and irritating - the rest of the book is great.

Cass's best friend Julia dies in a car accident, and A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend follows Cass and her friends as they atte...more This is one of those books that I wish had come out a decade ago, because I could really have used it back then. I saw a lot myself and the people I knew in high school in this book, and I suspect it will resonate with a number of teenagers I know today. Don't get scared off by the beginning, which is sort of weird and irritating - the rest of the book is great.

Cass's best friend Julia dies in a car accident, and A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend follows Cass and her friends as they attempt to pick up the pieces, move on, and memorialize Julia as best they can. Cass memorializes her dead best friend in two ways: she takes the trip out west that she and Julia had planned, and she participates in the production of the musical Julia had been working on before her death. The road trip takes place during summer break, and the play is staged early on in the school year. The novel skips back and forth between the two stories, which normally bothers me, but here, the stories just work better this way.

The great thing is that both stories are equally engaging. I love road trip novels, and I really love Route 66, so I enjoyed the chapters about Cass's struggle to bike from Chicago to Los Angeles. Watching Cass return to the "real world" and attempt to navigate her changed relationships with Julia's friends - and enemies - is equally compelling. Horner's portrayal of this gang of grieving teenagers rings true for me - I know plenty of kids, especially theatre kids, who watch a lot of obscure horror movies and would do anything for their friends.

I never got any real sense of what Julia was like - for all that the novel happens because of her death, we don't know very much about her life. She liked theatre, was really into her boyfriend, was great at writing music...that's about all we know. And that's okay. This book is so not about Julia, and I like that. Instead, we get a smart, sympathetic portrait of smart, sympathetic Cass as she works through her grief by making mistakes, getting in trouble, and maybe even falling in love.(less)

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Aug 09, 2010 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teen girls

Shelves: lgbt-etc, ya

Read it in a day, which always says something about a book's appeal.

It took me a good 20 pages to get into it. Something about the writing was mediocre and I just didn't relate to Cass. But then it picked up (both the writing and character development).

Alternates between Then = roadtrip and Now = putting on the play. Fortunately I didn't read the flap copy, which would have given everything away. Lame flap copy.

The thing that most impressed me was how Horner portrays middle school hurts in high...more

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Jul 25, 2010 Kristin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lgbtq, yaf, read-2010

I was very skeptical about this book before I read it. This year I have read 3 books that included some sort of performance art to mark the climax of the story; and while they all served their purpose, the chosen event seems exhausted. I felt a little uneasy knowing that the original musical, Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad was the main event of this book. But, it turned out not to be, but actually so so much more.

I was only going to give A Love Story 4 stars because sometimes the dialogue felt...more I was very skeptical about this book before I read it. This year I have read 3 books that included some sort of performance art to mark the climax of the story; and while they all served their purpose, the chosen event seems exhausted. I felt a little uneasy knowing that the original musical, Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad was the main event of this book. But, it turned out not to be, but actually so so much more.

I was only going to give A Love Story 4 stars because sometimes the dialogue felt clunky and too mature for 17 year olds; man, they are complicated! I was also unsure about the alternating "Now" and "Then" chapters. Cass, the narrator, is preparing for the early school year performance of Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad during the "Now'; and recounting a doomed bicycle journey to honor her best friend, Julia, during the "Then". But, it is clear they are complementary parts creating a bittersweet whole. So, 5 stars it is.

As for the actual story: Cass may or may not have been in love with Julia since their friendship began in grade school. Julia died in a car accident right before their senior year of high school, but she left behind the script for the original muiscal, Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad and her friends decide that they must put it on. Ollie, Julia's boyfriend, resents Cass and whatever feelings she may have had for Julia. Heather was Cass's mortal enemy in middle school and shows up after transferring to Catholic school and back right before senior year because she was cast as Ninja Princess Himiko/needed to get away from the nuns and her ex. Put these characters together in a high school and prepare for something volatile. And, sprinkle a thoughtfully crafted romance to soothe the tempest within (or not!).

Aside from designing artillery for the play, Cass is a bicycle enthusiast, a math geek, Quaker and a lesbian with pretty supportive parents who are big on "hippie Jesus" - turn the other cheek, love your enemies. But, this is by far NOT the Gaytopia of David Levithan's books. There is plenty of homophobia to make it feel authentic (without being didactic) and remind us that yes, people are still judgmental and kids are still scared to come out even with plenty of gay role models, community support, films, etc. That's what makes this book so important. But, bravery and courage prevail, always.

I look forward to more novels by Emily Horner. This is a remarkable debut from a totally sweet YA librarian!

*P.S. for all those fans of Looking for Alaska, this book may be for you. (less)

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Mar 27, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bpl-mock-printz-2011

A lovely debut by a new YA author.

Cass Meyer's best friend, Julia, has been killed in a car accident. After her death, Cass starts to explore the idea that Julia was more than just a best friend. That she was, in fact, her first true love.

The story is told in two different times: "then," which is right after Julia's passing and involves a road trip, and "now," which follows Cass and her involvement in Julia's musical "Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad."

What I enjoyed about the book was the explor...more

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Dec 14, 2010 Allison rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: gave-up-the-ghost

GUPTGed!

Disclaimer: if I hadn't already read Looking for Alaska, I might have had more patience with this book. As it stands, I have read Looking for Alaska, and Bridge to Terabithia, and plenty of other formulaic YA books that have made me realize that death is, like, heavy, dude, and it changes things, and it could happen to you, even if you're young. I get it, YA authors!

To be fair, I'm way outside the target age range, but I find that with the best of YA books, this doesn't seem to be an i...more

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Sep 12, 2010 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

While A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend had its fault--the largest among them being the completely unrealistic dialogue in which the characters (mostly teenagers) beautifully and thoughtfully articulate every point they need to make--Horner did a skillful job portraying the various ways in which grief manifests itself. Ultimately, what I liked most about this book was that Horner wasn't afraid to show the dirty, ambiguous side of life and love. She illustrated all the turmoil and uncerta...more

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Sep 25, 2010 Rebeccapd96 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tri-1-reading-goal-books

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend
Emily Horner
Realistic Fiction

Cass’s best friend Julia just died in a car accident. Julia had been doing something for months, but what? Julia’s boyfriend Oliver found a whole play Julia had written called Totally Awesome Ninja Death Squad. Every single one of the Drama Nerds know what Julia would have wanted and its their job to make it happen. This story is about the struggle to put on Julia’s play and how Cass rides her bike all the way to Californi...more

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Jun 07, 2010 John rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Title: A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend

Author: Emily Horner

Publisher: Dial

LGBT books have just recently become a 'big deal' in publishing. Even with becoming more and more of a popular and readable subject, though, publishers are often sketchy on what to pick up. And frankly, some could care less. So when I see a publisher putting out something like this...it makes me a little emotional. And it makes me want to read the book. Even if I've never heard of it before. It had gotten mixed re...more Title: A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend

Author: Emily Horner

Publisher: Dial

LGBT books have just recently become a 'big deal' in publishing. Even with becoming more and more of a popular and readable subject, though, publishers are often sketchy on what to pick up. And frankly, some could care less. So when I see a publisher putting out something like this...it makes me a little emotional. And it makes me want to read the book. Even if I've never heard of it before. It had gotten mixed reviews in my little sphere of blog-reading, so I was a little apprehensive, but my inner-optimist just opened the book and got sucked in...

What goes on after your best friend dies in a car accident, leaving you to fend for yourself when you barely know who you are? For Cass, its moving forward. Her best friend Julia was there...and now she's not. Her other friends are just as devastated, but Cass doesn't feel that connection with them. They were always the theater geeks, and she was just...herself. The only thing they have left of Julia is a musical she had written. Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad

Oliver, Julia's boyfriend, decides to stage the production, Cass can only stand by as her grief and love for her dearest friend mix with other things. What is combined is an alternating tale of the 'Now' and the 'Then' that mixes in so many questions about sexuality, friendship, and grief through the eyes of a teenage girl who really doesn't know how to label herself. Especially when an old bully named Hannah works on the play in the lead role that had been destined for Julia...and feelings turn out to be far from hate. This confusing tale of a possible-lesbian is an emotional journey that will make anyone who ever questioned their sexuality tighten their stomachs and flood their tear ducts.

Cass is the type of protagonist that grabs you like a puppet and shakes your strings, leaving you a rattled and confused reader that's strangely satisfied. She barely knows who she is, and learning the truth along with her only leads to an unstoppable character-driven book. She is at constant times both guilty and innocent, deep and shallow, loving and hateful. Her interactions with the theater geeks who really are her friends are just as good and realistic. A scene in particular, when Oliver blames Cass for Julia's death, claiming she was like 'a sick puppy' and in love with Julia, really captured the realism. Coming off as both guarded and emotionally raw, Horner's characters are the real highlight and drive of the book.

The plot was both very good and not so good. On one hand, we are treated to a rich character-driven study that, for me, worked immensely well. I never felt a dull moment in my reading, and every move and thought made by Cass was interesting and provoking of my own little speed-shot of a brain. Other people wouldn't be as interested in this type of development, or they would prefer more action that character dealings. It's not a book for everyone, and that's probably it's only real fault. I did, however, think that the 'Now' was the better of the two periods - mainly because Heather and Cass had a cute relationship that I wanted to see more of! Romantics WILL find it hard to resist - even if you don't normally read these relationship types (which you should...broaden your horizons!)

Frankly, I'm going out on a limb by taking this book so personally, because I normally like to balance my personal interest with professional interest. However...Emily Horner hit home a bit too much for me not to want to shout to the hills about this book. I was pulled along by Cass at every interval...fell into every pitfall...and I knew exactly what she was going through. If you are an LGBT teen or know one, this book is a must read! If you even remotely understand what it's like, then you'll relate to this book in ways you'll never knew you could. If you don't like character studies, I'd be a little wary, but I personally cannot recommend it enough.

Cover Comments: I like it, but I'm not in love with it. The sky looks fake. About as much as I can deduce.

Rating: 5 Stars

Copy: From Sara at Penguin! Love yah, chicka!(less)

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Jan 03, 2013 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Best YA novel I've read in a while. Perhaps I'm swayed by the protagonist Cass being a Quaker teen, and grappling with how to stay true to her values and feelings, in a way that rings true to me as a liberal Quaker. In the summer after her best friend's death in a car crash, Cass follows a leading to take Julia's ashes across the country on her bike; then ends up back in her hometown wondering whether she fits in with Julia's theatre buddies, building stage sets for a production of the ninja kil...more

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Jan 14, 2011 Alsha rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm giving this one a very positive 3.5 stars. I really did enjoy it, and I loved parts of it - it's exactly the type of fiction I'm into at the moment, teen angst with a subtle lyrical/philosophical twist. My rating guide for this one is something along the lines of:

3 stars - enjoyed the storytelling, characters, structure very much
<--- this book
4 stars - reaffirmed my personal feelings and beliefs in an uplifting or depthful way
5 stars - revolutionised my personal feelings, beliefs and/or t...more

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Jun 18, 2010 Kathleen Houlihan rated it 3 of 5 stars

The aptly named Love Story chronicles Cass's life after the death of her best friend, Julia. The story skips back and forth in time, but not before and after Julia's death -- instead we flip between shortly after the death, when those who loved her are striking out at each other in frustration, loneliness, and jealousy, to several months after the death, when those same friends have united to create a legacy to their friend by bringing the bloody ninja musical that she was writing to life.

The c...more

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Jun 22, 2010 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbtq, young-adult

There was SO MUCH going on in this book! Whether or not you are a gay teenager, the author touches on issues that everyone faces, especially when it comes to grief, loss, relationships, self esteem, dreams, and belonging. Horner does this in a way that is authentic and powerful, and accessible to adults as well as teens.

Usually it takes me a while to get into the characters before I feel moved by their struggles, but I was already in tears by page 25, and I cried again and again until the end.

Th...more

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Sep 07, 2010 Ocean rated it 5 of 5 stars

i actually stumbled across this book while i was on a lengthy bike trip and searching for queer themed books in the frostburg public library with my partner-in-crime. he was actually the one that found this, and i am so glad he did. what could be better when you're on a lengthy bike trip, a big queermo, and a lover of teen books, than to find this deeply satisfying book about a queer teen girl on a bike trip?!? i read it in various bookstores and libraries along the way, and just finished it yes...more

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Sep 29, 2010 Liza rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned, bfya2011, young-adult

Grr. I was really looking forward to this book that, despite having a dead friend in it, also featured a musical about ninjas, an idea that is long overdue.

Horner immediately started the book in three time periods. The people in the story went through too many dramatic issues in those time periods to make it readable. I couldn't keep characters straight because they fell in and out of love, fought, and/or died and none of this was explained to the reader.

I understand that the point was to pull...more

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title link	preview: A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend
avg rating	preview: A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend Goodreads rating: 3.58 (741 ratings)
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A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend

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