I first read this book in High School and it really spoke to me on a spiritual level. Besides that, it's a wonderful story filled with great dialogue and twists straight out of Nighttime TV. This book, the first of a trilogy, focuses on the apparent suicide of one Shari Ann Cooper.

Shari has no idea how she ended up dead, but she's positive she didn't jump and is determined to prove it. Along the way, she learns that everything she thought she knew about the afterlife is wrong. There is no death and she wants to get that message across to her loved ones.

Pike populates Shari's world with some colorful (and odd) characters. Among them are Jo, her cousin and new age follower; Dan, Shari's cheating boyfriend; Beth, the girl who's messing around with Dan; Amanda, the shy daughter of the Cooper's maid and Jeff, a guy who has issues with Shari because of his brother's death. Each one becomes a suspect and most have something to hide.

As the investigation unravels, you can't help but feel for Shari as she struggles to navigate her new world while trying to let go of the old. A definite must read for fans of Pike and YA in general. An omnibus containing all three books was recently released along with some of Pike's other work.