You Are Not Here was recommended to me by Joli of Actin' Up with Books Blogspot. I've been reading a ton of verse YA novels lately and she thought I would appreciate this one. I definitely did! You Are Not Here is about a girl named Annaleah who hooks up with a boy named Brian. Only a couple of Annaleah's friends know about their relationship, and they don't exactly approve. Brian seems to be using Annaleah, contacting her at his convenience and not defining their relationship beyond hooking up together. This is hard for Annaleah because she's in love with him. When Brian suddenly dies, Annaleah's world goes into a tailspin. Her friends try to be sympathetic, but it's hard. It's even harder for Annaleah because Brian's family and friends didn't know about her.
This is a powerful book about finding self-respect, coping with loss, and reaching out for help when life brings you down. A worthy YA verse novel!