suicide notes from beautiful girls

Book 1 of my 2018 Reading Challenge

Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten

Summary (via Goodreads)
They say Delia burned herself to death in her stepfather's shed. They say it was suicide.
But June doesn't believe it.
June and Delia used to be closer than anything. Best friends in that way that comes before everyone else - before guys, before family. It was like being in love, but more. They had a billion secrets, tying them together like thin silk cords.
But one night a year ago, everything changed. June, Delia, and June's boyfriend, Ryan, were just having a little fun. Their good time got out of hand. And in the cold blue light of morning, June knew only this - things would never be the same again.
Now Delia is dead. June is certain she was murdered. And she owes it to her to find out the truth...which is far more complicated than she ever could have imagined.

My Opinion
My 15 year old daughter asked for this for Christmas and read it immediately, then asked me to prioritize reading it because she wants to talk about it.  I read it immediately then passed it on to my 14 year old daughter telling her the same thing.  A book that has been in  our house for 8 days and is already on the 3rd reader shows how bingeworthy it is.

If you don't like books that leave questions unanswered at the end, this is not the book for you.  It's one of those books that I feel weird recommending because it drove me crazy but it was compulsively readable and I didn't know what was going on.

It's a YA read that adults would not be bored by but this is a YA read I would give to an older teen ready to try more adult, do-some-thinking-and-look-below-the-surface themes (I know my girls won't pick up everything that I did because of their lack of experience/exposure and that's okay).  This would be a good read for someone that likes the unreliable narrator/give up trying to guess ahead and enjoy the ride/mindfuck type of mysteries but doesn't like a lot of graphic sex or violence.  There are heavy topics including sex and violence but it's more allusion than actually spelled out word for word on the page, and I'm sure there is language but it wasn't anything that's standing out now that I'm reflecting on it.

I've written many words without actually saying anything about the plot and that's intentional.  But if you read it, let's analyze it together.

A Few Quotes from the Book
"I thought about that moment for a long time after, because by that point in our friendship I'd thought I knew her so well that she couldn't surprise me. But people, they always can, no matter who they are. And everything that happened after that, between us, that surprised me too."

"Every day thousands and thousands of people die.
 Some know it might be coming - they're sick or old, or their lives are dangerous. Some don't have any idea at all.
 They wake up and don't bother to think, this is a day, because it is the same as the thousands that came before it and the thousands they think will come after.
 None will come after."