CW: Suicide ( )

I really liked this book's approach to the grieving process. The title sums up the stages of grief pretty spot on and the author did a great job at showing that through the book. Being a teenager is hard and awkward and terrible enough that when you combine it with losing your best friend, it's a nightmare. That's what I kept telling myself when I got annoyed with the characters. I'm not sure you could pay me enough to go back to high school. ( )

We meet Amy, a recovering binge drinker, as she is coming out of a "teen treatment center". We"meet" Julia through Amy's thoughts and little letters that she writes to her. See, Amy and Julia are/were best friends until Julia dies in a car accident. Amy blames herself for the accident and throughout most of the book I was under the impression that Amy was the one driving.
Amy must face going back to school and living a normal life, and while there she feels like she shouldn't be. She has a few bought's with doubt and the urge to drink, and while her parents are being exactly like she always wanted them to be; she "hates" it. Amy doesn't have any friends at school and even though there is one guy who trys to talk to her; she keeps pushing him away.
The story progresses from there, Amy eventually starts to semi make friends, and while attending therapy she starts to realize that the accident wasn't entirely her fault. She slowly starts to heal and move on.
The story was a good one, although most of it was a little hard to understand with the way it switched from Amy's pov and her letters to Julia; but once you go the hang of the voice it was a fast but deep read. ( )

Amy's tired of her parents acting like they actually care about her and not there ever loving relationship. She's always felt alone in her life. She's had friends before Julia. Friend's that treat her like crap and now it's Caro a.k.a. Corn Syrup who gets the abuse of her former leader Beth who could ruin your life in a second. Amy's so thankful she had Julia but now that she's gone she doesn't know what to do. She still hears her mother's whisper Murderer and knows that is what she is she'll never escape it. Now her life is After Julia. She has to deal with Laurie with her questions and pen clicking. As well as Mel who just talks and talks. Patrick is there too. Her almost... he's always quiet and she wonders what his sadness and anger mean. Love You Hate You Miss You is about choices in our life and whether or not we can forgive ourselves.

This was a pretty good book. Amy got to me when she started to describe their way of life. Alcohol, drugs, and sex. And maybe I don't know the people who do that and maybe Julia was a nice person but seriously I look at the people at my school and can't think beyond what I see. I really need to stop doing that. But the way they talk... so that was that. I felt bad for her. She was lonely because her parents were the opposite of what other books and actual people portray. They love each other a lot. To the point they are making out. Ugh. It's cool that they love each other so much but she was like a burden to them. I'm glad they were trying at least.

I actually liked Patrick and all his weirdness. I'm surprised other girls didn't. Girls like guys that they can "fix". But that wasn't it. He had a tough time and you know he saw life completely different. A way where you can have conversations with him that mattered. It was really weird that they just touched and were going to do it. That can't be realistic. Also the whole sex thing in high school... whatever. But it was a good book. I liked it. It was different then what I expected but again it was still good. I'm happy that I read it.

http://shesgotbooksonhermind.blogspot.com ( )

This is a touching story about grief, guilt and responsibility. Sixteen year-old Amy believes she caused the death of her best friend and is now struggling with alcoholism, life without Julia, her parents, school and moving on. Heartbroken, guilty and alone, Amy has a realistic voice which comes through in her letters to Julia and alternating first person narrative. As Amy reflects on the past, she gradually comes to realise that it is impossible to change the choices we make and while the book doesn't end happily-ever-after, there is a feeling of hope as Amy begins the long process of healing. ( )