You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz

Here's a bit from Ms. Schutz's lovely website: Annaleah and Brian had something special—Annaleah is sure of it. When they were together, they didn’t need anyone else. It didn’t matter that it was secret. All that mattered was what they shared.


And then, suddenly, Brian dies. And while everyone else has their role in the grieving process, Annaleah finds herself living on the outside of it, unacknowledged and lonely. How can you recover from a loss no one will let you have?

My Take

Yes, another book in verse.  This one was all free verse.  More than being about loss it was about overcoming grief.  Figuring out how to move on with you life and feeling okay in doing so.  The sudden loss of her secret boyfriend Brian, paralyzes Annaleah.  She's flash frozen and defined by that moment.  Slowly, she begins to understand that she cannot move beyond it all without the help of those that surround her.  I loved the words of wisdom that Brian's grandmother departed to her.  Although, my favorite quote from the book is, "Someone should arrest him before he befriends someone else."  In the moment it was funny.  The cover is beautiful as well.  I'm giving this one 4 kisses!