Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez (review)

The summer after her senior year, Frenchie Garcia's morbid fascination with death sinks her into a deep depression. Her friends and family attribute her mood to her recent rejection from art school, but Frenchie confides the truth to Emily Dickinson, her imaginary pal who happens to share the name of Frenchie's favorite poet. Four months ago, Frenchie ran into Andy Cooper, her unrequited crush, at a bar. They spent the night together, hitting Orlando hot spots and generally having a good time, and the next day, Andy killed himself. Obsessed with figuring out where she went wrong, Frenchie tries to recreate that night with Colin, the only friend she has left after pushing the rest all away. Chapters alternate between Frenchie's current night with Colin and her time with Andy four months ago, presenting two very different versions of Frenchie: a quirky, sarcastic, punky girl blissfully hanging out with her crush, and a desperate, grieving girl looking for answers that simply don't exist. Sanchez is spot-on in her portrayal of depression and its repercussions: well-intentioned but confused family members surround both Andy and Frenchie, Andy can never quite delineate the source of his sadness until it overwhelms him, and Frenchie seems to be following a similar path as her negative thinking becomes increasingly illogical. The inclusion of several Dickinson poems and the various literary allusions throughout will please aspiring English majors, but in the end, this is a book about sadness, and it will find an audience with any teen who has ever felt hopeless; Frenchie's choice to live her life, regardless of its difficulties, may give them a bit of their hope back.