After (review)

It's almost a year since Lacey's father died in a car accident, but she's still dealing with her grief and guilt. It doesn't help that her family doesn't talk about the loss, her best friend seems totally wrapped up in her boyfriend, and other people at school walk on eggshells around her. It's that last detail that compels Lacey to take action when a classmate's mother dies; she creates an informal group for kids who've lost their parents, giving them a place where they can be themselves among people who share their experience. The book thoughtfully touches on the isolation of teens who feel cut off by their atypical losses, and the group (which is as much a place where the participants are freed from being "the kids with dead parents" as one where they discuss the fact) is not only plausibly portrayed but also a good idea that might inspire some real-life imitators. Characterization of the primaries is less effective, though: Lacey's self-absorption, which is eventually acknowledged, makes her pretty unsympathetic, and her guilt feelings are a strained and predictable device; her relationship with pert-near-perfect Sam is more fantasy romance than an additional realistic dimension. Some readers will nonetheless enjoy the love story, and they'll be glad to see Lacey moving beyond sadness.