Bailey Carr narrates this thoughtful story about trauma and survivor’s guilt with a tinge of romance. The unnamed protagonist was one of five girls Kyle texted on a lazy summer day. Only one girl, Jamie, agreed to meet up with him, and he murdered her. A year later, Kyle’s sentencing is coming up, and the protagonist relives her complex emotions in anticipation of testifying against him. Complicating matters is the fact that she is falling in love with Charlie, Jamie’s loyal and loving ex-boyfriend. Carr is believable as a teenage girl, and she perfectly portrays the protagonist’s constantly shifting emotional state. Some characters are described as having Southern accents, and Carr voices them convincingly. S.P. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Praise for How She Died, How I Lived:* "The writing grabs readers and never lets go. Crockett delves deep into the heart of grief and pain through her narrator, who is witty and vulnerable, making this a quick but heartrending read. An outstanding debut."—School Library Journal, starred review

"One of my absolute favorite books of 2018! An unforgettable and unputdownable read."—Shelf Awareness

"Crockett has crafted dynamic characters that will stick with readers long after the book is closed."—Booklist

"The narrative voice is highly credible as it canvasses the fluctuating range of emotional highs and lows, the sine curve of fear and empowerment, and the fully realized ethical dilemmas that follow a trauma that hits far too close to home."—BCCB

"[How She Died, How She Lived] authentically portrays the real feelings of someone who survives a tragedy. Recommended for readers of realistic fiction and those who have lost someone close to them in a senseless crime."—VOYA

★ 11/01/2018

Gr 9 Up—On a fateful July evening, Kyle Paxson texted five local girls with offers to hang out. Jamie was the only one kind enough to answer, and when she met up with him, he brutally murdered her. One year later, the unnamed narrator—one of the five girls who was texted—is still struggling with survivor's guilt. It doesn't help that Kyle's sentencing hearing is coming up. While she struggles with the knowledge that someone had premeditated her murder—Kyle was quoted as saying that he didn't care who showed up—she is also dealing with feelings for Jamie's boyfriend Charlie who has become angry, brooding, and distant after Jamie's murder. As Kyle's sentencing draws nearer, and her feelings for Charlie grow stronger, the narrator must reconcile a maelstrom of emotions. Can love and hope exist in the wake of such random and senseless violence? Crockett's first novel defies genre; it is a book about grief, acceptance, and forgiveness. Written in short, digestible chapters, the emotion-filled narration so authentically captures the traumatic experience, that the reading experience could be overwhelming for some. The writing grabs readers and never lets go. Crockett delves deep into the heart of grief and pain through her narrator, who is witty and vulnerable, making this a quick but heartrending read. VERDICT An outstanding debut that explores the deluge of emotions that follows a tragedy. Highly recommended.—Tyler Hixson, Brooklyn Public Library

Bailey Carr narrates this thoughtful story about trauma and survivor’s guilt with a tinge of romance. The unnamed protagonist was one of five girls Kyle texted on a lazy summer day. Only one girl, Jamie, agreed to meet up with him, and he murdered her. A year later, Kyle’s sentencing is coming up, and the protagonist relives her complex emotions in anticipation of testifying against him. Complicating matters is the fact that she is falling in love with Charlie, Jamie’s loyal and loving ex-boyfriend. Carr is believable as a teenage girl, and she perfectly portrays the protagonist’s constantly shifting emotional state. Some characters are described as having Southern accents, and Carr voices them convincingly. S.P. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

2018-09-02

Coming to terms with a brutal murder in small-town Virginia gets complicated when the unnamed narrator falls for Charlie, the victim's bereaved boyfriend.

Of the five girls Kyle texted, one of whom was the protagonist, only Jamie responded. Kyle said he needed a listening ear, and Jamie was kind. After confessing to her murder, Kyle was jailed immediately. A year later, the other four girls are asked to testify at the sentencing hearing for which the death penalty is sought. Coping with her feelings is still hard for the narrator; when her relationship with Charlie turns intimate, his violent grief and hatred of Kyle threaten to destroy their romance. While the protagonist barely knew either killer or victim, she nearly responded positively to Kyle's text suggesting they get high—a near miss that haunts her during a year of agony. The female characters object to threats from boys while passively tolerating other behavior and comments that amount to sexual harassment. The protagonist's sharp eyes, wry views, and judgments are highlights, but excessive length, low stakes, and dead-end plot twists that work against suspense try readers' patience. The presence of genuine literary merit, particularly in the portrayal of intense grief, only serves to highlight aspects of the book that fall short, such as insufficient development of Kyle's character. One girl's Asian boyfriend excepted, characters are presumed white.

A veneer of gravitas hides little substance. (Fiction. 14-18)