Amazing writing, but the plot progresses horribly. Bland characters. Melodramatic. Unrealistic. ( )

This book is a bunch of blather about serious topics that are not handled well at all.
CW: this book tries to romanticize suicidal ideation; mentions of sex; underage drinking; motor vehicle accident

Other reviewers have noted that this book should have been from the boyfriend's perspective -because it's aaaallll about him-. Information the protagonist doesn't have access to is conveniently dumped on readers' laps and we should progress merrily like that was the plan all along. Much of what is discussed would pack more emotional power if told through the boyfriend's perspective instead of him relaying stuff to her. Spencer's suicidal ideation begins on page 142 of the edition I was reading. There isn't a good buildup to it. Instead, readers are treated to multiple stanzas per page of other people's poetry, and the two teenagers are So Deep for quoting them flawlessly back and forth. I'm so glad I didn't read this as a teenager. I would have quoted poetry even more to others and expected them to do it back, emboldened by this book. Albinoni in G Minor is a real song, and I like listening to the accordion part. Sex begins on page 162, and it's even -described- in a way I found annoying, despite several references being fade to black scenes. Spencer and Lauren are Chedward and AnaBella clones, or since this came out in the 90s, probably not. The dynamics are the same.

On page 214, Spencer is revealed to have been in a terrible motorcycle accident. This is so common IRL that I hear them referred to as "donor-cycles" a lot, since posthumous organ donation usually follows frequent fatalities. It's what popped into my head the instant there was a motorcycle in this book. It's a habit. For the next several pages, a nurse helpfully blabs updates to Lauren for weeks. She's...not family, or married to him. All you have is her word that they're dating. HIPAA had been in place for three years in the USA by this point. That nurse reeeeally wanted to lose their job, apparently. Lauren develops into a Mary Sue perhaps midway through the novel, and it especially shows up here. I was annoyed. The HEA was lackluster and a little weird.

Other reviewers have indicated Mary Downing Hahn should stick to ghost stories. I concur as a result of reading this book. She's a talented writer, but this is not an example of that. ( )

A compelling and memorable story. ( )

I read this book as a teen and over ten years later, it still haunts me. I couldn't tell you if that's the mark of a good writer or a touching story, but seeing it again compelled me to reread it.
Since you can find a summary of the novel on Amazon.com, I won't go there.
Reading it again as an adult, I see little red flags that I am positive I missed as a teen. I hope that teens reading it today will recognize the signs of severe depression and know what to do. Hann structures the story in such a way that you are compelled to move forward. Some of the situations that the main characters get in aren't exactly explained in the time frame of the novel (things seem to happen too fast), but if you take in the back story of the characters it makes a bit more sense. Most of the characters are fleshed out, even if they're secondary.
I enjoyed rereading this immensely. ( )

My favorite YA book from when I was a teen.