Playlist for the Dead

November 3, 2014
Sam find his best friend Hayden dead of an apparent suicide the morning after a party—the two boys were both bullied at school, but Sam still feels responsible. Hayden left Sam a playlist of music as a suicide note (the songs correspond to the book’s chapters), which Sam listens to, eager for answers. Then strange things start to happen. Sam receives messages from someone using Hayden’s IM handle, a girl named Astrid with connections to Hayden appears in Sam’s life, and someone starts getting revenge against the “bully trifecta” who made life hell for Hayden and Sam—all of which make Sam question everything he thought he knew about Hayden. Debut author Falkoff gives Sam a strong voice to narrate his grief over the loss of his best friend and his confusion about the events that follow. Her efforts to add mystery to the circumstances surrounding Hayden’s death are forced, however, and as the novel progresses, the revelations test plausibility. This aside, Falkoff treats a difficult topic with delicacy and care. A Spilled Ink Productions property. Ages 13–up. Agent: Richard Abate, 3 Arts Entertainment.

October 15, 2014
When his best friend leaves behind a mysterious playlist in lieu of a proper suicide note, Sam is left with dozens of questions and only a handful of songs as clues. Hayden and Sam have been thick as thieves since they were 8, but the pressures of high school have been pushing them apart bit by bit for the last few months. After a party turns disastrous, the two leave on the worst of terms, and Sam finds Hayden's body in the morning with an empty bottle each of vodka and Valium. He also finds a playlist and a note with just one sentence: "For Sam....Listen and you'll understand." As Sam deals with his only friend's death, a mysterious girl come out of the woodwork offering condolences and a different account of Hayden's personality. As Sam discovers more and more about his friend, he discovers a bit more about his own sense of identity as well. It's a nice premise with some truly powerful moments, but there is a serious overreliance on exposition-heavy dialogue. These conversations are lined up one after another so often it almost becomes comical. A few emotional dead ends are met as well, making for an ambitious book that doesn't quite stick any of the landings. The highs of the journey are so high that it's almost forgivable that the book's central mystery ends up being a bust. A mixed bag that delights slightly more than disappoints. (Fiction. 12-16)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Accustomed to operating outside of the major social scene, Sam is disappointed when a rare party he attends is ruined by a fight with his best friend, Hayden. Disappointment fades quickly when he discovers that Hayden killed himself afterward. Rocked by the tragedy, Sam is left puzzling over tracks that his friend left for a playlist and struggling to figure out who he is without Hayden around. Despite the heavy subject matter, the overall tone of the book is less somber than the title would indicate, and it is a quick, engaging read. Falkoff nails the war-zone mentality and painful symbiosis of high school friendships. The mixture of grief, anger, and guilt that Sam works through is realistic and well written, and his reactions to Hayden's music choices further illuminates not only his struggle but also how their friendship was beginning to change. The characters and concept work better than the plot-it gets an all-loose-ends-tied-up treatment at the end. This is especially frustrating as an entire eerie subplot is explained away in the course of a short paragraph. The strong characters, dialogue and the use of the playlist to structure the book make this a good pick for struggling readers. Hand this to fans of the movie Superbad and Spotify-obsessives.-Erinn Black Salge, Saint Peter's Prep, Jersey City, NJ

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.