Accidents happen all the time. You were not paying attention, you took a turn too fast, even something is coming at you and you could not tear your eyes off it until you collide head on. Yet what is the difference between an accident and a suicide attempted? Is it how fast you were going? What happens right before you got behind the wheel? And who is the person to judge. And others, sometimes they are just accidents. Right? Others leave you more broken than you realize. Like Olive, she was left with a broken-heart and a repeating melody.
Olive Bell was your typical girl. She had the perfect boyfriend, a picture perfect family, a guaranteed at collage and clothes ready for any formal moment. Yet after she crashed her “boyfriend’s” (now ex for he did not visited her even once in the hospital) car after going around a turn too fast, it was not the only thing she brought down. She should have died. She was meant to die. Yet somehow she had survived and was given a second chance. For that she felt different. When even her parents believed that the car accident was a suicide attempt and tried everything to keep her safe.
After being back in school for a while Olive did not get back into her old rhythm. Soon she was failing almost everything, and her mind taken up on completely with Derek her ex-boyfriend who is now the new boyfriend to a popular, pretty, cheerleader. It disgusted her how public they were, when after two years of dating Derek still would not hold her hand in public. A visit to the school counselor forces Olive to deal with her trauma and look into a “support group”. Not taking any of the counselor’s suggesting she found a group online called The Near Death Society, located thirty miles away in Los Angeles. The meetings are not what she expected, until a mysterious boy walks in and catches Olive’s eyes. The boy name was Nick, who was dark, sarcastic and had an English accent. He swept Olive off her feet on the fascinating dates. Soon all Olive could think of is Nick, forgetting about Derek all together. Yet when Nick reveals his secret it sends Olive running. Running right back to Derek. Yet she is still confused by it all, and has to make the decision. Does she want to be Nick sidekick, or Derek personal cheerleader?
Jordanna Fraiberg has taken the fascinating g topic of death and second chances and turned it into a love affair of teenagers. The music part I did not completely get. I thought she was going crazy hearing a man singing to her. Yet I can see it having significant meaning that I just did not get. The character had depth as Nick gave you parts of his history in short bursts, often several pages apart. Also the depth of Olive, with having the crash and her drama with her friend. And then there is Derek the jerk of an ex, that everyone apparently love, smart, good-looking, who is only using you so that it looks like he’s a caring person. This book was dry in some parts, and confusing in others, but a perfect one book to read in the cold gray-days of the spring.