You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz

Have you ever had a secret love? Someone you spent all your time with and cared for, but no one could know about it? Brian and Annaleah had something special, she just knew it. They only needed each other and it didn't matter what Annaleah's friends said about Brian or their secret relationship. She loved Brian, but then Brian dies suddenly. Annaleah finds herself not able to grieve like everyone else. She is lost and comes to find that she hardly knew who Brian was.

I found myself so emotionally attached to this book. I cried when Annaleah cried and I hurt when Annaleah hurt. The novel is written in verse and I found some of the writing so beautiful and raw.

"A lot of the time you made me crazy,
I was always wondering
where you were,
what you were doing,
why you weren't calling,
what you were thinking,
if you felt the same way I did.
I wanted to be close to you,
spend more time with you,
for you to share things with me,
but you never did.
But I guess I didn't
tell you everything either." pg 120

I picked up this book at random and I'm so glad I did. It tells a story, but also gives advice. You can't let a relationship define who you are, only YOU can define who you are. In life we have to keep on moving or we don't get anywhere.

I think that a lot of people can relate to this story, so if you can pick this book up!