Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Doubleday, 2013. ISBN: 9780857532275.
(Age: 15+) Teardrop by Lauren Kate is a story about an older teen by the name of Eureka who tragically loses her mother in a freak accident. Eureka has to endure her father's new (and irritating) wife Rhoda and the alienating stares of the people she once called friends after her attempt at joining her mother in the afterlife. Forced to go and see one of many therapists, failing to meet her track coach's standards, missing her mother constantly and having her father grow distant doesn't do much to sway the suicidal thoughts in Eureka's head. The only things that pull her back from the plunge and making detailed plans are her twin step-siblings and two of her closest friends who resemble a beacon of light in her dark world. Strange things start to happen as a mysterious boy named Ander smashes into her car and magically keeps reappearing and disappearing both from her life and her mind.
This novel is so unique in how it's written; all the characters are so realistic and relatable that you almost feel like you know them when you put the book down. This book has a seriously unexpected plot and it unravels from this simple, straightforward world to a whole other sea of mysteries and secrecies that are slowly revealed. It is definitely not as it appears. Teardrop is well suited for an older audience due to some action scenes, romantic and violent themes and that younger readers may not understand or may find a touch squeamish. Overall, this has got to be a must have for readers who love mystery.
Sarah Filkin (Student)