Playlist for the Dead: A Gut-Wrenching Young Adult Mystery of Grief, Friendship, and Truth

Michelle Falkoff’s PLAYLIST FOR THE DEAD is a moving, thought-provoking, and wonderfully told story about a boy who’s trying to come to grips with his best and only friend’s suicide and understand just what his friend was trying to say through the playlist he made for him.It is a story that tackles a tough subject, but does so in a way that is not too heavy, yet still weighty enough for readers to make an emotional connection with the story and its characters and to give them a number of things to think about.It introduces a boy who is completely lost, alone, riddled with guilt, and desperate to understand what part he played in his friend’s decision. It follows him in the days and year after the suicide as he tries to interpret the meaning behind each song in the playlist and build a new life for himself.The author lets both readers and her main character, Sam, try and solve the puzzle together about just what led Hayden to choose to end his life. Through Sam’s memories, the memories of a few others who knew him, and the songs on Hayden’s playlist, readers will get to know Hayden, come to empathize with his struggles, and perhaps understand why he did what he did.And while this is in part a story about Hayden, it’s very much a story about Sam and everyone that Hayden left behind. PLAYLIST FOR THE DEAD focuses on what happens to those whose lives Hayden impacted, how they cope with the loss, how they adapt, how they survive.It is sad and sweet and heartfelt and heartbreaking. It asks the question “why,” and it reveals the answer in a way that feels a little bit like a mystery. It gives readers a peek into a friendship that was on the verge of changing, one with secrets, one that had its ups and downs, but one that still had a strong bond. And it invites readers to listen to the songs, which are announced at the beginning of each chapter, in order to feel even more connected.Michelle Falkoff created a likable and thoughtful and interesting character in Sam to tell her story through. He was shy and awkward, like Hayden, but he was also much stronger than his friend, making for a compelling narrative. She wrote a story with a number of important messages, quietly delivered, that will keep readers thinking long after the story’s end. Ideas about forgiveness, and blame, and vengeance, and acceptance.PLAYLIST FOR THE DEAD is a poignant and engaging and relatable story and one that is a must for readers who enjoy incredibly touching, coming-of-age stories and those who know just what it’s like to be in Sam’s shoes.

Mature-Content Rating: Language, Underage Drinking, Suicide, Mention of Homophobia, Violence“Apparently I wasn’t the only one who was finding people surprising these days. It made me wonder whether everyone had these secret lives, these aspects of themselves that didn’t match who they seemed to be.”Where to begin with this? For starters, don’t worry about the music. I did listen to some of the songs but it’s really not necessary to follow the story. The music has more to do with Sam and Hayden’s relationship than the actual storyline. The songs on the playlist are meant to help Sam understand why Hayden committed suicide, but after listening to it several times the songs only confuse him.During the story Sam finds that Hayden had other friends he didn’t know about and secrets he was keeping even from his best friend. The bullying everyone was aware of, but slowly though-out the book Sam is introduced to new characters and new perspectives of the fate filled night at the party.What I really loved about this book is that it’s psychologically light, but layered with the emotions those that are left behind face: guilt, blame, anger, sadness, loneliness, hopelessness. It could be possible that everyone and no one is to blame for Hayden’s death. The narrative by Sam also made me able to really understand his feelings at any point in the story. Just how a passage was written would leave me just as frustrated or confused as Sam. Bravo.What I didn’t like is, like in so many other YA novels, the complete lack of parent interaction. It seems like a go-to fix-it for YA novelists if you need parents out of the way, then the kid has a no-show dad and mother who is either a) a waitress at a 24/7 dinner or b) a nurse with odd hours.Overall, Playlist for the Dead is a great realistic fiction novel from this debut author. I recommend it for anyone who likes psychological YA fiction that’s on the tragic side.www.readingbifrost.com

I really enjoyed this book. I am not exactly sure why I felt "4 Stars" about it and not 5. I think maybe it was the ending or that I thought I should have felt more given the topic. Maybe it was because you think this is going to be a story about suicide, but it's a lot more. The first chapter is tough. Sam finds his best friend, really, his only friend dead. Then he finds the thumb drive with the playlist and a note from Hayden, saying it would explain everything. The bulk of this book is Sam trying to figure out why Hayden did it, but it is also a story of self discovery. Sam learns a lot about himself as he is trying to solve the mystery of Hayden's death. Each chapter is a song (great music, by the way). Each song is appropriately connected to different events in the story, some in real-time, some in flashbacks. I liked the variety of ways the past events were presented to us. The author did a good job of depicting many different types of characters, who defied stereotypes, but she also gave us those characters who looked like they had it all together on the surface, but were privately suffering. In my opinion, there is someone for almost everyone to identify with in this book.

I decided to read this book because a friend recommended it. Although young adult is typically not my genre of choice, this book is so powerful that it transcends categories. I have spent the past few months just thinking about how I feel about each of the characters and the books resolution. All the characters are so beautifully written and the author resistedthe temptation to resolve everything in a cookie cutter, perfect way. At the end, there are still questions left unanswered, nothing is tied up in a neat, little bow. The fact that I am still thinking about the book and it’s characters so long after I finished reading it is truly the test image to a great novel. I look forward to reading her other work.

Ok, I have spoken before on LisaTalksAbout.com about the strange trend in YA fiction of writing about suicide; this is the topic of Michelle Falkoff’s debut novel Playlist for the Dead. Unlike other novels that have chosen this subject matter, the actual suicide doesn’t play that big a role. It is more about the devastation for those who are left to pick up the pieces.In Playlist for the Dead, Sam finds his best friend Hayden, dead. It is confirmed as suicide but there is nothing to indicate why except for a memory stick with a playlist on left to Sam saying that it should make him understand. However, Sam harbours a lot of guilt over Hayden’s death. The night before they had argued and now Sam feels responsible. However, slowly he realises that other people feel the same. A mystery over who is actually responsible for his death starts to unravel and Sam knows that he has to keep hunting for the reason that Hayden killed himself.Playlist for the Dead is a damn good YA novel; one that I read in one sitting. Michelle Falkoff deals with the different emotions felt – sadness, anger, confusion etc – with sensitivity. She focuses on those that are left to deal with death rather than glorifying the act of suicide. Playlist for the Dead is one of the better YA Fiction novels I have read this year.Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff is available now.Follow Michelle Falkoff (@MichelleFalkoff) on Twitter.

I should have done my research first: this is a kids' book.Whether or not suicide is a suitable subject for teenagers is another story.The book is also American. Don't get me wrong: there are some great American books, but they are for adults. Somehow American teenage fiction is a special kind of ghastly.There is no likeable character in this book, and they are all thin as paper. There is no real story. A guy kills himself (for no apparent reason) and leaves some songs for his friend which will explain everything. They don't explain anything. The concept is fine, but the author has concocted a daft, unrealistic narrative just to use the idea of leaving music for someone.It is poorly written, with ugly and clunky prose. The characters are weak, the story non-existent. If you want fantastic YA fiction look no further than Robert Westall: his books will stay with you into adulthood, and you'll return to them again and again. They are powerful and beautifully written.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but a book with a playlist of new songs was not something I wanted to miss.I enjoyed the beginning better than the end to be honest. Some parts of the conclusion seemed a little rushed. But I can forgive that as the book was good overall.The inclusion of music was a really good idea. As it gave a glimpse of Hayden's state of mind at the time. Even if some of the songs seemed a little obvious maybe? Unoriginal? Lacking as much thought as the others. But it really added to the experience of the book and you should try listening to the stories if you at all can.All in all a good book which I would certainly recommend.

I really wanted to like this book, but I found myself slipping through some pages as I found it very slow and hard to stay interested in, unfortunately I never made it to the end of the book as I just couldn't stay engaged with it.

I enjoyed the show Thirteen Reasons Why but found the book to be a little dull, a little too simplified in writing. I'm not saying this one is majorlly different but it does flow better with likeable characters throughout.