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.

Some unanswered questions, but overall, it was a good read. Quick and engaging with well developed characters. I had to pause and listen to some of the songs on the playlist so I could understand it better from Sam's perspective.

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 resisted the 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.

Overall not a bad story. I really enjoyed the message and the story's twist at the end. It certainly stands out from other YA books written about grief over suicide. However, the main character Sam has little to no personality which makes him slightly uninteresting. I am not sure if that was intended (so the reader can better put themselves in his position), but it made the story sag at some parts for me. Definitely worth checking out if the story has already caught your interest.

Five star s Playlist for the Dead is an interesting book, even though I am not it's target audience. The mysterious playlist,the gaming references, and the culture of a modern high school are all beyond me. But what is most intriguing is the giant holes in the kids culture. Astrid knows something about classical culture,the narrator knows something about Jewish culture but their only contact with Christianity is the narrow fundamentalist church in town No wonder we all talk past each other .

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

There is always three sides to every story and this book is a prime example. I enjoyed this book because it s v a . A cc

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.

Playlist for the Dead é apenas outro livro teen, sem moral, com mistérios possíveis de serem resolvidos sem dificuldade, onde no fim você nota que ter ou não uma playlist não explica absolutamente nada da história

Ya llevo tiempo queriendo comprar este libro, lo compre en tapa dura por un buen precio, Llego en excelentes condiciones. Ahora a leer a ver qué tal

I'm writing this review with full honesty and I have no complains....This book is a full pack of trauma, mystery and emotion. This book will make you cry and keep you at wonder in the same time. As a person who reads books and has a huge collection...I can assure you...Thanks to the author on writing about teenage suicide. This book kept me on hook all the time. It is a book that's hard to keep down once you start reading. I would definitely recommend for you to buy it 10/10.