YA Staff Pick of the Week: A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner

This week's book pick is A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner.

Cass's best friend Julia had a project, one that she never discussed with her friends. Then Julia died in a car accident, and her boyfriend discovers what she was working on: Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad, a musical she'd written. He decides that as a tribute to Julia, her friends should put on her musical. While Cass is all for a tribute, she doesn't see herself as making much of a contribution beyond helping to build sets. Plus, her arch-nemesis from middle school, Heather Galloway, has suddenly entered stage left and gained the lead. Cass knows she just needs to go away, and the best way she can think of is to bike to California, toting Julia's ashes with her. But when Cass comes back in August, Heather's still there, and so is the Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad (along with sets that still need to be built). And Julia still isn't. Cass doesn't see things getting better anytime soon.