The Serpent King

Zen and the Art of Faking It

All About Vee

Lying About Last Summer

You've Reached Sam

Optimists Die First

Too Bright to See

The Ghost Within

What if you could spend one last day with someone you lost?

One day Carver Briggs had it all—three best friends, a supportive family, and a reputation as a talented writer at his high school, Nashville Academy for the Arts.

The next day he lost it all when he sent a simple text to his friend Mars, right before Mars, Eli, and Blake were killed in a car crash.

Now Carver can’t stop blaming himself for the accident, and he’s not the only one. Eli’s twin sister is trying to freeze him out of school with her death-ray stare. And Mars’s father, a powerful judge, is pressuring the district attorney to open a criminal investigation into Carver’s actions.

Luckily, Carver has some unexpected allies: Eli’s girlfriend, the only person to stand by him at school; Dr. Mendez, his new therapist; and Blake’s grandmother, who asks Carver to spend a Goodbye Day with her to share their memories and say a proper goodbye to his friend.

Soon the other families are asking for a Goodbye Day with Carver, but he’s unsure of their motives. Will they all be able to make peace with their losses, or will these Goodbye Days bring Carver one step closer to a complete breakdown or—even worse—prison?

Discover Your Child's Next Read

The Serpent King

Jerry Spinelli, Jeff Zentner, 2000

Zen and the Art of Faking It

Jordan Sonnenblick, 2007

All About Vee

C. Leigh Purtill, 2008

Lying About Last Summer

Sue Wallman, 2016

You've Reached Sam

Dustin Thao, 2021

Optimists Die First

Susin Nielsen, 2017

Too Bright to See

Kyle Lukoff, 2021

The Ghost Within

Charlotte Bloomfield, 2012