ALL THAT’S LEFT TO SAY

A young woman struggles to accept the death of her cousin.

Smart, ambitious Hannah is blindsided when Sophie, the person she was closest to in the world, dies of an opioid overdose in a bathroom at a party at the beginning of her junior year in their Maryland town. Hannah had no idea Sophie was using and is lost in a haze of disbelief and sorrow. Narrated in the first person by Hannah, this poignant novel moves back and forth in time between the events of her junior and senior years, detailing a plan she and Gabi, Sophie’s best school friend, hatch to discover who sold Sophie the drugs. It details what unfolds when Hannah, previously scornful of prestigious private school Ingleside Country Day, which her wealthier cousin attended, decides to transfer there. The result is a mystery storyline that blends for the most part smoothly with an effective and achingly real exploration of the ripple effects of the grief felt by all who loved Sophie. This eventually leads to Hannah’s greater understanding of herself and the futility people often face in looking for individual villains when it comes to substance use disorder. The book also touches on how this epidemic affects different communities. An appealing romantic subplot between Hannah and her debate rival will pull readers in. Hannah and Sophie are cued White; there is ethnic diversity among secondary characters.

An engrossing, thoughtful depiction of a tragedy.