Hmmm....

This is one of the most well-written books I've ever read.  It is stark and bleak and beautiful.  You can pretty much tell by the title, Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone, that this isn't going to be a perky, feel-good book.  But man, it is really good.
It's a coming-of-age story and also the story of a dead girl.  Maybe two dead girls, one for real and one who dies metaphorically.  Set in a small New England town, right after Becca's graduation from high school, it tells the story of a girl, Becca, who is dying to get out of town and out in the real world when she leaves for school in the fall.  She has a boyfriend, James, who dropped out of high school and he is a stayer.  He kinda reminded me of Funny How Things Change's Remy.  The book had that same kind of flavor, small town, going or staying.  Good stuff.  But this one had a murder.  I don't want to say too much, just read this book, for sure!