Book Review - Remembering Raquel

Remembering Raquel by Vivian Vande Velde

Maybe it's really morbid, but have you ever wondered who would come to your funeral if you died? Have you ever thought about what your classmates would say? Would the popular girls that ignored you all year long pretend to care that you're dead? Remembering Raquel is told through the voices of the people in Raquel's life - some she knew, some she didn't. But her death affects all of them, from the kids she talked to on her fantasy game message boards, to the school custodian that has to clean out her locker. We learn what kind of person Raquel was like when she lived -- caring, sarcastic, creative. And we get to see how one person's death can have a ripple effect on so many others. It's a little bit sad, but a quick and thought-provoking read.