Falling into Place

One cold fall day, high school junior Liz Emerson steers her car into a tree. This haunting and heartbreaking story is told by a surprising and unexpected narrator and unfolds in nonlinear flashbacks even as Liz's friends, foes, and family gather at the hospital and Liz clings to life. This riveting debut will appeal to fans of Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver, and 13 Reasons Why, by Jay Asher.

"On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton's laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road." Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? The nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High's most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn't understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn't understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang's haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.

What pushes a girl who seems to have everything to give it all away?

Mean Girl Unraveling: Liz Emerson rules Meridian High, but behind the popularity is a girl drowning in the darkness of her own choices. A Story of Bullying and Regret: From ruining a classmate’s life to pushing her friends toward self-destruction, Liz’s actions create ripples she can’t escape. An Unexpected Narrator: This haunting story is pieced together by a voice that knows all of Liz’s secrets—because it was there for every single one. Complex Female Friendships: Liz, Julia, and Kennie are the perfect clique on the outside, but their bond is fractured by secrets of addiction, abortion, and betrayal.