The synopsis:
dear caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just can't.
Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend's suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn't die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid's descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself

My thoughts: I've been on kind of a 'heavy' young adult kick lately, loving the books aimed at teens that deal with serious topical issues. This book was more than a little overwhelming in the amount of grief and loss, and it didn't end with the loss of Ingrid. Caitlin is buried so deeply in her grief, shock and anger that it's as if her parents have lost their way to her, and don't know how to reach her before it's too late. Every day is another stepping on eggshells so that they to do not lose their precious daughter. It takes the addition of several new people in her life- her new boyfriend; the boy Ingrid spent so much time telling Caitlin about last year; and the new girl in school who breaks through to Caitlin by telling her she's not the only one who's suffering this loss, and there are other people who need her and parts of the journal Ingrid left behind explaining why she did what she did and how she saw no other way out. This was not a quick read, literally or emotionally speaking, but it resonated deeply and could quite possibly have a large impact on it's readers.