Last Words

Sixteen-year-old Claire is walking across Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver when a good-looking young man approaches. He's laughing, talking on his cellphone. Then, when they get close, he reaches out, hands her his phone, says, "I'm sorry,? " then climbs over the railing and jumps.

This is the shockingly vivid first scene of Leanne Baugh's young adult novel, Last Words, a moment that profoundly changes Claire's life as she searches for an explanation to this mysterious suicide. In the end, Claire's investigation becomes an assertion of life, rather than a mourning over death.

Pivotal to the story is Claire meeting with Kiki, a young cancer patient whose determined passion for life inspires her to embrace the everyday. Then there's Claire's sister Belle, who has Down's syndrome and is a steady reminder that life is messy but full of possibilities.

This profound novel is rich in diverse characters that illustrate what it is to live fully in this world.