Holly, the girl from the poor side of town, is still grieving after her rich boyfriend Rob dies in a car accident. To make things worse, Rob’s friends blame her for the accident, her mother is working a second job to make ends meet and now in addition to watching her nine year old sister, her grandfather who is suffering from dementia moves in and she must care for him as well. Grandpa Aldo’s Alzheimer’s seems to be getting worse; he has started talking to a “ghost” named Roberto. Grandpa’s ghost is actually Rob, who for some reason can not move on after death. The story is told in three voices: Holly, Rob and Rob’s best friend Jason who is falling for Holly.

The best part of the book is Holly’s relationship with her younger sister and her grandfather. She is kind and caring with both; her insistence in communicating directly with her grandfather and including him in everyday decisions is particularly endearing.  Her grief for her boyfriend is realistic but not explored in any depth, which is disappointing. Many of the characters are dealing with some kind of grief: the loss of a friend, a son, a marriage, the memories of a lifetime. Again, none are explored in any depth and most are tied up a little too neatly. Many teen girls will find the heartbreak and burgeoning romance appealing. Another plus – the story is set in Seattle with references to lots of local landmarks.