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Remembering Raquel
Fifteen-year-old Raquel Falcone is, as one of her classmates puts it, the kind of kid who has a tendency to be invisible. That is until the night she's hit by a car and killed while walking home from the movies.
In brief, moving chapters, we hear about Raquel from her classmates, her best friend, her family--and the woman who was driving the car that struck her.
The loss of this seemingly invisible girl deeply affects her entire community, proving just how interconnected and similar we all really are.
In brief, moving chapters, we hear about Raquel from her classmates, her best friend, her family--and the woman who was driving the car that struck her.
The loss of this seemingly invisible girl deeply affects her entire community, proving just how interconnected and similar we all really are.
137 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
18 people are currently reading
531 people want to read
About the author
Vivian Vande Velde
51 books995 followersVivian Vande Velde (born 1951, currently residing in Rochester, New York) is an American author who writes books primarily aimed at young adults.
Her novels and short story collections usually have some element of horror or fantasy, but are primarily humorous. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She says that she really likes to write for children. She likes to do school talks to children. She does many book conventions and also gives writing classes.
Her novels and short story collections usually have some element of horror or fantasy, but are primarily humorous. Her book Never Trust a Dead Man (1999) received the 2000 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She says that she really likes to write for children. She likes to do school talks to children. She does many book conventions and also gives writing classes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
May 11, 2008
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
The facts as we know them: Raquel Falcone was fourteen years old. She was the class "fat girl." She loved her father, and her father loved her. Her best friend was Hayley Evenski. She died when a car hit her as she was leaving the movie theater.
The things we don't know: Pretty much everything else.
Told in alternating chapters that are more like the thoughts and ideas of those who knew her (and those who really didn't), REMEMBERING RAQUEL is a short but powerful story.
We hear from Hayley, Raquel's best friend, who feels that, even though she didn't go to the movies with Raquel that night, she still should have been able to prevent her death. We listen to the girls who now remember themselves as Raquel's friends, even though they wouldn't have given such a fat, invisible girl the time of day in real life (who knew death was such a popularity booster?). We hear from the boy who might have, maybe, one day, asked Raquel out on a date, or to the school dance. We get a glimpse of the older woman, another movie patron, who fears she may have been responsible for Raquel stepping into the path of that car. We listen to her father, who had already lost his wife, grieve over the fact that his last words to his daughter were "Yeah, yeah," said in a "whatever" type of voice as his daughter left the house.
Vivian Vande Velde is a great author who has mastered the pace of writing a short, emotional story. It's passages such as the one from Nona Falcone, Raquel's grandmother, that make this book worth reading:
"I've watched Alzheimer's steal my husband's memories, one by one, from most recent to oldest -- so that at the nursing home he'll say, "Hello," as thought I haven't been holding his hand for the last half hour. He'll give the smile that won my heart in high school and say, "Thank you for visiting me. Do I know you?"
Oh, Raquel. Why did God bless him, and not me?"
Pick up a copy of REMEMBERING RAQUEL. You'll be glad you did.
The facts as we know them: Raquel Falcone was fourteen years old. She was the class "fat girl." She loved her father, and her father loved her. Her best friend was Hayley Evenski. She died when a car hit her as she was leaving the movie theater.
The things we don't know: Pretty much everything else.
Told in alternating chapters that are more like the thoughts and ideas of those who knew her (and those who really didn't), REMEMBERING RAQUEL is a short but powerful story.
We hear from Hayley, Raquel's best friend, who feels that, even though she didn't go to the movies with Raquel that night, she still should have been able to prevent her death. We listen to the girls who now remember themselves as Raquel's friends, even though they wouldn't have given such a fat, invisible girl the time of day in real life (who knew death was such a popularity booster?). We hear from the boy who might have, maybe, one day, asked Raquel out on a date, or to the school dance. We get a glimpse of the older woman, another movie patron, who fears she may have been responsible for Raquel stepping into the path of that car. We listen to her father, who had already lost his wife, grieve over the fact that his last words to his daughter were "Yeah, yeah," said in a "whatever" type of voice as his daughter left the house.
Vivian Vande Velde is a great author who has mastered the pace of writing a short, emotional story. It's passages such as the one from Nona Falcone, Raquel's grandmother, that make this book worth reading:
"I've watched Alzheimer's steal my husband's memories, one by one, from most recent to oldest -- so that at the nursing home he'll say, "Hello," as thought I haven't been holding his hand for the last half hour. He'll give the smile that won my heart in high school and say, "Thank you for visiting me. Do I know you?"
Oh, Raquel. Why did God bless him, and not me?"
Pick up a copy of REMEMBERING RAQUEL. You'll be glad you did.
July 1, 2010
Raquel Falcone steps off a curb on her way home from the movies one night and is hit by a car and killed. The story, told from alternating viewpoints of her classmates, teacher, family, and witnesses, records their thoughts and reactions. Was it suicide or an accident? The truth may be far more complicated, and more tragic.
Most of her classmates never really knew her, partly because she had been on the shy side, and partly because she had been the fat, unattractive kid in class. The story also takes an interesting look at what motivates students who not only never knew her but who didn't like her to come to her calling hours. Most of all, this story reveals how human we all are, and provides a warning about jumping to conclusions and judging people without getting to know them first. A thoughtful book--wish it had been a bit longer.
Most of her classmates never really knew her, partly because she had been on the shy side, and partly because she had been the fat, unattractive kid in class. The story also takes an interesting look at what motivates students who not only never knew her but who didn't like her to come to her calling hours. Most of all, this story reveals how human we all are, and provides a warning about jumping to conclusions and judging people without getting to know them first. A thoughtful book--wish it had been a bit longer.
February 14, 2019
This was different than I expected, but I'm glad that I actually liked it. I enjoyed how the story kept changing from person to person and it was a quick read. I didn't really get the point of the story, but it was still a fine read.
December 26, 2014
I love stories like this. A tragic event happens, and we are left with conflicting accounts of what really happened. Truth becomes subjective, if not completely unattainable. It's what I loved so much about Akutagawa's
Rashomon
(perhaps better known in its Akira Kurosawa adaptation).
Before her tragic death, Raquel was a virtual non-entity in her school. Shy and overweight, she flew under most students' radar. After her death, her classmates try to make sense of their own mortality by latching onto their fallen peer posthumously. Classmates who never gave her the time of day show up to shed tears at her wake. Her best friend and father agonize over what they might have done differently to prevent the accident. Miscellaneous other characters (including a school janitor and eyewitnesses to the accident) provide insight into what may have actually happened the night of her death.
Remembering Raquel is a quick read (weighing in at a light 137 pages), but not a fluffy one. There are important details to absorb and characters/events to understand. After reading, we have a fairly good idea of what may have caused Raquel's accident, but enough evidence lingers to cast reasonable doubt. Did she step in front of the car on purpose? Did she stumble while goofing around on the sidewalk? Odds favor the latter, but there is also enough evidence to suggest the former. We'll never know for certain.
And that's the point.
Before her tragic death, Raquel was a virtual non-entity in her school. Shy and overweight, she flew under most students' radar. After her death, her classmates try to make sense of their own mortality by latching onto their fallen peer posthumously. Classmates who never gave her the time of day show up to shed tears at her wake. Her best friend and father agonize over what they might have done differently to prevent the accident. Miscellaneous other characters (including a school janitor and eyewitnesses to the accident) provide insight into what may have actually happened the night of her death.
Remembering Raquel is a quick read (weighing in at a light 137 pages), but not a fluffy one. There are important details to absorb and characters/events to understand. After reading, we have a fairly good idea of what may have caused Raquel's accident, but enough evidence lingers to cast reasonable doubt. Did she step in front of the car on purpose? Did she stumble while goofing around on the sidewalk? Odds favor the latter, but there is also enough evidence to suggest the former. We'll never know for certain.
And that's the point.
April 3, 2016
I like the idea, but I never felt it. Certainly won't stop me from reading all the rest of her books.
Library copy
Library copy
January 2, 2019
This book was good but it was really confusing for me because every chapter it was in a different person's perspective. Raquel was hit by a car and killed and everyone had different opinions about it. A lot of people faked that they were sad about it. That would make me mad. I felt really bad for her dad and her best friend. At Raquel's funeral, a lot of people show up. Most of the kids that showed up were from her school and just wanted to be nice. I would have gone if she went to my school. At the end of the book, one of Raquel's teachers told everyone to write something to Raquel on a paper butterfly. That's a nice thing to do.
February 16, 2019
The way this story is told is from a bunch of different perspectives, which rarely seemed to be repeated. This made the story very different, but it was interesting seeing how each person viewed Raquel and how they knew her. My favorite section was Raquel's blog entries and comments.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
June 9, 2008
Details the aftermath of the death and funeral of invisible, overweight 9th grader Raquel, from the viewpoint of classmates, relatives, witnesses, teachers, etc. Each chapter is a different viewpoint and pieces together why Raquel steps off the curb into an oncoming car. Was is suicide, manslaughter, an accident? Speculation arrises with the reader when we learn that she had unfilled DNR orders in both her locker and her purse. Near the end we discover, from the EMT's perspective, that she "let her go" after seeing the unfilled paper. The EMT is influenced by her mother's own prolonged and lingering death and how it affected her. She interprets the blank paper as a sign that Raquel didn't want to be artificially supported. We later learn that she kept stealing the papers from her parents during her mother's battle with terminal cancer. Raquel thought that by signing the DNR her mother would be giving up when she ought to have fought. We learn from her friend that Raquel never cleans out her purse. Only the reader sees these events culmintate. The positive is that the funeral brings together Raquel's friend Hayley with Vanessa, the new fatest girl at Raquel's school, and the reader is left knowing that they will become friends.
Overall, I like the book but I wasn't blown away by any means. I thought the format/teachnique of using different viewpoints was a good choice and I like the minor suspense it added watching the pieces fall into place. However, I didn't feel any emotional attachment to the characters or to Raquel. Admittedly, I feel bad for the father having lost a wife and then a daughter...having no one left I wonder what happens of him. We were not left off with a positive feeling of his emotional state.
Overall, I like the book but I wasn't blown away by any means. I thought the format/teachnique of using different viewpoints was a good choice and I like the minor suspense it added watching the pieces fall into place. However, I didn't feel any emotional attachment to the characters or to Raquel. Admittedly, I feel bad for the father having lost a wife and then a daughter...having no one left I wonder what happens of him. We were not left off with a positive feeling of his emotional state.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2008
Raquel is the kind of girl who is invisible to the rest of her classmates in school. When she is hit by a car and killed, suddenly everybody has an opinion about Raquel. Told from the perspectives of her best friend, her parents, classmates and the woman who was driving the car that hit her, each chapter offers a brief look about how Raquel was viewed when she was alive.
I was eager to read this book because Vivian Vande Velde is one of my favorite authors. The story is told in an interesting perspective and I liked the originality of the format, but I was disappointed in the overall feel of the book. I thought that it could have been a really thought-provoking read, but at the end I wasn't very impressed. The characters didn't seem up to par with Vivian Vande Velde's normal standard and I didn't feel any emotional attachment to Raquel. Not Vivian Vande Velde's best work, but definitely not something that should be shunned, read if you are a die hard fan of her work.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...
I was eager to read this book because Vivian Vande Velde is one of my favorite authors. The story is told in an interesting perspective and I liked the originality of the format, but I was disappointed in the overall feel of the book. I thought that it could have been a really thought-provoking read, but at the end I wasn't very impressed. The characters didn't seem up to par with Vivian Vande Velde's normal standard and I didn't feel any emotional attachment to Raquel. Not Vivian Vande Velde's best work, but definitely not something that should be shunned, read if you are a die hard fan of her work.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...
February 19, 2008
I liked this book just fine, until, suddenly, it just ended. Just like that night. It was going along just fine . . . and then it was over. No resolution. No building up to something. Just over. Just like that. And I was left wondering what the hell I just read. And why had I bothered.
I mean, I guess maybe that was the author's point. That that feeling I was feeling was the same feeling the father was left with now that his daughter was dead. But still . . . This just didn't work for me.
I mean, I guess maybe that was the author's point. That that feeling I was feeling was the same feeling the father was left with now that his daughter was dead. But still . . . This just didn't work for me.
March 23, 2023
This book is incredibly depressing but powerful, imo. There are YA books that have done this topic better, but overall, I do believe it's an important lesson to be learned from this story, that everyone has secret things they struggle with and we never know the full story.
I did enjoy the alternating povs and I love that it was left up to our interpretation.
I did enjoy the alternating povs and I love that it was left up to our interpretation.
April 17, 2008
Raquel is hit by a car and killed while walking home from the movies. No one knows for sure if it was an accident, a suicide, or how exactly it happened. Each chapter focuses on how a friend, family member or classmate responds to Raquel's death.
August 12, 2017
Summary: Raquel Falcone is only 14 years old when she accidentally steps off a curb and is hit and killed by an unsuspecting driver. Her family, friends, and classmates reflect individually on her death.
Review: I always enjoy books that alternate viewpoints such as this one because it reminds me a lot of Palacio's "Wonder." This was also a quick-read because most chapters were super short.
I thought I liked the idea of this book--how one person's death affects so many others--but I found myself wanting to get to know Raquel better. I felt like all I got were small snippets and she seems like a character I'd really like.
After reading the back cover and learning that Velde was inspired by the roadside memorials she always sees, the book made a lot more sense. We never REALLY get to know anything about the person lost at those roadside memorials and, yet, the person lost meant the WORLD to a whole group of other people.
I also would have taken out the potential suicide piece. It seemed pointless and I'm not sure if it was only added to garner more attention to the book or suicide in general. I am all about YA books that include topics surrounding suicide but this one felt useless.
Review: I always enjoy books that alternate viewpoints such as this one because it reminds me a lot of Palacio's "Wonder." This was also a quick-read because most chapters were super short.
I thought I liked the idea of this book--how one person's death affects so many others--but I found myself wanting to get to know Raquel better. I felt like all I got were small snippets and she seems like a character I'd really like.
After reading the back cover and learning that Velde was inspired by the roadside memorials she always sees, the book made a lot more sense. We never REALLY get to know anything about the person lost at those roadside memorials and, yet, the person lost meant the WORLD to a whole group of other people.
I also would have taken out the potential suicide piece. It seemed pointless and I'm not sure if it was only added to garner more attention to the book or suicide in general. I am all about YA books that include topics surrounding suicide but this one felt useless.
Read
December 30, 2020Cross-posted from my blog where there's more information on where I got my copy and links and everything.
Meh? This book is so short. 140 pages is short for middle grade, let alone YA, and some of this is told in, like, blog entries and such, so it's even shorter. It's so hard to connect to the characters in that time, and everything is left so open-ended. It's like the first third of a book that could be great.
I like the author's writing, and have for a long time, but there was hardly any of it actually in this book. I also found the fat rep tiresome and Raquel's POV was full of food shaming and diet language.
Just not a fan of this one. I'm gonna be passing it along.
Meh? This book is so short. 140 pages is short for middle grade, let alone YA, and some of this is told in, like, blog entries and such, so it's even shorter. It's so hard to connect to the characters in that time, and everything is left so open-ended. It's like the first third of a book that could be great.
I like the author's writing, and have for a long time, but there was hardly any of it actually in this book. I also found the fat rep tiresome and Raquel's POV was full of food shaming and diet language.
Just not a fan of this one. I'm gonna be passing it along.
December 26, 2017
Vande Velde, Vivian Remembering Raquel, 137 p. Harcourt, 2007.
Late one night Raquel, 14, is hit by a car in front of the movie theatre. The police say that it was not suicide. Now her father, her best friend and the strangers at school ar left wondering who Raquel was and how her being gone affects them. Short ruminations from the people involved in Raquel's life weave together an interesting look at life and death. Some surprises wait in store. Thank Ms. Vande Velde for writing this.
MS - ESSENTIAL
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2007/...
Late one night Raquel, 14, is hit by a car in front of the movie theatre. The police say that it was not suicide. Now her father, her best friend and the strangers at school ar left wondering who Raquel was and how her being gone affects them. Short ruminations from the people involved in Raquel's life weave together an interesting look at life and death. Some surprises wait in store. Thank Ms. Vande Velde for writing this.
MS - ESSENTIAL
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2007/...
March 26, 2018
A really bittersweet book about the thoughts of the people in/around Raquel's life. I find the most touching and most poignant part is the overwhelming silence of Raquel's absence. As the chapters shift between different characters' perspective, it becomes so clear that you will not hear Raquel's voice or find out what "really" happened, eye witnesses or not. I love the connections and realizations (or lack of) that characters encounter with this fracture in normalcy, especially the budding friendship that developed out of pure chance.
December 21, 2024
One of those books that will stay with you, This one made me tear up at the end. Each chapter was a different persons point of view of Raquel, each one gave you a new insight to who she was, and that she was more then just the fat girl at school. She was so much more and each chapter makes a lasting impression on a life that was taken too soon.
July 1, 2017
Review by C.S.: "I disliked how it went to the next person to the next. I liked how at the end everyone said nice things about Raquel."
October 14, 2017
An interesting perspective on a difficult topic. None of us are ever truly invisible.
Read
October 2, 2019it was amazing, my favorite book ive ever read, i didnt skip any pages, highly recomeneded.
me and my friend did a book clube to this in 6th grade
me and my friend did a book clube to this in 6th grade
January 10, 2020
Vande Velde excels at writing that draws the reader in, keeping the pace quick and engrossing, and working in plenty to think about while you read and for a long time after. This novel, told from multiple perspectives, invites is to consider who we are to ourselves and who we are to others.
July 5, 2023
VVV's empathy and imagination come together beautifully in this moving exploration of how a death impacts others.
June 6, 2024
It was beautiful. I couldn't put it down. 4 stars simply because it made me cry and made me sad and I just don't love books and movies that make me cry.
September 24, 2024
blah blah blah idkdidkdidkdidk
February 17, 2014
“I never saw the girl. I know I never saw her. So why-every time I close my eyes-do I see her face looking at me through the windshield?”
-Vivian Vande Velde, Remembering Raquel
Overall Rating: 5*****
Plot: 5*****
Cover: 4****
I heard about this book from one of my school librarians. She did a book talk for it during enrichment and I thought it sounded amazing.
Remembering Raquel is the story of Raquel Falcone, a girl who was pretty much invisible before she died. Throughout the book, we get to know Raquel through the eyes of her family, friends, classmates and the woman who hit her.
I thought it was interesting how they don’t know if it was an accident or if Raquel committed suicide. I feel like the book wouldn’t have the same effect if we would’ve known. It makes you think about how your actions can impact others so greatly.”
The characters felt so real. I felt like I was really at Raquel’s funeral and she was a friend I was mourning for.
This book was beautifully written. I loved the different viewpoints because we were able to learn more about who Raquel was.
My favorite part was Raquel’s Dad’s Chapter when he is talking about their last conversation. It made me think about how you have to make every moment count because you don’t know if you’ll get a second chance.
If I could change something, I would include a chapter from Warriorguy’s perspective. A 12 year old friend/stalker would make an interesting character and we could see more of his relationship with Raquel.
` I really wish this book would’ve been longer. When I finished, I kept turning blank pages until my friend told me “Erin, it’s over,” and took away the book.
I loved this book.. Seeing Raquel through everyone else’s eyes really makes you wonder what people will say once you are gone.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone (especially fans of Thirteen Reasons Why). I even told my dad and my sister’s boyfriend to read it.
Remembering Raquel is one of the best books I’ve ever read and I look forward to reading more of Vivian Vande Velde’s books.
Read
November 3, 2010 This book is about a girl named Raquel who dies in a car accident. She was a nobody until she died. She was completely invisible to everyone. She was known as the class “fat girl”. She lived with her father and her only friend went to a different high school. Even when her teacher told everyone she had died kids had to look twice to see who was missing.
This book is broken up into very short chapters of different people in Raquel’s life talking about her or her memorial while at the same time moving through time. It goes from a short time after her death to the end of her memorial. Some of the entries really do mean a lot and you can tell who really liked her and was her friend, or the other two types of entries, which were the popular group of girls and guys who thought she was too fat. They didn’t really care about her or know her. Then all of a sudden, they liked her a lot and felt sorry for her dad. They pretended they were great friends with Raquel and missed her so much. Then, there were the kids who didn’t think of Raquel as any of those things. They weren’t her best friends or friends and since they didn’t know her they really didn’t do much of anything.
Overall I really liked this book. It was interesting to see how the author took on each person and no two people were alike. It’s a very emotional book and I didn’t ever get tired of it. I wanted to know more about what these kids thought of Raquel and how she became this figure of popularity after she died instead of when she was alive. This book was a very short quick read but it wasn’t fluffy like most books this length. It was quite interesting.
This book is broken up into very short chapters of different people in Raquel’s life talking about her or her memorial while at the same time moving through time. It goes from a short time after her death to the end of her memorial. Some of the entries really do mean a lot and you can tell who really liked her and was her friend, or the other two types of entries, which were the popular group of girls and guys who thought she was too fat. They didn’t really care about her or know her. Then all of a sudden, they liked her a lot and felt sorry for her dad. They pretended they were great friends with Raquel and missed her so much. Then, there were the kids who didn’t think of Raquel as any of those things. They weren’t her best friends or friends and since they didn’t know her they really didn’t do much of anything.
Overall I really liked this book. It was interesting to see how the author took on each person and no two people were alike. It’s a very emotional book and I didn’t ever get tired of it. I wanted to know more about what these kids thought of Raquel and how she became this figure of popularity after she died instead of when she was alive. This book was a very short quick read but it wasn’t fluffy like most books this length. It was quite interesting.
February 3, 2013
Ok its more of a pre-teen (you know that awkward stage) books. But, honestly, a book should liberate our minds and should not restrict from what should be appropriate and not to be read for any age. (maybe erotica books and LOTR for the close minded and elven-Old-English phobic!)
Remembering Raquel is a recollection of stories of how they knew Raquel. KNEW was the word since at the very start of the story they were preparing Raquel's funeral. She was hit by a vehicle, causing her untimely death. A friend, a teacher, a not-so-close-schoolmate, a parent.. tells her story of how he or she met the random, quiet and very young Raquel.
This book kinda opened me on the stuff that I missed when I was.. I dunno.. maybe in First Year high school? I think.. You see, I know and I am not alone in this page, there's this time in our childhood when you start to drop that Barbie, store that tin soldier and fold that superman cape and start building the foundations of life. And along the way you come to think: Can I really do this? Will I be somebody someday? Or will I fail? Well for me it was like: Will I make it to 30? How far can I contribute? What will I leave behind and how will people remember me? This is like Purpose Driven Life MINUS mbleh! and the fear of karma and the taunt of not opening yourself up to other people. Yeah, for a book meant for a 12 y.o. you can really learn a lot!
Its a 30 minute read. Pretty short, yet tear-jerkingly compact! FIVE STARS to Vivian Vande Velde <(woah name!
Remembering Raquel is a recollection of stories of how they knew Raquel. KNEW was the word since at the very start of the story they were preparing Raquel's funeral. She was hit by a vehicle, causing her untimely death. A friend, a teacher, a not-so-close-schoolmate, a parent.. tells her story of how he or she met the random, quiet and very young Raquel.
This book kinda opened me on the stuff that I missed when I was.. I dunno.. maybe in First Year high school? I think.. You see, I know and I am not alone in this page, there's this time in our childhood when you start to drop that Barbie, store that tin soldier and fold that superman cape and start building the foundations of life. And along the way you come to think: Can I really do this? Will I be somebody someday? Or will I fail? Well for me it was like: Will I make it to 30? How far can I contribute? What will I leave behind and how will people remember me? This is like Purpose Driven Life MINUS mbleh! and the fear of karma and the taunt of not opening yourself up to other people. Yeah, for a book meant for a 12 y.o. you can really learn a lot!
Its a 30 minute read. Pretty short, yet tear-jerkingly compact! FIVE STARS to Vivian Vande Velde <(woah name!
September 11, 2015
I grabbed this short book off the school library shelf, thinking that because it was by Vivian Vande Velde, it would be some sort of fantasy or sci fi.
Spoiler: it's not.
It is pretty interesting all the same. Raquel, a fifteen year old girl, has just died in a pedestrian/car accident. In each chapter we hear the thoughts of various people whose lives were connected to hers, from her best friend to the guy who was sort of thinking of asking her out (after being shot down by several other girls) to the woman whose car ran her down. There are a few questions and themes that run through the book. Is anyone responsible for her death, and if so, who? Why did this bright, funny girl go through middle and high school as an outcast? Why do we glom onto tragedy and take more interest in acquaintances who die young than we ever do while they are alive? Why do some people and families have such an overabundance of tragedy all at once? (Her dad's final chapter is heart breaking.) There is a lot to think about in such a slim book, and Vande Velde does not give us any pat answers, but rather lets us sit with the questions for awhile.
My only complaint is that while all the narrators have different personalities and perspectives, they all seem to have the same voice. Having first encountered the author in her "Cloaked in Red," in which she retells Little Red Riding Hood in several different ways, I know she's capable of more variety.
Spoiler: it's not.
It is pretty interesting all the same. Raquel, a fifteen year old girl, has just died in a pedestrian/car accident. In each chapter we hear the thoughts of various people whose lives were connected to hers, from her best friend to the guy who was sort of thinking of asking her out (after being shot down by several other girls) to the woman whose car ran her down. There are a few questions and themes that run through the book. Is anyone responsible for her death, and if so, who? Why did this bright, funny girl go through middle and high school as an outcast? Why do we glom onto tragedy and take more interest in acquaintances who die young than we ever do while they are alive? Why do some people and families have such an overabundance of tragedy all at once? (Her dad's final chapter is heart breaking.) There is a lot to think about in such a slim book, and Vande Velde does not give us any pat answers, but rather lets us sit with the questions for awhile.
My only complaint is that while all the narrators have different personalities and perspectives, they all seem to have the same voice. Having first encountered the author in her "Cloaked in Red," in which she retells Little Red Riding Hood in several different ways, I know she's capable of more variety.
December 1, 2014
****SPOILER ALERT****
what would do if you wanted everyone to remember your friend? this book is a great book it is sad because it is about this girl name Raquel and she died in a car accient and this boy who tells a story of how he will remeber her.in my opion i thought this book was sad because this boy tells you how he remebers his friend name raquel.this book is about each of there classmates and family member who tell you how they remember raquel this boy who was a friend of her saying that he diden't know if he was going to ask her to a dance at school so he always tell her stay safe baby girl. he was wondering how how did raquel died did he told her to be safe he was wondering.
my favorite part of the book was when he said he is not good enought for all the popular girls to botherhis mom says "your very goog looking" for a toad he muttered. the major charter was this boy it dosen't tell you the name. iwas surprise that everyone in the classroom wrote on a butterfly about raquel of how they felt about her. i predict that everyone in the classroom will always remember her.
i thought this book was geat i would give it a 5 for the best book i would recommend to everyone at the end of the book the teacher comes up with a idea to put up buter flys and say what you think of raquel.
what would do if you wanted everyone to remember your friend? this book is a great book it is sad because it is about this girl name Raquel and she died in a car accient and this boy who tells a story of how he will remeber her.in my opion i thought this book was sad because this boy tells you how he remebers his friend name raquel.this book is about each of there classmates and family member who tell you how they remember raquel this boy who was a friend of her saying that he diden't know if he was going to ask her to a dance at school so he always tell her stay safe baby girl. he was wondering how how did raquel died did he told her to be safe he was wondering.
my favorite part of the book was when he said he is not good enought for all the popular girls to botherhis mom says "your very goog looking" for a toad he muttered. the major charter was this boy it dosen't tell you the name. iwas surprise that everyone in the classroom wrote on a butterfly about raquel of how they felt about her. i predict that everyone in the classroom will always remember her.
i thought this book was geat i would give it a 5 for the best book i would recommend to everyone at the end of the book the teacher comes up with a idea to put up buter flys and say what you think of raquel.
February 24, 2011
This book is set after the death of Raquel. The book is mainly people's thoughts about Raquel's death. Raquel is a 9th grader who dies in a pedestrian accident on her way back from the movies. She is not especially popular in school. After her death, through people's thoughts, the reader finds out that Raquel's mother died when she was young and Raquel was strongly opposed to her mother signing a do not resuscitate order so it seems highly unlikely that she committed sucide. The reader also finds out that Raquel was probably pushed to her death by a cranky old woman who refused to fess up. It is also found out that the paramedic let Raquel slip away because she mistook the unfilled DNR order in Raquel's purse as a wish. She did not know that Raquel hid this order so her mom would not fill them out. This is a great book. I highly recommend it because it is short, interesting and unique. Vivan Vande Velde really outdid herself. This book makes you ask yourself "How Would You Be Remembered?"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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