If it all happens a bit too quickly - and neatly - well, this is YA fodder, isn't it?A once-over-lightly look at grieving, Mexican culture, romance, and the cult of personality. In the end, of course, Torrey begins to grieve, to accept her sister's death, to forgive herself for not being the perfect sister, and to redefine what being popular really means. After some brief romance, hijinks in a cemetery, a cursory introduction to Mexican culture's Dia de las Muertes, Torrey's story draws to a close. But Texas is not Colorado and her cousin, Raylene (a batton-twirling, not-very-sophisticated girl) and Luis (archetypically dark, brooding and, oh yeah, handsome) force Torrey to look at her life and her sister's death in new ways. She's still hyper-aware of fashion and superficial beauty and determined to be part of the popular crowd- whatever it takes. Torrey may have changed locations but not much else. And the longer Torrey waits to post to the adoring audience, the worse her crimes seem to be. she was at the scene for one of Torrey's videos and they had just quarreled. Torrey blames herself for her sister, Miranda's death. Torrey finds herself in a new town (TX, not CO), a new 'beige' room, and with estranged parents who, too, are grappling with the loss. Torrey Grey, the famous vlogger BeautyStarz15, faces life after her younger sister has died in a car accident. Can she learn to mourn her sister out of the public eye? Read more

Torrey finds herself drawn to Luis, and his fascinating stories about El dio de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead.Īs the Day of the Dead draws near, Torrey will have to really look at her own feelings about death, and life, and everything in between. Is queen bee Blair only being sweet because of Torrey's internet infamy? What about Raylene, who is decidedly unpopular, but seems to accept Torrey for who she is? And then there's Luis, with his brooding dark eyes, whose family runs the local funeral home. And at her new school, she doesn't know who to trust. Now, strangers online are bashing Torrey. But when Torrey's sister is killed in an accident - maybe because of Torrey and her videos - Torrey's perfect world implodes. Thousands of people watch her popular videos on fashion and beauty. Donna Cooner establishes herself as our own Jodi Picoult in this timely tale of sisters, loss, and redemption.

Can't Look Away by Donna Cooner