Crash Into Me

Albert Borris

Published 2009

257 Pages

Rating: B

Owen, Frank, Audrey, and Jin-Ae have one thing in common: they all want to die. When they meet online after each attempts suicide and fails, the four teens make a deadly pact: they will escape together on a summer road trip to visit the sites of celebrity suicides...and at their final destination, they will all end their lives. As they drive cross-country, bonding over their dark impulses, sharing their deepest secrets and desires, living it up, hooking up, and becoming true friends, each must decide whether life is worth living—or if there's no turning back.

(taken from inside book flap)

Hmmm..where to begin? I first heard about this book on my library's website and I requested it right away..it took about 2 months for me to actually get it. But I am happy that I got it at all, I liked this book although I had some issues with it too.

The good: I liked all the characters for the most part, even though they did have some annoying tendencies. There are four characters, although Owen is the main character I would say. There is Audrey (the eccentric one) , Frank (the drunk) and Jin-Ae (the lesbian). Owen has been trying to kill himself ever since he was young (you find out why in the book). They are all battling their own inner "demons" and they have even tried giving up a time or two..by trying to commit suicide. I am honestly not fully sure of their ages, except I know all of them are in high school and 2 of them have their licenses. Owen and Jin-Ae go to school together, but they dont meet each other there instead they meet when they are both in a psych hospital for trying to kill themselves. Jin-Ae knows Audrey and Frank through a Suicide chatroom, and eventually all four of them become "friends" online. They talk about their lives and how neither one of them has a reason to live. They discuss suicide, and they make a name for themselves..the "suicide dogs." After a while of talking online they decide to take a road trip together, and at the end of it..kill themselves, so they can finally be free. Thats when the book really starts rolling.

The roadtrip consists of a few things: the four of them, visiting famous celebrity grave sites (suicide deaths only) and finally ending their trip in Death Valley, California where they plan to do the dirty deed of killing themselves. No one knows about this except them. They all make a pact...or 'pack' as some like to say, since they are the Suicide Dogs. But once they start their mini-'vacation' things turn out differently than expected. They start to actually have fun for once in their life, they try new things, visit places they never dreamed of visiting, and do things they never thought they could. I wouldnt say I fell in love with any of the characters because...well I dont really know why. They are all really, really deep people and only want someone to love them.

The 'kind of' bad: I wish there was more dialog in this book. I feel like I was just reading an information manual, not really a novel. I wanted more interaction between the characters. I am not saying there wasnt any talking at all, but when there was it wasnt as much as I would have liked. I cant think of anything else that is bad..maybe the whole premise of the book. I am not a fan of suicide, and I think its wrong, but the book delivers it with such heart that it was hard to not keep reading.

I wouldnt change the characters or their personalities, they all bring something unique to this book. I wanted the ending to be just a tad different, but it suited me enough.

I liked this book, and even though it is very deep and might be hard to read for some people, I suggest reading it. You can really find out just how much you mean to people by reading this book. You learn self-worth and self-acceptance. Its a beautiful thing.

-Arielle