Rebecca Blue is a rebel with an attitude whose life is changed by a chance encounter with a soon-to-be dead girl. Rebel (as she’s known) decides to complete the dead girl’s bucket list to prove that choice, not chance, controls her fate. In doing so, she unexpectedly opens her mind and heart to a world she once dismissed—a world of friendships, family, and faith. With a shaken sense of self, she must reevaluate her loner philosophy—particularly when she falls for Nate, the golden boy do-gooder who never looks out for himself. Special thanks to the publisher, ABRAMS/Amulet Books, for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an unbiased review. Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell will be available in stores October 1st, 2013.

A lot of us have thought about making our own bucket list and completing it, but would you ever complete someone else’s bucket list?

Well, that’s what Rebel Blue is doing. After all, if it wasn’t for the list, there’s no way that shark-teeth-wearing, motor-scooter-riding, ever-so-sarcastic Rebel would ever be adopting turtles, spending time doing community service, and doing a random act of kindness each day. But if it’s on the late Kennedy Green’s bucket list, then Rebel’s going to do it.

But while she’s completing Kennedy’s keys to happiness-can Rebel find her own?

What I loved about this book was how it has so many different emotions going through it, but it balanced everything out to be so fun and funny. We feel Rebel’s grief, anger, and frustration, but we also get to watch her grow as a character and really open herself up, and that’s really a beautiful part of the story.

I also really liked how all the characters felt like they had a definite presence and important role. For instance, even though Kennedy Green is only in the first chapter, she has so much to say and her presence is strong throughout the book; hoodie-wearing, pie-making Macy will surprise you throughout the book; and even Percy the custodian is part of an important memory of Rebel’s.

Between all of the humor, the heartfelt emotions, the great characters, and the fun beach setting, Goodbye, Rebel Blue is definitely a fun book that I’d recommend, and it’s even a really fun book just to talk about!

4 out of 5 tea cups