Cassandra and Julia were best friends since third grade. Julia was popular, and by extension so was Cass, with the theater geeks. Despite Casss own accomplishments, she feels the emptiness caused Julias death in an auto accident. She feels their friends are just tolerating her because of Julia.

Julia was working on a Secret Project before her death, which turns out to be a musical play entitled the Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad. The theater geeks decide to perform the play in honor of Julia. However, theres one problem: Oliver, Julias boyfriend and the plays director, cast Heather for the lead. Heather taunted Cass in middle school, calling her a dyke because of Cass closeness to Julia, spreading rumors at every opportunity.

Julia and Cass were planning a cross country trip after graduation and Cass decides that the best tribute to Julia would be to make that trip herself, biking from Chicago to California. So, while the theater geeks are rehearsing, Cass begins her journey, both to California and to self-discovery.

Emily Horners debut novel, A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend, is a simply written story about a girl who must decide who and what she is. Told in the Then (before and during her trip) and Now (after her return), Horner helps you learn about the emotional uncertainty of teenagers. In the Then section, Cass recounts all the events leading up to the trip: her alarm at Ollie casting Heather, her uncertainty about her feelings for Julia, her uncertainty about her feelings for herself. In the Now section, Cass describes the feeling of working side by side with Heather and Heathers transformation. Julia, Cass and Heather become real people. Their friends show her what true friendship is all about.

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend is a heartwarming story you will read from beginning to end. I couldnt put it down.