A review by somarostam
Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff

4.0

I was in mood for some dark contemporary when I stumbled upon this one. I think I put a lot of expectations into this book and it almost reached them.
There's nothing left after Hayden dies. Only a playlist of songs that he leaves for his best friend, Sam. Sam doesn't get what happened and everything changes when he meets Astrid and her group of misfits. And Sam begins to question everything that has happened.
First thing I loved about this book is the main character, Sam. I loved him. He felt so real, with his inner turmoil and his insecurities. A real fleshed-out character. Then, there's Astrid. I was very conflicted about my feelings for her. She reminded me a bit of Alaska from John Green's Looking For Alaska. The whole mysterious sexy girl attitude. The other characters were all one-dimensional. I didn't feel much for them.
Then, there's the romance aspect. The romance was such a sweet and fluffy thing. I loved how it started from scratch and grew into a more stable thing. But the plot definitely surprised me. I didn't expect the ending chapters and they were somehow of a shock, but a good kind of one.
The reference to the playlist and all those songs was very enjoyable! The ending was bittersweet and hopeful and I loved it. I am not such a big fan of happily ever afters so this was perfect for me. Although this book was not my favorite, I am definitely waiting for more books from the author.