Life After Lila

After a fatal car accident leaves seventeen-year-old Coco Caraway covered in scars and kills her best friend, Lila Olivier, Coco struggles with depression and anxiety. She spends her days hiding behind a mask of makeup and layers of clothing, treating each day like another one toward her last. Because life without her best friend is a life she doesn’t want to live.

The arrival of Xander Romano, a new boy at school more scarred than she is, forces Coco out of her isolation when she stands up to school bullies harassing him. Her action sparks a friendship with Xander that Coco had no idea she wanted—or needed. He reminds her of Lila, and through him, she reflects on her life before and after the accident, trying to make sense of living a future without her best friend.

Despite the happy moments Coco finds with Xander, her strained relationships with her shallow mother, overworked father, and meddling, overprotective twin brother weigh heavy on her, and Coco can’t seem to hang on. Giving up on life seems a lot easier. As Coco’s world spins out of control and her home life nearly breaks her, she must decide what’s important in life and if she’s willing to live for it.