Alyssa Sheinmel
Scholastic Press
$18.99
Available November 28, 2017
I really loved this book; it was written well and it was an enjoyable read. Ellie, her claustrophobia, and her will to know how and why her former best friend died are the main plot to the book. The plot is pretty easy to follow and Ellie’s feeling are traceable and understandable. There were however, two things that I did not like. First, I think the age recommendation should be at least a year higher, because suicide, mental illness, and depression are too scary for most twelve year olds. Second, the parts where Eliza was talking from the grave were hard to follow; she was just telling stories that mostly didn’t connect with her death. I really liked that Ellie’s reaction to Eliza’s death is realistic and easy to understand. Another thing I loved, is that the story is sort of confusing at the beginning (for example why Eliza “hates” Ellie and why Eliza dies in the first place), but in the end everything comes together perfectly. I thought R.I.P Eliza Hart was a good read. I hope others will enjoy it as much a I did.
~ Yolanda, ages 12