Playlist for the Dead

by Michelle Falkoff

Playlist for the Dead is on the title and chapter headings of this novel and it's apparently what this story is all about. I would have enjoyed the playlist if it wasn't made the focal point of the novel. Let me explain. This playlist is supposed to make Sam, the main character, understand why his best friend committed suicide. The playlist is woven into the story, but it does absolutely NOTHING to explain why Hayden, the best friend, committed suicide.

I also wanted an emotional book like Thirteen Reasons Whywhich made me question how much my actions impact on others. I wanted to read a book that dealt with suicide. Why do people do it? What makes them feel as though their lives aren't worth living? I wanted a book that would delve into the psyche' of the best friend who was left behind and how does his friend suicide affect his life and that's the only thing that this book dealt with.

I didn't hate Playlist for the Dead. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't really know that I was in the mood for something that was light, fluffy and hopeful (well as much as a book about suicide can be) until I started reading this book.

The way I could easily relate to Sam as a character made me scared! Sam is the male-version of myself. Sam is a nerd. He isn't perfect on the inside and the outside. However, he is able to put puzzles together and see things for what they are. He is also cynical, mildly paranoid and his rare snarks were the snarks that I would have made in that same scenario. Sam is dealing with the suicide of his best friend, Hayden. I felt as though the way in which Sam dealt with his best friends suicide was realistic. He blames himself. He feels guilty that he is happy while his best friend is dead and he is also angry at the people who had hurt his best friend. The fact that I could relate to Sam as a character made his emotions realistic and believable.

Most of the characters in this novel aren't stereotypical either. When I started reading Playlist for the Dead all the characters were cardboard cut-outs of the jocks, the nerds and the art geeks. However, these stereotypes, for most of the characters, are slowly chipped away and I started to realise that they were vulnerable, insecure and secretive about the truth behind their lives.

Unfortunately Playlist for the Dead, was quite predictable. I knew which character was behind the horrible occurrences in this novel, after that character was introduced for the second time. I also figured out who Athena was long before she was revealed. This did take away my enjoyment from the story.

Even although Playlist for the Dead was a predictable and unemotional read, I was able to enjoy the portrayal of the characters and related to the main character, Sam, and his emotions. I'm still confused about what role the playlist had in the novel, but the light, fluffy and hopeful treatment of death and suicide made Playlist for the Dead an interesting read.