Last Words

by Leanne Baugh

Sixteen-year-old Claire is walking across Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver when a young man approaches. He's laughing and talking on his cellphone. Then, when they get close, he reaches out, hands her his phone, says, "I'm sorry," -- then climbs over the railing and jumps. This is the shockingly vivid first scene of Leanne Baugh's young adult novel, Last Words, a moment that profoundly changes Claire's life as she searches for an explanation to this mysterious suicide.

In the end, Claire's investigation becomes an assertion of life, rather than a mourning over death. Pivotal to the story is Claire meeting with Kiki, a young cancer patient whose determined passion for life inspires her to embrace the everyday. Then there's Claire's sister Belle, who has Down's syndrome and is a steady reminder that life is messy but full of possibilities. This profound novel is rich in diverse characters that illustrate what it is to live fully in this world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 088995576X
• ISBN13: 9780889955769
• Release Date: February 2020
• Publisher: Red Deer Press
• Length: 328 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.2" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 14 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 9 to Postsecondary