"When Colin Leventhal leaned out his bedroom window on the night of May 12th and said goodbye to his girlfriend, he never expected it would be forever. But when Sarah Evans goes missing that night, Colin's world unravels as he transforms from the boyfriend next door to the main police suspect. Then one year later, at her memorial service, Colin makes a phone call that could change everything. Is it possible that Sarah is still alive? And if so, how far will he go to bring her back?
As Colin struggles with this possibility, across the street, Sarah’s little sister, Claire learns how to navigate the strange new landscape of life without her sister. While her parents fall apart, Claire remains determined to keep going, even if it kills her.
THIS IS SARAH serves as a meditation on loss, love, and what it means to say goodbye." -Back Cover
This character post is an excerpt from Sarah's journal talking about Colin, the main character of the book, her best friend from next door who just told her how much likes her.
From the Journal of Sarah Evans
April 9
Today was a weird day. Good weird, great weird, actually but still…WEIRD. I was supposed to go to the movies with Colin and Michael and Jenna – there’s that new stupid comedy with the guy whose name I never remember but everyone thinks is so funny – so we were going to see that. Anyway, I was home and Colin came over and we were waiting for Michael and Jenna and I couldn’t figure out what shoes to wear and he’s teasing me cause he’s all like, Sarah, who cares – it’s a dark theater no one’s going to see your feet - so we’re just joking around and all of a sudden he gets all, I don’t know, not mad but sort of sad and he puts his hands over his face and says that he can’t do this.
So I was like, do what? Cause I’m thinking he doesn’t want to go to the movie and even though I didn’t really want to go either there is literally nothing else to do in this town. NOTHING. Plus we were going to go to the diner afterwards so…But anyway that’s not what he meant. And then he just starts blathering, and I mean, blathering about how he likes me.
Really likes me.
Me. Colin Leventhal – my next door neighbor LIKES ME! What? Whatwhatwhat? I think I had a small brain aneurysm.
Then he tells me that he likes me so much that he doesn’t know if we can be friends and how my perfume drives him crazy (what??) and being around me drives him crazy (whatwhat??) and I was completely floored. I was not expecting this. I mean, he’s Colin. From next door! I’ve
known him since I was in middle school. Plus there was that whole thing with Lisa last year so I was just totally floored.
I didn’t know what to say when he finished rambling all this stuff out so I just kissed him. I did it. I can’t even believe it right now but I did. I kissed Colin Leventhal.
And it was amazing. I mean, better than Nick and I never thought that would happen.
And we had the best night. Seriously. THE BEST NIGHT.
And everything feels sort of, like…magical. Crazy!
I haven’t told Jenna yet. She’s going to kill me for not telling her. But for some reason I sort of just want to keep it for now. Like a secret. Like a secret thing between Colin and I. I know it won’t stay that way but I sort of feel like once everyone knows it becomes less special…less mine somehow. Like other people in school will weigh in and approve or not. Not that I care what they think cause I don’t. I just like it the way it is right now.
Secret.
(Also, I just looked out the window and because we’re neighbors, I can see right into his bedroom. He’s on his computer. It’s like I never noticed how cute he was until just now. He’s cute. I mean really cute.)
I really hope this doesn’t screw things up. It won’t right? I mean, how could it?
I feel like such a stupid girl right now, like all giddy and laughing. Sarah and Colin. WEIRD! but good but still…WEIRD.
Ally Malinenko is the author of the poetry collection The Wanting Bone (Six Gallery Press) and the children's fantasy Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb (Antenna Books). She lives in Brooklyn with her husband.
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