Every Last One - Anna Quindlen

I was very impressed by this well-written, character driven novel. The plot summary and description on the back cover made me want to read this, and looking back it was definitely my kind of read. A wonderful yet ordinary middle class family living happily together in modern day USA, with the usual mixture of happiness and everyday annoyances, we have Mary Beth Latham and her husband Glen and three teenage children, lovely daughter Ruby and twin sons Max and Alex. The twins are so different, Alex is athletic and popular, whereas Max is introspective and quiet. Ruby is on the verge of adulthood and thinking about how her feelings have changed for Kiernan, her boyfriend who has become like part of the family around at her house all the time, but about whom she no longer feels the same. A wonderful, normal family set-up comes across. Max begins to feel low and starts to talk to a therapist, and the family think things will work out for him.

Then, one night, everything changes forever, for the worst. What follows is the aftermath of this, dealing with how life does and must go on, and the shock and numbness following a tragedy, continuing to live despite immense grief.

This was a compelling, stunning read, I was so drawn into the characters and was incredibly shocked by the turn of events, but it made for a great novel.