Holding On and Letting Go

Is there a way to describe the ties that bind us together? What
happens when one of those ties is unexpectedly severed? Can
everything else remain the same? Will the other ties hold strong?

Two years after her little brother's death, sixteen year old Emerson
Caulfield returns to a home that she spent the last two years missing.
In theory, everything should be the same. Her best friend, Matt,
still lives next door. Her house is in the exact same condition as
they left it. The scenery and hallways haven't changed, yet for
Emerson, everything is completely different. The place may be the
same, but Emerson is most certainly not. She returns home hurt,
angry, and miles away from the girl she once was.

The 60,000 word novel alternates between the perspectives of Emerson,
who is struggling to keep breathing on a daily basis, and Matt, who
wants to have his old best friend back so badly that he is willing to
overlook the fact that she has completely changed. Though their
friendship and relationship is a major part of the story, it takes
backseat to the unique bonds between siblings, what happens when your
worst enemy is in fact yourself, and the hardships that come with
growing up and changing.