I admit it, I cried. The premise alone would probably make most people cry. However, this was kind of a letdown for me for several reasons: 
 1. (view spoiler)[First, the simple existence of a sequel pretty much gives away the ending, basically eliminating the central conflict of the book. Not really the author's fault, since it's taken me 5 years to read it. (hide spoiler)] 
 2. Related to the above, there is no real conflict to the main character's life before the event that starts the book. She's a world-class musician with beyond hip parents, a little brother seemingly incapable of being a brat, the world's best best friend, and a dreamboat rock star of a boyfriend. I understand why the author chose to make her life so amazing, to emphasize what she lost, but to me (view spoiler)[ it renders Mia's decision to stay or go kind of ridiculous. If she had had a more difficult life beforehand, her reasons to stop fighting to live might make a little more sense. Don't get me wrong, I know she has experienced an incomprehensible loss, but knowing she has loving grandparents, a large extended family, the aforementioned best friend and boyfriend, AND a potential Julliard scholarship waiting for her if she decides to live made it hard for me to emphasize with her struggle. I feel like if the author had made Mia's life a little less perfect (maybe she doesn't fit in at school, Adam breaks up with her at some point, or her family is still loving but not a punk rock Norman Rockwell painting), it would have felt more authentic. (hide spoiler)] 
 3. Finally, the boyfriend. C'mon, really? These guys do not exist in high school, at least, not any high school I attended. I get that part of the reason for his and Mia's deep connection was that they were both sort of old souls, but he is just way too perfect to be real. (view spoiler)[I mean, seriously - he being the one to give her a reason to live, to basically wake Sleeping Beauty - (hide spoiler)] is the main reason I dropped this to a 3 star rating (and really, is more of a 2.5). I know this is a YA book so there has to be some romance, but I think it took on too prominent a role in the story. 
 Wow, this is definitely one of the longer reviews I've written, all for a book that I've given an average rating to. I think I probably have such a strong opinion because this book is one of those books I just wish could have been better.