Rebecca--Rebel--Blue is just settling into yet another detention and its inane assignment (write your bucket list) when a perky blonde ponytail starts peppering her with questions. Kennedy Green recognizes Rebel from a freshman year art class, and strikes up a conversation about fears, beliefs, a possible afterlife. The conversation is still in Rebel's head the next day when she hears that Kennedy was killed in a car accident the night before. Searching for a clue, Rebel digs Kennedy's bucket list from the detention-room trash can--and, unable to get rid of it again, sets about completing it on the dead girl's behalf. Rebel isn't half the do-gooder Kennedy was, but with twenty items to complete, it's time for her to try. 
 Rebel tries to hold the world at arm's length, but finds herself needing people and drawn to them more than she'd ever expected. In letting down her guard, she has a chance to explore friendships and family relationships, and finally come to terms with her own traumas and heartbreaks. Teens will root for Rebel as she makes a sincere effort to befriend a detention acquaintance, and as she falls for golden-boy Nate. The romance is chaste and the lack of strong language make this appropriate for 8th grade and up, depending how they feel about untimely deaths and metaphysical concerns about the afterlife.