If you could take it back

We all have those thoughts; if only I had left five minutes earlier, if only I'd decided not to go to that concert, if only...For Maggie Reynolds all of her 'if only' regrets focus on the moment her boyfriend Joey was killed in a tragic accident. And in the first days after the death her biggest 'if only' relates to her ability to remember exactly what happened on the top of that cliff.

Maggie and her friends have gathered at their favorite secluded swimming spot to celebrate the end of the school year. When the other five members of the group once again taunt Maggie with the fact that she's never jumped from the cliff into the river, Maggie accepts the challenge. But she wants boyfriend Joey to jump with her. As Joey and she prepare to jump, Maggie suddenly comes to a big realization. The next thing she remembers is being found in the woods by Adam. Why didn't she jump with Joey? And how did Joey, who'd jumped dozens of times before, end up broken on the rocks? Maggie is determined to find the answers, no matter how painful.

This moving novel is a little bit mystery and a little bit romance, but mostly it's a character study. As Maggie and the five remaining group members grapple with their grief, they discover that Joey wasn't always the person they thought he was. They think of him as that wild, crazy, beautiful, popular boy whom everyone liked. But was that all? The deeper Maggie delves into what she can and cannot remember, the more she realizes that she'll have to learn to forgive as well as let go.

If you're looking for a break from teen dystopias, this is the book for you.