40. The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud

Book 40: The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood (A-)

This is a beautiful, haunting book about learning to let go whenever someone you believe you can't live without dies. In a small northeastern town, Charlie St. Cloud is a popular, carefree guy whose main dream is to play professional baseball for the Red Sox and his biggest love is his little brother Sam. But when Charlie makes a terrible mistake driving home from a baseball game with Sam, they end up in a horrible car crash. Charlie, after being resuscitated back to life in the ambulance, survives; Sam does not. However, thanks to a promise, Charlie is still able to see the spirit of Sam and they play baseball together every night in the cemetery which Charlie manages for 13 years. Along comes Tess Carroll, a wild spirit of a woman whose true love is sailing. She comes into Charlie's life and makes him wonder if he hasn't wasted his second chance. How long is too long to hold onto someone who isn't even real anymore? Tess, too, wonders if she isn't running away from her own grief and her own fear of never finding true love.

Zac Efron as Charlie in Universal Pictures' film adaptation

Sherwood does an amazing job of creating beautiful, complex characters and exposing the true harshness of grief. The chemistry between Sam and Charlie is obvious; their bond is undeniable. Tess is a wildfire of a character that you pray and cheer for as she opens Charlie up again and exposes him to the life he's been ignoring. Sherwood's genius comes in how he tells the story, the introduction that starts with a first person narrative by the paramedic who saved Charlie's life then continues in a third-person story with insight from Tess, Sam, and Charlie in certain chapters.
The book is well-rounded and speaks to anyone whether you have lost someone close to you or not. It teaches the important lessons of cherishing the people you love because you never know when time will run out and also learning how to live and accept that you were left to continue living when the person you loved was not. 
There is a bit of strangeness in the middle of the novel. To explain it would be a plot spoiler. Let me just say, that what happens is more acceptable and easier to comprehend in the film starring Zac Efron.
This is the second time I have read this book, and I will definitely read it again!