Come as You Were — Jay Coles

Varsity soccer captain, flautist, and 80s Rock enthusiast, Gunner Bradley, thinks that “life is a sequence of miracles and tragedies and some tragedies are bigger than others.” Gunner's tragedy waited until he was at his prime, and then everything was lost. One spectacularly unforgettable night, a drunk driver shatters Gunner's arm, his dream, and his social life. No longer a member of his old squad�"�"or dating the hottest girl at Cedar Park High, Gunner finds himself in a depression that he wants out of. Just as all the life inside of him is sucked out, new girl and oddity, Piper Michelle Fitzpatrick, comes along and changes his life forever. Piper is unlike anyone Gunner's ever encountered�"�"speechless, fiercely clever, and uniquely on the brink of life and death. As a team, Gunner and Piper discover the beauty of living, from nude beaches, flash mobs, and sitting in trees to watch over the world. But just as Gunner dives into resurging a new life with his new mystery girl at his side, new friendships blossom, things get a bit more blurred, when Piper becomes a girl incapable of feeling and understanding love. As Gunner copes with all the tragic things that continue to strike him, he discovers how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings. He learns from his therapist that life is a duality, and now he must consider: Is suicide the answer? Will it ever be the answer? Should it ever have been a question? COME AS YOU WERE is for fans of classics like THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER and THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, yet it is still similar to more recent young adult books like New York Times Best Selling Author, Robyn Schneider's, THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING, like debut author, Adam Silvera's, MORE HAPPY THAN NOT, and like award-winning-writer, Jay Asher's, THIRTEEN REASONS WHY.