When You Leave by Monica Ropal

Cass has a theory: everyone eventually leaves. Her father walked out, her mother is starting a new family, and she almost lost her best friend to cancer.

When Cass transfers to a preppy new private school, her plan is to stay anonymous by hiding her skater girl veneer beneath plaid skirts and knee socks. But when her cute locker neighbor, Cooper, takes an interest in Cass, keeping a safe distance isn't easy. And once Cass lets her guard down, the unthinkable happens: Cooper is mysteriously murdered.

As the investigation unfolds, Cass's close friend, Gav, is suspected as the killer. Determined to find answers, she must go through her list one by one until somebody cracks. However, will uncovering the truth really give Cass what she is looking for?

My Review I was excited to read this book because of the following blurb:

Monica Ropal is picky about murder mysteries. She’s troubled by stories with cold, precise detectives, stories that become about the crime, rather than the victim. Which is fine—everyone is entitled to their own personal genre tastes. Except for the fact that Monica’s debut novel is a murder mystery. 

I mean, come ON, the author sounds like me! And from the first pages, WHEN YOU LEAVE did not disappoint. It's one of those books where you think, "Okay, a chapter before bed," and then you realize you're three chapters in. And then tweeting the author because WOW.

Those books are few and far between.

I can't go into this in much detail, because I don't want to spoil ANY of it, but do yourself a favor and grab this. The characters take hold of you and Cass leads you through her story intimately--and she won't let you go until the end.