Remembering Raquel

Vande Velde, V. (2007). Remembering Raquel Orlando, FL: Hartcourt.
Interest Level: Grades 6+
Reading Level: 5+

“”My first thought, on hearing that Raquel was dead, was: Oh Crap. That makes me the class fat girl.” -Vanessa Weiss, classmate

“My last words to her: ‘Yeah, yeah.’- spoken in a disgruntled tone. My last words should have been: ‘Stay safe baby girl.” -Albert Falcone, father

Fourteen year old Raquel Falcone is dead, hit by an oncoming car after going to see an Animation Film Festival by herself at the local theater. In life, overweight Raquel is invisible to most, but as classmate Vanessa says, “It’s amazing how much dying can do for a girl’s popularity.” And so we learn about Raquel’s life from those who knew- or didn’t know- her in the days leading up to her funeral. Each character reveals something about him or herself in addition to something about Raquel in a poignant way that really gets to the heart of interpersonal relationships.

In the end, not much has changed- Raquel is still dead, her father is now not only a widower but childless, and her best friend must learn to move forward in life without her.  The strength of this story lies in the realistic nature of all the characters and in showing the reader that the way they view the world is not the only one. I hope that this book inspires a reader to approach someone in their life in a different way.