Winter Break and Loss

June spends her winter break driving alone, feeling untethered and lonely. When school resumes, she learns that her former best friend, Delia, has died—rumored to be suicide. The news is a gut punch, sending June into a numb, dissociated state. She's haunted by memories of their intense friendship and the abrupt, mysterious end to it. The announcement at school is clinical, but for June, it's deeply personal. She's left with a sense of inevitability, as if Delia's fate was always sealed, and she's just now catching up to it. The loss is compounded by guilt and the realization that she and Delia had drifted apart, leaving June with unresolved questions and a desperate need for answers.

The Call Not Answered

In the aftermath of Delia's death, June is tormented by the knowledge that Delia called her just before she died, leaving a voicemail June didn't listen to until it was too late. The message is cryptic—Delia says she needs to tell June something, but doesn't elaborate. June's guilt is overwhelming; she believes that if she'd answered, she might have saved Delia. The rumor mill at school is cruel and insensitive, and June's anger boils over when classmates gossip about Delia's supposed suicide. The pain of not being there for her friend, of not knowing what Delia needed, becomes the driving force behind June's quest for the truth.

Running Toward Delia

June remembers the intoxicating closeness she shared with Delia. Their friendship was a lifeline—Delia could make June feel seen and understood without words. In a vivid memory, Delia grabs June's hand and runs, pulling her into reckless abandon and away from her troubles. This memory is a stark contrast to the present, highlighting the loss of that connection and the emptiness left behind. The flashback underscores how Delia's presence could dissolve June's anxieties, and how, even in chaos, Delia wouldn't let her fall. The memory is bittersweet, fueling June's longing and regret.

The Message Left Behind

June finally listens to Delia's voicemail, hoping for clarity but finding only more confusion. Delia's voice is casual, not at all like someone about to die. The message is short, ending with "There's something I need to tell you." June is left with a sense of unfinished business and the haunting possibility that Delia was reaching out for help. The ambiguity of the message gnaws at June, making her question everything she thought she knew about Delia's state of mind. The lack of closure becomes a wound that won't heal, propelling June deeper into her search for answers.

Reservoir Nights

June recalls a pivotal night at the reservoir with Delia and a group of older boys. It's a coming-of-age moment—her first kiss, orchestrated by Delia, and a brush with the wildness that defined their friendship. The night is tinged with danger, freedom, and the thrill of breaking rules. Delia's fear of fire is revealed, a detail that will later become crucial. The reservoir becomes a symbol of their shared secrets and the boundary between innocence and experience. This memory is foundational, illustrating the depth of their bond and the ways Delia shaped June's identity.

Searching for Answers

June attends a clandestine memorial for Delia at the reservoir, seeking connection with Delia's other friends but finding only more questions. She meets Jeremiah, Delia's recent boyfriend, who insists Delia was murdered and didn't kill herself. He reveals that Delia was afraid of fire, making the official story of her death suspect. Jeremiah's conviction and pain mirror June's own, and they form a tentative alliance to investigate Delia's death. The encounter marks a turning point—June is no longer a passive mourner but an active seeker of truth, determined to uncover what really happened.

The Burned Shed

Jeremiah takes June to the site of Delia's death: her stepfather's burned shed. The place is charred and reeks of gasoline and melted plastic. The official story is that Delia set herself on fire, but June knows Delia was terrified of fire. The horror of imagining Delia's last moments is overwhelming. The physical evidence and Delia's known phobia make suicide seem impossible. June is now convinced that something sinister happened, and that Delia's death was staged. The visit to the shed cements June's resolve to find the truth, no matter how dark it may be.

Into the Underworld

June's investigation leads her to Delia's old haunts and friends, including a dangerous party thrown by Tig, a drug dealer Delia was involved with. June navigates a world of drugs, secrets, and people who knew different sides of Delia. She learns that Delia was in trouble, possibly being threatened, and that she had stolen something from Tig for protection. The party is surreal and menacing, and June realizes how little she knew about Delia's life after their friendship ended. The descent into this underworld exposes June to the risks Delia faced and the complexity of her struggles.

The Party and the Dealer

At Tig's party, June confronts him about Delia, trying to find out what Delia stole and who might have wanted to hurt her. Tig is evasive and threatening, hinting that Delia was involved in things even he wouldn't touch. He denies killing her but suggests she was her own worst enemy. The encounter is tense and dangerous, leaving June shaken but with new leads. She realizes that Delia's need for protection was real, and that the threats against her were serious. The party marks a deepening of June's commitment to uncovering the truth, even as the risks escalate.

Secrets and First Kisses

Through flashbacks, June revisits the origins of her friendship with Delia—their first sleepover, shared secrets, and the rituals that bound them together. Their relationship was intense, bordering on romantic, and defined by a sense of being chosen and understood. The memories are tinged with nostalgia and pain, as June grapples with the ways their closeness unraveled. The introduction of Ryan, June's boyfriend, complicates everything, leading to jealousy, misunderstandings, and the eventual rupture of the friendship. The past is ever-present, shaping June's grief and her need for resolution.

The Letter and the Lie

June discovers a letter Delia wrote but never sent, revealing that Ryan, June's boyfriend, had been contacting Delia behind June's back. The letter suggests that Ryan tried to make a move on Delia, and that Delia wanted to tell June the truth. June confronts Ryan, who denies everything, but evidence mounts that he was hiding a secret phone and was at Delia's house the day before she died. The revelation shatters June's trust and forces her to reevaluate her relationship with both Ryan and Delia. The web of lies and half-truths becomes more tangled, and June is left questioning everyone's motives.

The Truth About Ryan

June confronts Ryan with the evidence of his secret communications with Delia. Ryan is defensive, manipulative, and ultimately reveals that he was at Delia's house, but claims nothing happened. He tries to gaslight June, insisting she's imagining things and that Delia was unstable. The confrontation is emotionally charged, exposing Ryan's true nature and the depth of his betrayal. June realizes that Ryan is not the person she thought he was, and that her loyalty to him was misplaced. The encounter marks the end of their relationship and a turning point in June's journey toward the truth.

The Other Best Friend

June learns that Delia had a new best friend, Ashling, who was closer to her in the final months than anyone else. Ashling is fiercely protective of Delia's memory and dismisses June's suspicions about murder. She reveals that Delia was deeply troubled, using drugs, and had a difficult home life. Ashling's perspective challenges June's narrative, suggesting that Delia's death was a choice, not a crime. The encounter forces June to confront the limits of her knowledge and the possibility that she didn't know Delia as well as she thought. The complexity of grief and the multiplicity of truths become central themes.

The Phone and the Past

June gains access to Delia's phone, discovering texts and evidence of a secret relationship with someone saved as "FUCKER." The timeline suggests that Delia was with this person just before she died, and that he was the one yelling in the background of her final voicemail. The discovery is a breakthrough, but also raises new questions about Delia's relationships and the dangers she faced. June is forced to confront the reality that Delia's life was full of secrets, and that the past is never as simple as it seems. The search for answers becomes a search for understanding.

The Plan for Revenge

With the help of Delia's new friends—Ashling, Evan, and Sebastian—June becomes involved in a plan to take revenge on Delia's abusive stepfather, William. They frame him for drug possession and orchestrate his downfall. The group operates with a sense of righteous vengeance, believing they are correcting the injustices Delia suffered. June is swept up in the plan, both exhilarated and terrified by the power they wield. The lines between justice and revenge blur, and June is forced to reckon with the consequences of their actions. The plan is both a catharsis and a descent into moral grayness.

Becoming the Avenger

The group's plan escalates—they kidnap William, inject him with a fatal dose of insulin, and stage his death as a suicide. June is complicit, both as a participant and as a witness. The act is chilling, and the aftermath is surreal. June is left reeling, questioning her own morality and the true nature of justice. The experience is transformative, marking the end of her innocence and the beginning of a new, darker understanding of herself and the world. The bonds between the group are solidified by shared guilt and secrecy, but June is haunted by what they've done.

The Final Act

In the aftermath of William's death, June learns that Jeremiah, Delia's ex-boyfriend, has died in a suspicious car accident. The group is preparing to disappear, to start new lives with new identities. Delia asks June to come with them, to leave everything behind and be together forever. June is torn—she loves Delia, but is terrified by the violence and manipulation she's witnessed. The truth about Delia's past, her capacity for darkness, and the nature of their bond come into sharp focus. June must decide whether to stay tethered to Delia or to break free and face the consequences of their actions.

Tied Together Forever

The story ends with June and Delia confronting the depth of their connection. Their friendship is revealed to be as much about need and hunger as about love. Delia's final plea is for June to choose her, to be bound together forever, no matter the cost. The narrative closes on an ambiguous note—June is left with the knowledge that heaven is not a place, but a feeling of home, and that home was always with Delia. The price of loyalty, the danger of obsession, and the impossibility of returning to innocence are the story's final, haunting notes.

Characters

June

June is the protagonist, a high school junior whose life is defined by her intense, all-consuming friendship with Delia. She is introspective, sensitive, and plagued by guilt over the dissolution of their bond and Delia's subsequent death. June's psychological landscape is shaped by loneliness, a dysfunctional family, and a desperate need for connection. Her relationship with Delia is both salvation and curse—she is drawn to Delia's wildness but also overwhelmed by it. As the story unfolds, June transforms from passive mourner to active avenger, crossing moral boundaries in her quest for truth and justice. Her development is marked by increasing complicity in violence and a growing awareness of her own darkness.

Delia

Delia is June's former best friend, a magnetic and unpredictable force who draws people into her orbit. She is fiercely intelligent, rebellious, and deeply wounded by her family's dysfunction and her stepfather's abuse. Delia's fear of fire, her penchant for secrets, and her hunger for intensity define her character. She is both victim and manipulator, capable of great love and great harm. Delia's relationships are marked by possessiveness and a need to be the center of attention. Her death (and later, her faked death) is the catalyst for the novel's events, and her presence haunts every page. Delia's ultimate act is to bind June to her forever, blurring the lines between love, obsession, and destruction.

Ryan

Ryan is June's boyfriend, outwardly normal and well-liked, but ultimately revealed to be manipulative and self-serving. He is adept at fitting in, hiding his true self behind a mask of affability. Ryan's secret communications with Delia and his involvement in the events leading up to her death expose his capacity for betrayal. His relationship with June is built on avoidance and denial, and he is ultimately unable to confront the darkness at the heart of their lives. Ryan's unraveling is both a personal and symbolic loss for June, forcing her to confront the reality that safety and normalcy are illusions.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah is Delia's recent boyfriend, a wrestler with a strong sense of justice and a deep, if naive, love for Delia. He is devastated by her death and becomes obsessed with the idea that she was murdered. Jeremiah's grief manifests as anger and a need for retribution, leading him to ally with June in the investigation. His inability to let go and his eventual death (engineered by Delia's group) highlight the dangers of obsession and the collateral damage of seeking justice outside the law. Jeremiah's arc is tragic, illustrating the limits of love and the cost of being caught in someone else's story.

Ashling

Ashling is Delia's new best friend and lover, fiercely loyal and resourceful. She is instrumental in helping Delia fake her death and orchestrate revenge against William. Ashling is both ally and rival to June, competing for Delia's affection and trust. Her skills in forgery, manipulation, and planning make her a formidable presence. Ashling's relationship with Delia is passionate but fraught with jealousy and insecurity. She embodies the theme of chosen family and the lengths people will go to protect those they love, even at the expense of morality.

Evan

Evan is a member of Delia's new group, responsible for the technical aspects of their schemes—hacking, surveillance, and digital manipulation. He is outwardly sweet and unassuming, but harbors a capacity for cruelty and mischief. Evan's past is hinted at as troubled, and his willingness to bend the truth and break the law makes him both an asset and a danger. He represents the seductive power of belonging to a group and the ease with which ethical lines can be crossed in the name of loyalty.

Sebastian

Sebastian, formerly Trevor, is another member of the group, having faked his own death to escape a dangerous past. He is quiet, observant, and deeply scarred by his experiences. Sebastian's relationship with June is tender and protective, offering her a glimpse of a different kind of connection. He is the moral center of the group, often questioning the wisdom of their actions but ultimately complicit. Sebastian's presence highlights the theme of reinvention and the possibility (and cost) of starting over.

William (Delia's Stepfather)

William is the antagonist, Delia's stepfather, whose abuse and attempted rape set the story's revenge plot in motion. He is manipulative, respected in the community, and adept at hiding his true nature. William's downfall is engineered by Delia and her friends, who frame him for drug possession and ultimately murder him. His character embodies the dangers of unchecked power and the failure of institutions to protect the vulnerable. William's death is both justice and a moral abyss, forcing the characters to confront the consequences of their actions.

Krista

Krista is June's classmate and occasional confidante, representing the world outside of Delia's orbit. She is well-meaning but oblivious to the depth of June's pain. Krista's presence serves as a reminder of what June has lost and the impossibility of returning to a simpler life. She is a foil to the intensity of June and Delia's relationship, highlighting the isolation that comes from being bound to someone extraordinary.

June's Mother

June's mother is a peripheral but significant figure, her neglect and alcoholism shaping June's need for connection and her susceptibility to Delia's influence. The lack of parental support leaves June vulnerable and desperate for belonging. Her mother's inability to provide comfort or stability is a silent force driving June's choices and her willingness to cross moral boundaries for love and loyalty.

Plot Devices

Nonlinear Narrative and Flashbacks

The novel employs a nonlinear structure, weaving together present-day investigation with flashbacks to June and Delia's friendship. This device allows the reader to experience the intensity of their bond, the pain of its dissolution, and the gradual revelation of secrets. The fragmented timeline mirrors June's psychological state—haunted by the past, unable to move forward until she understands what happened. Flashbacks provide context for the present, deepening the emotional stakes and complicating the search for truth.

Unreliable Narration and Shifting Perspectives

The story is filtered through June's perspective, but her understanding is limited and often colored by emotion, guilt, and longing. Other characters—Delia, Ashling, Jeremiah—offer competing narratives, challenging June's assumptions and forcing her (and the reader) to question what is real. The use of letters, voicemails, and secondhand accounts adds layers of ambiguity, making the truth elusive and multifaceted. This device heightens suspense and underscores the theme that reality is constructed, not given.

Symbolism of Fire and Water

Fire recurs as a symbol of both fear and liberation—Delia's phobia, the method of her supposed suicide, and the means of erasing the past. Water (the reservoir) represents the boundary between innocence and experience, the site of first kisses and dangerous secrets. These elements frame the characters' journeys, marking moments of crisis and change. The interplay of fire and water reflects the tension between destruction and renewal, the desire to burn away pain and the longing to be cleansed of guilt.

The Secret Note and the Missed Call

The voicemail Delia leaves for June, and the unsent letter, are central plot devices—embodying the theme of missed opportunities and the irrevocability of choices. These messages drive the narrative, propelling June's investigation and her descent into obsession. The motif of the secret—what is said, what is withheld, what is discovered too late—pervades the story, shaping relationships and determining fates.

The Chosen Family and the Pact

Delia's new group—Ashling, Evan, Sebastian—functions as a chosen family, offering belonging and protection to those who have been failed by their biological families. The pact they form is both empowering and perilous, binding them together in secrecy and complicity. The group's willingness to break the law and cross moral lines for each other is both a source of strength and a path to destruction. This device explores the double-edged nature of loyalty and the human need for connection at any cost.

Analysis

Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls interrogates the boundaries between love and possession, justice and revenge, truth and self-deception. Lynn Weingarten crafts a narrative that is as much about the psychology of grief and the allure of the extraordinary as it is about the mechanics of a mystery. The novel's nonlinear structure and unreliable narration reflect the chaos of trauma and the impossibility of ever fully knowing another person—or even oneself. At its core, the story is a meditation on the dangers of needing someone so much that you lose yourself, and the ways in which secrets, once shared, can bind people together in both beautiful and destructive ways. The book challenges readers to question the morality of vengeance, the cost of loyalty, and the seductive power of being chosen. In a world where institutions fail and families fracture, the search for home becomes a search for someone who will never let you go—even if it means burning down everything else. The lesson is both cautionary and empathetic: love can save, but it can also consume, and the line between the two is perilously thin.

Last updated: December 10, 2025