When I Was Older — Garret Freymann-Weyr

Sophie's little brother died of leukemia two years ago, and her memories of him are beginning to slip away. She doesn't know how to deal with any of it-until she meets Francis. With a dead mother, a teardrop tattooed on his face, and a curiosity which is almost nosy, he has a lot to teach Sophie about losing someone and saving memories. They start out as friends, but soon Sophie realizes that Francis wants to be her boyfriend, too. Can Sophie give herself the permission to grow up?
"Fast-paced, light, yet introspective, this novel of transition, love, and loss explores emotion while telling a fine story." ("School Library Journal," starred review)