"...My friendships in college and graduate school rank among the most intense of my life, and I think this is the case with a lot of people," says Marisa de los Santos, author of the recently released novel Falling Apart (William Morrow, 2011). 

"You want so much to be truly and thoroughly known and to know your friends in the same way. When you achieve that with a person or a group of people, it feels vital, even sacred," she adds.  

The author's reverence for these friendships isn't surprising. Because they occur at a time when young people are finding themselves, college (and even high school) friendships can play a pivotal role in our lives, helping to determine the people we become. 

In this book, de los Santos tells the story of three best friends—Pen, Cat, and Will—who meet at college. Although the trio forms an incredibly strong bond during their years together on campus, their lives follow very different paths and their friendship falls by the wayside. Six years later, Pen and Will receive a desperate email from Cat asking them to meet her at their college reunion because she needs their help.