"'Smiling is just a picture that you can paint on your face to make it seem as though you're happy, but reality is: smiling has no meaning. It's the one card you can play when you have nothing else to put down on the table.'" Taylor and Jessica are best friends that have almost everything in common-including life-threatening illnesses. The one difference is, Jessica's is voluntary. Jessica Anderson has everything: a close-knit group of friends, parents who love her, and a size two waist. There is nothing more to life at the age of fifteen. But it isn't enough. Jessica can't find the acceptance she needs. Tormented by an eating disorder she won't acknowledge, Jessica keeps the smile on, relying heavily on Taylor for the love and support to continue living. But Taylor has devastating news: her leukemia is back. With her mask slipping and her best friend beyond her help, Jessica makes a promise she doesn't know if she can keep. Young author Melissa Ford exposes the power of friendship and the deadly effects of striving for the perfection that does not exist in her debut novel "Cross My Heart, Hope (not) to Die."