Rachel Aviv’s account of of the life and much-debated death of Jahi McMath was one of the most unforgettable stories I’ve read in the past few years. McMath was just 13 years old when she went into cardiac arrest after a standard tonsillectomy; doctors declared her brain dead, but her family believed she showed signs of life. Aviv covers the ensuing legal battle, including everything from the substandard medical care disproportionately inflicted upon black patients like McMath to the surprisingly culturally determined definition of death itself. —Gabrielle Bruney