"I spent my life folded between the pages of books." -Tahereh Mafi

Some of my reviews are normal non-spoilery reviews. But some of reviews contain lots and lots of spoilers to help you (and me!) remember what happened when the next book in the series finally comes out. Both review types are clearly marked.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand




This review is spoiler free!!



4/5 stars





So many feels! The author obviously understands grief and how it feels to lose someone you love. There's a lot to identify with for anyone who's experienced loss. If you are lucky enough to have not yet lost someone you love, this book will give you a glimpse of what it's like. And if you have experienced that type of loss, there's so many times you'll say "yep, that's it."



When Ty first died, she was there every time I turned around, her eyes worried and bloodshot with crying. "Are you okay?" she'd ask, over and over and over. No, moron, I'd think. I am not okay. My brother's dead. But I'd suck it up and say, "Yeah, I'm okay," which after a few days gave way to a weak nod, and then she'd say something like "Let me know if you need anything" or "I'm here if you want to talk." Which, after a while, I figured out was what she really wanted me to do. She wanted me to talk about Ty. About his death. About my feelings about his death. And suddenly I got the distinct feeling that she wanted me to cry, so that she could be my shoulder to cry on. She wanted me to break down so that she could build me back up, so she could be my stellar bestie who got me through the worst.
True story - 8 years after my mom's death, I still refuse to spend Mother's Day with my extended family because everyone looks at me like I should be sobbing the entire day. No thanks. 

I loved the main character. She's geeky, but not unrealistically so. She's consumed with grief and guilt over her brother's suicide so she ends up pushing away all the people who care about her. Her best friends, her boyfriend, her parents, everyone. There's some great friendships and there's a sweet little romance. The romance definitely isn't over the top and it's not like the guy "saves" her from grief or anything stupid like that. They were in love before her brother died and she pushed him away. 



Find at Goodreads

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