(ARC Review) The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

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Expected publication date: February 10th, 2015, Harper Teen

My rating: 5 stars

Book summary:

"There's death all around us.
We just don't pay attention.
Until we do.

The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.

Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be.

As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

Lex's brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on."

      All of us know Cynthia Hand because of her brilliant Unearthly trilogy - my favorite paranormal young adult series about angels. It came as a surprise when I saw that her new novel will be more on realistic side.Truth to be told, I was worried because I ended up disappointed with several authors who took turn from paranormal to realistic fiction. But this is Cynthia Hand, so shouldn't have any doubts from the start. The Last Time We Say Goodbye deserves more than five stars.


      Not the easiest book to read. I finished The Last Time We Say Goodbye in three i the morning and I just sat there in my bed, completely wrecked, fighting with the urge to go into the next room, wake up my sister and tell her how much I love her and how happy I am that I have her and that I'm sorry for every time I hurt her feelings.  I don't remember the last time a book made me cry - this was such an emotional and heartbreaking story about love and loss. Letting go and forgiving are two hardest things to do, especially if the person we need to forgive is ourselves. 

      Told from the perspective of a girl whose brother committed a suicide, The Last Time We Say Goodbye is at the same time story about those who were left behind and a boy who took his own life. Don't expect some magical romance that will make everything better for Lex and help her to move on. Lex has to find way to deal with things on her own and that is exactly what she does, everything is focused on her inner struggles and interaction with her friends who don't know how to get to her.  

      This is not autobiographic novel. That is something that Cynthia Hand points out in the note at end of the book, but it probably wasn't easy for her to write about something like this. I just want to say thank you for writing it. 

      Final judgement? Heartfelt, deep and beautiful young adult novel that will make you appreciate your siblings more and feel pain for those who lost them. Absolute must-read!

Happy reading,

 

*ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*

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