Just the Good Parts
Robbie Couch
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published September 29, 2026
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About Just the Good Parts
From the New York Times bestselling author of If I See You Again Tomorrow comes a stunningly romantic, speculative novel about a teen looking for his missing dad, who keeps getting pulled into others’ memories and crossing paths with a handsome stranger who also doesn’t belong there.
Caspen Coolsby’s dad is missing. But even though it’s only been a few months, everyone has given up on finding him. Except for Caspen.
He finally gets a break in the case when he meets his new upstairs neighbors and discovers he can somehow transport himself into each of the college students’ memories using candle scents that remind them of important moments. No one loved candles more than his dad, so Caspen is sure there must be clues pointing toward where to find him hidden in the memories.
His thinking hits a snag, though, when a handsome boy named Lars keeps popping up in memories where he also doesn’t belong. As the lines between memory and reality begin to blur, Caspen can’t help but fall for the mysterious boy who keeps chipping away at the rose-colored lens he’s always seen life through. But will Caspen be able to find his dad and his crush outside of these stolen moments if it means reliving the hard truths of his past and not just the good parts?
My Review
This book manages to be both playful and serious at the same time. I loved the wacky whimsy of a boy disappearing into his friends’ memories when they light a candle. Why Lars appears in the memories is never explained, but that didn’t bother me too much. I think it would have been cool if there was a connection that Caspen hadn’t realized until the end, but I was okay with the open-ended storyline there.
The fact that his family owns a candle store is super cute. Between that and the paranormal elements of the tale, I think this book works really well as a cozy fall read with slight Halloween vibes. Nothing truly spooky happens during the story, but the fact that this strange situation is happening and all the references to fall leaves and candles made me really glad I was reading this book during the fall season.
A lot of pieces of the story do get explained, and Caspen learns a lot about himself and his family along the way. I enjoyed seeing those connections, even though the conclusion of the story is pretty emotional. I wasn’t prepared for that considering how goofy and lighthearted the rest of the book is. I think the story works; I just probably wouldn’t have read the last five chapters in a Starbucks if I’d known where things were heading.
Just the Good Parts is the first book by Robbie Couch that I’ve read, and I enjoyed it. I think fans of Lance Rubin will want to check this one out.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 14 up.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Brief profanity used infrequently.
Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.
Spiritual Content
Caspen experiences the memories of three other people when they light candles and he touches them. Someone else appears in the memories, too.
Violent Content
Caspen’s dad is missing. References to the death of a girlfriend and unresolved grief. Reference to an injury from falling.
SPOILER: (Select the text below to view.)
Death of a parent.
Drug Content
None.
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