Tag Archives: grief

Review: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

They Both Die at the End
Adam Sivera
Quill Tree Books
Published September 5, 2017

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About They Both Die at the End

Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day.

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

My Review of They Both Die at the End

Okay, so I read this book mostly as a result of my daughter complaining that she wanted to read a book where people fall in love and then they both die at the end. So I was like, I think I know the right book for this! Ha.

I love that Mateo and Rufus have such different voices. And I love the rituals between Rufus and his friends, the Plutos. I love the way he challenges Mateo to come out of the safe careful cave he has lived in, and how Mateo challenges Rufus to stop hiding from his emotions.

In the story, you get a call the day you die, letting you know it’s coming. There’s nothing you can do to stop it, and you have no idea how or when during that day it’s going to happen. It’s an interesting paradox because knowing you’re going to die changes what you do that day, but you were already going to die before you decided to make those changes.

And it’s not only Rufus and Mateo getting those calls, it’s everyone. So all around them are people who’ve gotten the call or who are living in fear of it or living wilder because they haven’t gotten it. There are whole businesses that exist for people who are living their last day, which is kind of weird to think about, but would definitely happen if we knew what day everyone was going to die.

I love the two-people-thrown-into-a-situation-together-ness of this book, and I love how knowing each other changes both Rufus and Mateo. I like that they don’t meet each other looking for love, but find it unexpectedly.

It’s very weird to read a book knowing someone will die at the end. It’s kind of like accepting that something is going to hurt you but doing it anyway, knowing that along the way, that same thing is going to make you laugh, make you think about things in a way you hadn’t thought before. I guess all that to say that I was afraid this book was going to be too sad for me, and it’s definitely sad. But it’s also so full of hope and value and love. And I’m so glad I got to read it for those things, too.

If you liked AWAY WE GO by Emil Ostrovski, definitely check out THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END.

Content Notes for They Both Die at the End

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
One character is bisexual and another is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used mainly by Rufus.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. At one point they fall asleep together.

Spiritual Content
Rufus and Mateo discuss what they think happens after death, whether there’s an afterlife. Neither believe very deeply in any sort of religion. One character believes in reincarnation.

Violent Content
At the beginning of the story, Rufus is beating up another boy. Later, a character brings a bomb to a gym and sets it off, killing himself and others nearby. A girl stands on top of a building, contemplating killing herself. A car accident kills another person. Someone points a gun at a member of a crowd. A fire kills someone.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: The Space Between Lost and Found by Sandy Stark-McGinnis

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The Space Between Lost and Found
Sandy Stark-McGinnis
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published April 28, 2020

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About The Space Between Lost and Found

Cassie’s always looked up to her mom, a vivacious woman with big ideas and a mischievous smile. Together they planned to check off every item on a big-dream bucket list, no matter how far the adventure would take them. But then Mom was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and everything changed.

Now, Cassie tries to keep Mom happy, and to understand some of Dad’s restrictive new rules. She tries to focus on math lessons and struggles to come up with art ideas that used to just burst off her pen. When Mom’s memories started to fade, so did Cassie’s inspiration. And even worse, she’s accidentally pushed away Bailey, the one friend who could make it all okay.

After the worst Mom day yet, the day she forgets Cassie’s name, Cassie decides to take action. It’s time for one last adventure, even if it means lying and taking a big risk to get there. Sandy Stark-McGinnis, acclaimed author of Extraordinary Birds, explores big questions – the kind that don’t always have answers – in a powerful story about family, friendship, and the memories that will always be part of us.

My Review

This was such an emotional book for me.

My grandmother passed away after a battle with Lewy Body dimentia, which acts a little bit like Alzheimers. It happened so quickly that almost as soon as we realized something was wrong, it felt like we’d lost our connection to her, and her connection to us.

I know that it’s very different losing a grandparent compared to losing a parent, but I had so many of the thoughts and reactions to my grandmother’s illness that Cassie had to her mother’s. I remember that I kept expecting her to wake up and be herself again at any moment sometimes. I remember trying to come up with ways to help her reconstruct memories or watching for any spark of recognition in her face. I’m grateful that she wasn’t in physical pain, I truly am. But I couldn’t wish the crushing emotional pain of watching your loved one lose their memories on even my worst enemies. Even now I find it hard to talk about.

Anyway. All that to say that I found THE SPACE BETWEEN LOST AND FOUND to have deep echoes of my own grief at losing someone to dimentia. I loved Cassie and her grief and her struggle with its impact on her friendships and her creativity felt real and raw but not without hope.

There’s a strong message of community and of the strength of being able to lean on one another rather than becoming isolated. Cassie has a great support system, but it takes her some time to figure out how to connect with them in the midst of her grief.

All in all, I think fans of BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE or BE LIGHT LIKE A BIRD will enjoy this book for its emotional honesty and message of hope.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some mildly scary descriptions– at one point Cassie’s mom dangles her feet off the edge of a canyon.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE SPACE BETWEEN LOST AND FOUND in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Porch Swing Girl by Taylor Bennett

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Porch Swing Girl
Taylor Bennett
Mountain Brook Ink
Published May 1, 2018

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About Porch Swing Girl

What if friendship cost you everything?

Stranded in Hawaii after the death of her mother, sixteen-year-old Olive Galloway is desperate to escape. She has to get back to Boston before her dad loses all common sense and sells the family house. But plane tickets cost money—something Olive gravely lacks.

With the help of Brander, the fussy youth group worship leader, and Jazz, a mysterious girl with a passion for all things Hawaiian, Olive lands a summer job at the Shave Ice Shack and launches a scheme to buy a plane ticket home before the end of the summer.

But when Jazz reveals a painful secret, Olive’s plans are challenged. Jazz needs money. A lot of it. Olive and Brander are determined to help their friend but, when their fundraising efforts are thwarted, Olive is caught in the middle. To help Jazz means giving up her ticket home. And time is running out.

My Review

I really liked that PORCH SWING GIRL follows a girl dealing with grief and shows her progressing through some of those emotions and finding her way through. She struggles, for sure. At times she’s blind to other people’s feelings. But she’s really trying to figure things out. I definitely identified with her in that way.

The spiritual themes are really strong here. It’s definitely a story about a faith journey, so if that isn’t what you’re looking for, this may not be the right book for you.

For the most part, I thought her faith journey rang true and felt real. There was a moment when she has a misunderstanding with a friend and he makes a comment that was kind of… I’d call it “Christianese”. Sort of stilted and steeped in spiritual metaphor basically telling her he couldn’t date her because she’s not committed to her faith at that point.

I got what he was saying, but it did make me realize how hurtful and dismissive that type of comment can be. (Which may have been part of the author’s point.)

The themes about grief and the way everyone grieves differently, and the fact that we don’t know someone’s life just by looking at them really stuck with me in reading PORCH SWING GIRL. I loved her grandma and of course Jazz so much, too.

PORCH SWING GIRL is a really sweet book that would appeal to fans of Christian fiction and authors Diana Sharples and Stephanie Morrill.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Olive’s mom is Hawaiian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
List.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing on face.

Spiritual Content
Most of the characters in the story are Christians and open about their faith. In the wake of her mom’s death, Olive is struggling with what she believes. Characters pray openly and attend church meetings. A boy tells Olive he can’t date her because she’s not a committed Christian. (His explanation is a little weird, but that’s his meaning.)

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of PORCH SWING GIRL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Start Here by Trish Doller

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Start Here
Trish Doller
Simon Pulse
Published August 13, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

About Start Here

Two teens go on a life-changing sailing trip as they deal with the grief of losing their best friend in this heartwrenching, hopeful novel from the author of Something Like Normal and In a Perfect World.

Willa and Taylor were supposed to spend the summer after high school sailing from Ohio to Key West with their best friend, Finley. But Finley died before graduation, leaving them with a twenty-five-foot sailboat, a list of clues leading them to destinations along the way, and a friendship that’s hanging by a thread.

Now, Willa and Taylor have two months and two thousand miles to discover how life works without Finley—and to decide if their own friendship is worth saving.

From acclaimed author Trish Doller comes a poignant tale of forgiveness, grief, and the brilliant discoveries we make within ourselves when we least expect it.

My Review

You know that feeling you get when you follow an author and read multiple of their books, and then a new one comes out and you feel like it has a special kind of magic the others (while they were great!) didn’t quite have?

I felt that way reading START HERE. The story seemed to come alive as I read it. I connected with the characters immediately. The “trapped on a sailboat with your frenemy to honor your best friend’s dying wish” plot was amazing and unique. I loved all the sailing stuff!

I sobbed with Finley as she made the video for her friends about the journey. Then I sobbed with Taylor and Willa as they grieved through that terrible loss. And, as the girls began to find themselves through the trip and learn to appreciate one another, I cried for how far they’d come.

This is the best kind of book to finish your summer with. It’s full of the kind of hope that only comes from grief transformed. It’s real and moving and full of surprise sweet and funny moments. I loved it. I read an electronic review copy, but I’m definitely ordering a finished copy of the book because I suspect it’s one I’ll return to again.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Willa isn’t sure of her ancestry. She has brown skin and curly hair. Taylor is white and bisexual.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. At one point, one couple are discovered in bed together partly clothed. Kissing between two girls.

There are also a couple of sexual references, like a boy making comments about his physical desire for sex. Ultimately, I thought it was cool the way the author juxtaposed this boy’s behavior (which left a girl feeling a lot of internal pressure) and a different boy’s behavior(which left her feeling protected and cared for).

Spiritual Content
Some references to magic, as in that sort of serendipitous thing that happens where you end up finding exactly what you need when you need it. Both girls express some anger at God for Finley’s death as a part of their grief.

Violent Content
Both girls face situations where men make unwanted, insistent advances. They handle the situation, but it’s still obviously stressful and scary.

Drug Content
Willa and Taylor use fake IDs to get into a bar and drink alcohol. They attend a college party where there’s lots of drinking. They drink alcohol legally outside the US.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of START HERE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: For Such a Time as This by Sharon Risher with Sherri Wood Emmons

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, , , , , , , , ,

For Such a Time as This
Sharon Risher with Sherri Wood Emmons
Chalice Press
Published June 11, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

The instant her phone rang, Reverend Sharon Risher sensed something was horribly wrong. Something had happened at Emanuel AME Church, the church of her youth in Charleston, South Carolina, and she knew her mother was likely in the church at Bible study. Even before she heard the news, her chaplain’s instinct told her the awful truth: her mother was dead, along with two cousins. What she couldn’t imagine was that they had been murdered by a white supremacist.

Plunged into the depths of mourning and anger and shock, Sharon could have wallowed in the pain. Instead, she chose the path of forgiveness and hope – eventually forgiving the convicted killer for his crime. In this powerful memoir of faith, family, and loss, Sharon begins the story with her mother, Ethel Lee Lance, seeking refuge in the church from poverty and scorn and raising her family despite unfathomable violence that rattled Sharon to her core years later; how Sharon overcame her own struggles and answered the call to ministry; and how, in the loss of her dear mother,

Sharon has become a nationally known speaker as she shares her raw, riveting, story of losing loved ones to gun violence and racism. Sharon’s story is a story of transformation: How an anonymous hospital chaplain was thrust into the national spotlight, joining survivors of other gun-related horrors as reluctant speakers for a heartbroken social-justice movement. As she recounts her grief and the struggle to forgive the killer, Risher learns to trust God’s timing and lean on God’s loving presence to guide her steps.

Where her faith journey leads her is surprising and inspiring, as she finds a renewed purpose to her life in the company of other survivors. Risher has been interviewed by Time Magazine, Marie-Claire, Essence, Guardian-BCC Radio, CNN, and other media sources. She regularly shares her story on American college campuses and racial-reconciliation events. “To Forgive a Killer,” her essay as told to Abigail Pesta published in Notre Dame Magazine, won the 2018 Front Page Award for Essay published in a Magazine, awarded by the Newswomen’s Club of New York .

My Review

When I heard about FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS, I knew I needed to read it. I remember hearing about the shooting in Charleston and feeling deeply disturbed at the boldness and actions of the killer. Rev. Risher tells the story of her family and her journey through grief toward healing with courage and very straight talk. This isn’t a flowery, feel-good story. It’s raw and real, full of struggle, humanity, and faith.

Risher wades into political waters as she describes her personal evolution into an advocate for sensible gun laws and for racial equality in the United States. Hearing her perspective on why she travels the country speaking and how she developed her message moved me, too. It made me think about the way I have conversations with people.

She suggests beginning with a common ground. What is something that both parties agree on? Find that common ground and then build on it. I’m hoping to put this into practice in my own life as I have conversations about social issues with people I care about.

Risher’s frank discussion of racism in America left me with chills. Her calls to action to learn to have difficult conversations, to keep talking about racial issues even when we’re uncomfortable, stick with me even after the pages of the book are closed. I agree with her, and I want to find appropriate ways to be part of those conversations, too.

All in all, I think FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS is a must-read for anyone in America. This shooting happened here, perpetrated by a man with abhorrent ideas, ones shared by too many other people. After an event like that, I find myself wondering what to do, or how to respond. I think this book does a lot toward equipping people to do those very things.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Sharon Risher’s mother, two cousins, and a childhood friend, who are all black, were killed by a white supremacist at their church in Charleston.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used near a dozen times throughout the book.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief recollection of falling in love and getting married.

Spiritual Content
Risher herself is a chaplain and calls on her faith to help herself and others through deep grief and anger.

Violent Content
Some brief descriptions of the mass shooting at the AME church in Charleston.

Drug Content
Simon and his friends drink alcohol, which is legal at eighteen in Australia.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Girls of Firefly Cabin by Cynthia Ellingsen

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The Girls of Firefly Cabin
Cynthia Ellingsen
Albert Whitman & Company
Available May 28, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About THE GIRLS OF FIREFLY CABIN

Lauren, Isla, Jade, and Archer meet the first day of summer camp, and friendship magic is made in Firefly Cabin. If only they could immortalize their summer memories by winning the contest to be the face of the camp’s website. But it won’t be easy; not with rival cabins, distracting crushes, and of course, the girl’s own secrets getting in the way. Can friendship—and the Fireflies—triumph over all?

My Review

THE GIRLS OF FIREFLY CABIN is one of the cutest books I’ve read in a long time. I loved all the summer camp stuff– references to campfires, silly songs, and shared jokes that are so iconic of the experience of summer camp. But it’s more than simply a cute book.

Each girl comes to camp with a secret and a deeply held belief that the other girls simply can’t or won’t accept her if they find out the truth. For Lauren, the secret is her life at a group home, where going to a fancy camp is impossible. In fact, she’s only attending because she won a scholarship through a contest.

Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her, Lauren decides to make the weeks at camp the best she’s ever had. She decides the girls will be her best friends for life. As soon as they’re together in the cabin, she plunges through the awkwardness of first meetings and leads the girls into a deep, lasting friendship.

Of course, the inevitable happens: at some point, secrets all come out. Winning the contest to be the face of camp gets jeopardized. And the girls have to decide how strong their newfound friendships are. Strong enough to stand the test of the secrets they keep?

One of my favorite characters was the chef who becomes Lauren’s friend and confidante. I LOVED her, and I really didn’t see where that part of the story was headed until it happened. Which was even better.

In terms of its plot, the story might be a little too neat and tidy, but that fits the summer camp feel and new friendship vibe in THE GIRLS OF FIREFLY CABIN. Fans of CATERPILLAR SUMMER by Gillian McDunn or ELSIE MAE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY by Nancy Cavanaugh will enjoy the outdoor scenes and important relationships in THE GIRLS OF FIREFLY CABIN.

Recommended for Ages8 up.

Representation
Jade’s best friend is Latina.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
The girls help Jade process her grief over losing her best friend. They hold ceremonies honoring her, and Jade feels that she senses Kiara’s presence all around her in nature.

Violent Content
Some references to bullying. Archer and her sister have a difficult relationship. Archer’s sister plays cruel tricks on her, at one point ruining her artwork. Archer and her friends play pranks on her sister and their friends, too. They do things like putting a fake snake in her shoes.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing but help support my blog.