[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Diversion Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
After Emily’s suicide with her boyfriend Jason, her family has not fared well. Her mom went back to work and threw herself into trying to protect other families from her experience. Her dad lost himself in alcohol. And her sister Daphne tries to tiptoe through her life without her big sister while her parents barely acknowledge she exists.
Jason’s family took a different path, idealizing everything about him after his death. It drives his younger brother Oliver crazy. They try to have Oliver do the exact opposite of what Jason did, hoping that will be enough to keep him from the same fate.
Daphne stumbles onto a bucket list Emily and Jason created. It dredges up questions and memories and feelings no one else really understands. Except maybe Oliver. They’ve never met, but Daphne gathers her courage to track him down. Nothing can bring Emily and Jason back, but maybe if Oliver and Daphne work on the list together they can find some of the things they have lost.
Review
This is a story of two families still reeling from a loss that happened seven years ago. And the two teens are living in the shadow of that loss, full of questions for which there are no good answers.
My heart broke for Oliver and Daphne. They are getting ready to graduate from high school and head off to college, but this loss still hangs over them along with questions of their own mental health (Daphne) and complicated rituals for relationships (Oliver) showing how this loss still impacts them. Oliver’s relationship strategies seem especially unhealthy to me. They complicate his relationships with the women around him in ways that seems especially unfair to the women.
It was hard to “enjoy” this one. While I understood and empathized with the characters, this is a sad story. There are no great revelations to find out about Emily and Jason. And no quick fixes for the troubled families.
I prefer my entertainment a little lighter than this. I think this will be a better fit for readers who enjoy stories with somewhat “tortured” characters trying to find their way through tragedy. (Mature content including suicide and sex)