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solenophage's review
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was very bleak with a dark tone that never let up. It dives into the topics of grief, depression, suicide, and drug abuse, among others as it follows the main character, Chase, as she deals with the grief of losing her (ex-)girlfriend and life-long best friend, Lia.
I enjoyed the very flawed relationship between Lia and Chase. They were nearly always there for each other but very often not what the other needed. They'd been a part of each other's life for so long and seen sides of each other that no one else did, but they still fundamentally failed to understand or accept each other's struggles. The education system, the mental health system, and their own families really failed these girls, leaving them stressed and unwell with very few people to turn to other than each other and not in a position to be good for each other either. I will say though at times their arguments and misunderstandings get a little repetitive.
The ‘twist’ revealed at the end of part 1, though, was one of my least favorite plot devices. I guess I have to thank it for enabling the exploration of grief and guilt and all these characters' complexities since the story would have to be presented totally differently without it, but I still wasn't a fan. Hunter, who Chase had believed to be Lia’s new girlfriend, was not real. Chase had rewritten her memories to include Hunter to block out certain events leading up to Lia’s death and all of Hunter’s appearances after Lia’s death were her hallucinations. Kind of cliché, but more than that it took me out of the story as I was thinking about whether that made any sense with the event we’d been shown up to that point and, if I suspend my disbelief, had me questioning what of the story so far even mattered. There’s also the issue of blurring the line between genuine portrays of mental illness (or drug addiction) and unrealistic plot devices, which I find kind of uncomfortable even if it wasn’t too egregious here.
I enjoyed the very flawed relationship between Lia and Chase. They were nearly always there for each other but very often not what the other needed. They'd been a part of each other's life for so long and seen sides of each other that no one else did, but they still fundamentally failed to understand or accept each other's struggles. The education system, the mental health system, and their own families really failed these girls, leaving them stressed and unwell with very few people to turn to other than each other and not in a position to be good for each other either. I will say though at times their arguments and misunderstandings get a little repetitive.
The ‘twist’ revealed at the end of part 1, though, was one of my least favorite plot devices. I guess I have to thank it for enabling the exploration of grief and guilt and all these characters' complexities since the story would have to be presented totally differently without it, but I still wasn't a fan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Self harm, and Child death
shutupiamreading's review
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a beautifully written but quite intense book - major trigger warning for suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and drug addiction.
The author did an amazing job weaving together storylines of drug abuse, depression, academic pressure, and race. It’s also a great and realistic representation of mental illness without sensationalising it, which I very much appreciated.
The author did an amazing job weaving together storylines of drug abuse, depression, academic pressure, and race. It’s also a great and realistic representation of mental illness without sensationalising it, which I very much appreciated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Mental illness
cboddie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book could have used content warnings up front and I'm a little uncomfortable with mental health struggles being sold as mystery/thriller. It's a well written depiction of grief and school pressures for our teens. CW: grief, suicide, depression, drug addiction
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Addiction, Suicide, and Drug use
dancingdynamos's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
shereadytoread's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A heartbreaking sapphic mystery/thriller that touches on everything from first love, to addiction, to mental illness, and adoption trauma. This book packs more than you expect.
I’d love to talk about specifics of so many pieces but they are all spoilers (*sigh*). We follow Chase as she puts together the puzzle of what happened to Lia, her first love, after she goes missing and her body is found. While it does have a darker mood, it keeps you engaged by the spiral our main character ends up on.
It is a melancholy story that gives a clear look into some heavy themes while also telling a compelling story. Our main character has to deal with the devastating loss while also struggling to realize who she is and that maybe everything was not exactly as it seemed.
Disclaimer: I received a free gifted copy from the publisher
I’d love to talk about specifics of so many pieces but they are all spoilers (*sigh*). We follow Chase as she puts together the puzzle of what happened to Lia, her first love, after she goes missing and her body is found. While it does have a darker mood, it keeps you engaged by the spiral our main character ends up on.
It is a melancholy story that gives a clear look into some heavy themes while also telling a compelling story. Our main character has to deal with the devastating loss while also struggling to realize who she is and that maybe everything was not exactly as it seemed.
Disclaimer: I received a free gifted copy from the publisher
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Addiction, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness
bookdragon217's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Responsibility is simply the ability to respond to respond...It's understanding our lack of control and then choosing to act anyway, choosing how we want to act."
I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu was a heart wrenching read that left a pain in my heart after reading it. It's a YA story that will appeal to all ages, especially anyone who has felt the pain and crushing anxiety of trying to live up to others' expectations. The main "mystery" is revealed early on but the real story unravels slowly, revealing all the little things that send our two main protagonists spiraling. The writing is so captivating that by the time the heart of the conflict is revealed you are left reeling wondering what is really the truth and who is responsible.
What really makes this book so special is how the author highlights the experience of being a trans-racial adoptee and how that affects Asian self identity and how others perceive Asian identity. Lyu also does a fantastic job of showing how the pressure to perform shapes teenagers' ideas about the future and success and how that immense pressure deteriorates self esteem and mental health. Grief is also a big theme in this one and manifests differently for the characters. Chase finally coming to terms with Lia's suicide, her sexuality and her own survivor's guilt in therapy brought me to tears because I know personally how hard it is to ask for help when you're used to being strong all the time & you feel undeserving. I loved that was intentional & included resources for mental health.
Thank you for the gifted copy @ireadya & @coloredpagesblogtours. I really loved this one and the emotional journey that it took me through. This book had so much heart
This book would pair nicely with:
📗 History is All You Left Me- Adam Silvera
📕 Searching for Sylvie Lee- Jean Kwok
📘 Everything I Never Told You- Celeste Ng
📙 Iveliz Explains It All- Andrea Beatriz Arango
I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu was a heart wrenching read that left a pain in my heart after reading it. It's a YA story that will appeal to all ages, especially anyone who has felt the pain and crushing anxiety of trying to live up to others' expectations. The main "mystery" is revealed early on but the real story unravels slowly, revealing all the little things that send our two main protagonists spiraling. The writing is so captivating that by the time the heart of the conflict is revealed you are left reeling wondering what is really the truth and who is responsible.
What really makes this book so special is how the author highlights the experience of being a trans-racial adoptee and how that affects Asian self identity and how others perceive Asian identity. Lyu also does a fantastic job of showing how the pressure to perform shapes teenagers' ideas about the future and success and how that immense pressure deteriorates self esteem and mental health. Grief is also a big theme in this one and manifests differently for the characters. Chase finally coming to terms with Lia's suicide, her sexuality and her own survivor's guilt in therapy brought me to tears because I know personally how hard it is to ask for help when you're used to being strong all the time & you feel undeserving. I loved that was intentional & included resources for mental health.
Thank you for the gifted copy @ireadya & @coloredpagesblogtours. I really loved this one and the emotional journey that it took me through. This book had so much heart
This book would pair nicely with:
📗 History is All You Left Me- Adam Silvera
📕 Searching for Sylvie Lee- Jean Kwok
📘 Everything I Never Told You- Celeste Ng
📙 Iveliz Explains It All- Andrea Beatriz Arango
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Suicide attempt
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