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pandacat42's review against another edition
3.0
***I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review***
While the plot was new for me, I found the storyline to be predictable. The characters were okay, but I thought the High School students had no depth. I'm tired of HS students all acting so stereotypical in the YA books I read. I mean, aside from Joni.
While the plot was new for me, I found the storyline to be predictable. The characters were okay, but I thought the High School students had no depth. I'm tired of HS students all acting so stereotypical in the YA books I read. I mean, aside from Joni.
erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi is a book that immediately got my attention. Not only is the cover perfect (in my opinion) but this is from a male point of view and for whatever reason, I enjoy a good story told from a boy’s point of view. Now, I don’t always do the contemporary stuff but this was one I dove right into.
I thought Ryden was a great character. He used to be the popular boy and now…he’s a senior in high school, working part time, trying to figure out how to get a soccer scholarship he has been banking on forever. Oh…and he’s a single dad. His girlfriend, Meg, who had cancer and ultimately ended up pregnant, died and Ryden is taking care of their daughter, Hope.
Ryden definitely isn’t perfect here. He tries really hard but things are definitely unraveling and on top of that he is angry about the way Meg’s story ended. As he starts to dig deeper, he only gets more frustrated, confused, and yes…angrier. At times he takes advantage of his friends and he definitely should have told Joni, a girl he meets at work, about the important things in his life. While I completely sympathize and understand his need to be someone other than “the teenage dad”, I also understand why she was so upset with him.
The fact that Verdi made Ryden’s mother an integral part of this story made me happy. Not only did she play a major role in the support system Ryden needed every day just to care for Hope, but she was the person who injected a bit of realism into his life and really tried to get him to see what was coming.
Outside of Ryden coming to terms with how his life is changing, he is also slowly finding out what Meg was up to toward the end of her life. This book is not all rainbows and puppy dogs – Ryden makes some bad choices along the way but he is a teenage boy, I would have been more surprised if he hadn’t.
I thought this book was done well and had a realistic view of what (I would imagine) would be a teenage boys experience as a single dad trying to finish school and achieve the one thing he has always wanted. If you’re looking for a story that has potential to make you feel all the things and a realistic male narrator, definitely check this one out. I’m glad I did!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
I thought Ryden was a great character. He used to be the popular boy and now…he’s a senior in high school, working part time, trying to figure out how to get a soccer scholarship he has been banking on forever. Oh…and he’s a single dad. His girlfriend, Meg, who had cancer and ultimately ended up pregnant, died and Ryden is taking care of their daughter, Hope.
Ryden definitely isn’t perfect here. He tries really hard but things are definitely unraveling and on top of that he is angry about the way Meg’s story ended. As he starts to dig deeper, he only gets more frustrated, confused, and yes…angrier. At times he takes advantage of his friends and he definitely should have told Joni, a girl he meets at work, about the important things in his life. While I completely sympathize and understand his need to be someone other than “the teenage dad”, I also understand why she was so upset with him.
The fact that Verdi made Ryden’s mother an integral part of this story made me happy. Not only did she play a major role in the support system Ryden needed every day just to care for Hope, but she was the person who injected a bit of realism into his life and really tried to get him to see what was coming.
Outside of Ryden coming to terms with how his life is changing, he is also slowly finding out what Meg was up to toward the end of her life. This book is not all rainbows and puppy dogs – Ryden makes some bad choices along the way but he is a teenage boy, I would have been more surprised if he hadn’t.
I thought this book was done well and had a realistic view of what (I would imagine) would be a teenage boys experience as a single dad trying to finish school and achieve the one thing he has always wanted. If you’re looking for a story that has potential to make you feel all the things and a realistic male narrator, definitely check this one out. I’m glad I did!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
blakehalsey's review against another edition
5.0
It's really really hard not to love Ryden Brooks and all he faces in this story. Loved his voice, his struggle, his growth. It all felt pretty real and I had a knot in my throat the entire time. Beautiful story of accepting the life you have & giving up the one you expected.
caity1987's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a real tear jerker and if you need a good cry then read the book. It's about a guy who becomes a father way too young all the while loosing the love of his life at the tender age of 17.
stacylmoll's review against another edition
5.0
Ryden seems too good to be true, a teenage boy who is raising his daughter because her mom Meg died right after she gave birth to her. Ryden's mom does a great job being there to support him, while making him totally responsible for Hope. Hope stays in his room and is 7 1/2 months old before Ryden's mom keeps her over night in her room, and only because Ryden had a bit of a breakdown.
It made me sad that he loses his chance to play for UCLA, I really wanted that to work out for him. I thought it was a bad deal, that his coach did what he did, and that there wasn't a way to make that work. I was also upset with Alan, giving Ryden the notebook right before his big game. Finding out that your girlfriend, who knew she was dying, got pregnant on purpose and left you to deal with everything, would make focusing on a soccer game pretty hard.
Make sure you have a full box of tissues when you read this, Jessica Verdi will have you crying too hard to finish without something around to keep the tears out of the way.
It made me sad that he loses his chance to play for UCLA, I really wanted that to work out for him. I thought it was a bad deal, that his coach did what he did, and that there wasn't a way to make that work. I was also upset with Alan, giving Ryden the notebook right before his big game. Finding out that your girlfriend, who knew she was dying, got pregnant on purpose and left you to deal with everything, would make focusing on a soccer game pretty hard.
Make sure you have a full box of tissues when you read this, Jessica Verdi will have you crying too hard to finish without something around to keep the tears out of the way.
kbranfield's review against another edition
5.0
What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi is an incredibly emotional and poignant journey of healing for lead protagonist Ryden Brooks. This seventeen year old single father is trying to be a good dad to his six month old daughter while struggling to come to terms with the grief and guilt he continues to experience over his girlfriend Meg's death. However, Ryden's biggest challenge is facing the reality that the hopes and dreams he has been striving for might no longer be attainable.
What You Left Behind begins with Ryden hoping to resume the life he had before Meg died and fatherhood. Summer is ending, soccer practice is starting and his senior year is about to begin. While most of his classmates are worried about prom and college, Ryden is trying to sort out babysitting for his daughter so he can clinch the soccer scholarship that is his ticket to a better life. However, juggling a teething baby, a part time job, soccer practice and homework is next to impossible and at this point, all Ryden wants is to feel like a normal teenager. Meeting his co-worker Joni Rios provides him this opportunity since she knows nothing about his past and although he knows that lying to her is wrong, Ryden continues to keep his real life a secret from her.
In many ways, Ryden is a typical teenager. He is a little selfish, he does not always think things through and he has a bit of an unrealistic viewpoint of his future. But these negative traits are outweighed by the fact that he is taking complete responsibility for his actions. He chose to keep his daughter and although he feels completely out of his depth with her, he is trying to make the best decisions possible for their future. Ryden is not completely on his own since his mom is more than willing to help out as much as possible, but at the end of the day, he is completely responsible for taking of his baby.
Ryden's struggles are realistically depicted and his difficulties are compounded by the crushing guilt he feels for getting Meg pregnant. He has been so focused on caring for his daughter that he has not really come to terms with his grief over her death. The discovery of one of Meg's journals leaves him convinced that she is trying to leave him a message. Hoping to find answers that will help him become a better father, Ryden is quickly consumed by his search for the other two journals he is certain she left behind. Will these journals give him the information he is hoping for? Will reading Meg's thoughts help him heal or will they destroy the little progress he has made in the months since her death?
What You Left Behind is an extremely well-written young adult novel that touches on many relevant societal issues. Jessica Verdi does an absolutely outstanding job balancing difficult issues with sensitivity and the resulting story is one that will touch reader's hearts. A heartrending, touching and ultimately uplifting novel that I highly recommend to readers of all ages.
What You Left Behind begins with Ryden hoping to resume the life he had before Meg died and fatherhood. Summer is ending, soccer practice is starting and his senior year is about to begin. While most of his classmates are worried about prom and college, Ryden is trying to sort out babysitting for his daughter so he can clinch the soccer scholarship that is his ticket to a better life. However, juggling a teething baby, a part time job, soccer practice and homework is next to impossible and at this point, all Ryden wants is to feel like a normal teenager. Meeting his co-worker Joni Rios provides him this opportunity since she knows nothing about his past and although he knows that lying to her is wrong, Ryden continues to keep his real life a secret from her.
In many ways, Ryden is a typical teenager. He is a little selfish, he does not always think things through and he has a bit of an unrealistic viewpoint of his future. But these negative traits are outweighed by the fact that he is taking complete responsibility for his actions. He chose to keep his daughter and although he feels completely out of his depth with her, he is trying to make the best decisions possible for their future. Ryden is not completely on his own since his mom is more than willing to help out as much as possible, but at the end of the day, he is completely responsible for taking of his baby.
Ryden's struggles are realistically depicted and his difficulties are compounded by the crushing guilt he feels for getting Meg pregnant. He has been so focused on caring for his daughter that he has not really come to terms with his grief over her death. The discovery of one of Meg's journals leaves him convinced that she is trying to leave him a message. Hoping to find answers that will help him become a better father, Ryden is quickly consumed by his search for the other two journals he is certain she left behind. Will these journals give him the information he is hoping for? Will reading Meg's thoughts help him heal or will they destroy the little progress he has made in the months since her death?
What You Left Behind is an extremely well-written young adult novel that touches on many relevant societal issues. Jessica Verdi does an absolutely outstanding job balancing difficult issues with sensitivity and the resulting story is one that will touch reader's hearts. A heartrending, touching and ultimately uplifting novel that I highly recommend to readers of all ages.
thisbookaffair's review against another edition
5.0
Gosh.
This book.
Ryden’s story is pretty unique and incredibly tragic: his girlfriend died and he was left with a baby. And above all that, he blames himself for what happened to her.
Funny thing, when I started reading the book I thought the narrator was a girl. I guess I just didn’t expect the story to be about a boy who is a single dad.
Reading this story from Ryden’s point of view was beautiful. The author did an incredible job with his voice. You can tell he’s trying really hard to put his life back together (with a teething baby, a job and school). The whole situation forced him to grow up faster. We see him trying to be a dad, something that he has no idea how to do, because for starters his own father abandoned him and his mother before he was born. Ryden believes that finding his father will help me figure out how to be one himself and we see him struggling with this idea a lot.
Let’s talk secondary characters for a minute: they were all brilliant, but I specially adored Ryden’s mom. She is one of the most supportive parents I’ve ever read about it. Their relationship is pretty awesome. I’m so grateful that Verdi built her up to be an actual mom. We often see how parents get pushed away from YA stories and seeing one so concerned and involved in his son’s life was amazing.
The things that I loved the most about this book:
- The character development. It took Ryden a while but he finally gets where he needs to. He was holding very hard to the past and had all these wrong conceptions of himself.
- The development of the story was great. Everything that happened and the explanations that you get at the end are much unexpected.
- The themes of loss and grieve are a big part of the story and we get to see different perspectives and how people deal with these situations.
It was an excellent read. It was heartbreaking and it made me cry, but at the same time it was so up lifting.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book.
Ryden’s story is pretty unique and incredibly tragic: his girlfriend died and he was left with a baby. And above all that, he blames himself for what happened to her.
Funny thing, when I started reading the book I thought the narrator was a girl. I guess I just didn’t expect the story to be about a boy who is a single dad.
Reading this story from Ryden’s point of view was beautiful. The author did an incredible job with his voice. You can tell he’s trying really hard to put his life back together (with a teething baby, a job and school). The whole situation forced him to grow up faster. We see him trying to be a dad, something that he has no idea how to do, because for starters his own father abandoned him and his mother before he was born. Ryden believes that finding his father will help me figure out how to be one himself and we see him struggling with this idea a lot.
Let’s talk secondary characters for a minute: they were all brilliant, but I specially adored Ryden’s mom. She is one of the most supportive parents I’ve ever read about it. Their relationship is pretty awesome. I’m so grateful that Verdi built her up to be an actual mom. We often see how parents get pushed away from YA stories and seeing one so concerned and involved in his son’s life was amazing.
The things that I loved the most about this book:
- The character development. It took Ryden a while but he finally gets where he needs to. He was holding very hard to the past and had all these wrong conceptions of himself.
- The development of the story was great. Everything that happened and the explanations that you get at the end are much unexpected.
- The themes of loss and grieve are a big part of the story and we get to see different perspectives and how people deal with these situations.
It was an excellent read. It was heartbreaking and it made me cry, but at the same time it was so up lifting.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.