Reviews with content warning for Grief - Goodbye Days

Why I thought this book was 4.5 stars:
Ok first of all, I need to get this off my chest. WHY IS EVERY YA STRAIGHT WHITE SOCIALLY AWKWARD BOY A CARBON COPY OF EACH OTHER. I read Dear Evan Hansen, Be More Chill and now THIS OH MY GOD THEY'RE ALL THE SAME. Also his friend group, the Sauce Crew... I did not like them. It's not that they're bad people or anything and I don't hate them or anything, they're fine, they're just not the types of people I would befriend. Lowkey I think they contributed to lowering my rating for this book oops BUT anyways, the actual review:

This book is heavy. Like very heavy. VERY BIG CONTENT WARNING cause this book deals with death, grief, anxiety, panic attacks, the whole lot. Part of the reason why it took so long for me to read this book was because at the time I was reading this I was having anxiety about my exam results and the anxiety I had for Carver actually induced like real life anxiety and it got to a point where I had to stop for a couple of months and wait for my exam results to come out because it was too much. (I did end up passing my exams if you were wondering, blessed be the lord.)

So if you're looking into maybe reading this book, do consider if you're able to contend with the subject matter at hand.

And speaking of subject matter boy does it handle it well. It's so... raw. It does not hold back. Though I personally at this point in my life have not dealt with a death of someone THAT close to me, let a lone three at once, I'd like to think that this was a very realistic portrayal of how one would cope with such an event.

Including the whole having a crush on your dead friend's girlfriend thing. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH HOW IT TURNED OUT. If Jeff Zentner actually made Carver and Jessmyn date I would be burning this book without hesitation. Luckily, it only got to the point of Carver confessing and Jessmyn-thankfully-rejecting it. And oh boy am I so glad that we got to see the negative repercussions of Carver's idiotic confession I AM SO HAPPY A CHARACTER GOT "PUNISHED" FOR THEIR DUMB ACTIONS BLESS.

When I was reading that part I literally threw my book and started hysterically yelling. (My dad thought I was crying and like no I was just getting mad at fictional characters.) I couldn't even read it and ended up having to skim it. But, it all turned out fine; Carver and Jessmyn make up and they stay as friends which was a wise decision from the author. (Look at me praising someone for the bare minimum YA has ruined my standards the bar is in hell.)

All in all, this book achieves what it set out do really well. But I still can't recommend it to everyone, considering the subject matter and all. This honestly might have been the first time I questioned whether or not I was enjoying my book not because the story was horrendous, but because it was such an anxiety-ridden read. I said in my notes that this book is a "Whump" and I think that's a fitting description. If you're a person that enjoys those types of stories, go ahead this book has my shining recommendation. If however, you're an enjoyer of fluff and romance like I am and can at most only handle a teeny bit of angst, put more thought into whether or not you want to read this or the book with the two boys kissing.

Content Warnings

johannesxfaith's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

katiescott's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

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