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blodeuedd's review against another edition
4.0
This was a tough and emotional one. I have no idea what I would have done in this situation.
It is the story of two sisters. Adina, the viola prodigy. She has no friends cos all she does is play her viola. She is happy, until...
Tovah, who studies hard to get into Johns Hopkins. Who is in clubs and more, who still has time for friends and to study the Torah.
Their mother has Huntingdon's and one twin wants to take the test, one does not. They do and everything falls apart. How can you live on when you know you will die? Maybe not tomorrow, maybe you will live a long time, or maybe you will get unlucky and get it early. And it is not fair.
How can you live with the guilt knowing that your twin will suffer and die and you will live on? That you first will see your mother die and then your twin?
Then there is the thing that they have not really been friendly for years after an event. They might be twins, but they are not friends.
Guilt, depression, sadness and rage. This one tears at you and I want them all to be ok, but, it will not be ok!
It was a really good book, that stays with you. Because ultimately it will make you think
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Short Synopsis
A heartbreaking and lyrical debut novel about twins who navigate first love, their Jewish identity, and opposite results from a genetic test that determines their fate—whether they inherited their mother's Huntington's disease.
Full Synopsis
A heartbreaking and lyrical debut novel about twins who navigate first love, their Jewish identity, and opposite results from a genetic test that determines their fate—whether they inherited their mother's Huntington's disease.
Eighteen-year-old twins Adina and Tovah have little in common besides their ambitious nature. Viola prodigy Adina yearns to become a soloist—and to convince her music teacher he wants her the way she wants him. Overachiever Tovah awaits her acceptance to Johns Hopkins, the first step on her path toward med school and a career as a surgeon.
But one thing could wreck their carefully planned futures: a genetic test for Huntington's, a rare degenerative disease that slowly steals control of the body and mind. It's turned their Israeli mother into a near stranger and fractured the sisters' own bond in ways they'll never admit. While Tovah finds comfort in their Jewish religion, Adina rebels against its rules.
When the results come in, one twin tests negative for Huntington's. The other tests positive.
These opposite outcomes push them farther apart as they wrestle with guilt, betrayal, and the unexpected thrill of first love. How can they repair their relationship, and is it even worth saving?
From debut author Rachel Lynn Solomon comes a luminous, heartbreaking tale of life, death, and the fragile bond between sisters.
You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone
Author Rachel Lynn Solomon
Narrated by Laurel Schroeder, Emily Lawrence
They did the sisters. I have heard Emily before and like her voice. She really put emotion into it.
I was not sure about Laurel, it took me a while to warm up to her, but then it did fit the sister she had.
A really good performance by both
It is the story of two sisters. Adina, the viola prodigy. She has no friends cos all she does is play her viola. She is happy, until...
Tovah, who studies hard to get into Johns Hopkins. Who is in clubs and more, who still has time for friends and to study the Torah.
Their mother has Huntingdon's and one twin wants to take the test, one does not. They do and everything falls apart. How can you live on when you know you will die? Maybe not tomorrow, maybe you will live a long time, or maybe you will get unlucky and get it early. And it is not fair.
How can you live with the guilt knowing that your twin will suffer and die and you will live on? That you first will see your mother die and then your twin?
Then there is the thing that they have not really been friendly for years after an event. They might be twins, but they are not friends.
Guilt, depression, sadness and rage. This one tears at you and I want them all to be ok, but, it will not be ok!
It was a really good book, that stays with you. Because ultimately it will make you think
MP3 Audio Sample
play
rating
goodreads logo
SynopsisReviewsAwardsMedia
Short Synopsis
A heartbreaking and lyrical debut novel about twins who navigate first love, their Jewish identity, and opposite results from a genetic test that determines their fate—whether they inherited their mother's Huntington's disease.
Full Synopsis
A heartbreaking and lyrical debut novel about twins who navigate first love, their Jewish identity, and opposite results from a genetic test that determines their fate—whether they inherited their mother's Huntington's disease.
Eighteen-year-old twins Adina and Tovah have little in common besides their ambitious nature. Viola prodigy Adina yearns to become a soloist—and to convince her music teacher he wants her the way she wants him. Overachiever Tovah awaits her acceptance to Johns Hopkins, the first step on her path toward med school and a career as a surgeon.
But one thing could wreck their carefully planned futures: a genetic test for Huntington's, a rare degenerative disease that slowly steals control of the body and mind. It's turned their Israeli mother into a near stranger and fractured the sisters' own bond in ways they'll never admit. While Tovah finds comfort in their Jewish religion, Adina rebels against its rules.
When the results come in, one twin tests negative for Huntington's. The other tests positive.
These opposite outcomes push them farther apart as they wrestle with guilt, betrayal, and the unexpected thrill of first love. How can they repair their relationship, and is it even worth saving?
From debut author Rachel Lynn Solomon comes a luminous, heartbreaking tale of life, death, and the fragile bond between sisters.
You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone
Author Rachel Lynn Solomon
Narrated by Laurel Schroeder, Emily Lawrence
They did the sisters. I have heard Emily before and like her voice. She really put emotion into it.
I was not sure about Laurel, it took me a while to warm up to her, but then it did fit the sister she had.
A really good performance by both
rachelwrites007's review against another edition
5.0
Edit: Dec 2 2016: This book just keeps getting better. OMG <3.
***
THIS IS MY CRIT PARTNER'S AMAZING DEBUT!!!!!!!!!
I have read many many drafts of this beautiful, important book. YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE is about two sisters, Adina (Adi) and Tovah (#TEAMTOVAH!!!), as they deal with their mother's Huntington's disease, college applications, romance/sex/love, being Jewish and what the heck that means (and if G-d even hears us when we're praying/upset/etc.), and what living - truly living - means. It is dual points of view, which means you get to hear from both Adi and Tovah, and their relationships - with each other, with their parents, with their friends, and boyfriends. It is a love letter to Seattle and sisters, something Rachel knows only too well :).
I'm so excited you all get to read it!
***
THIS IS MY CRIT PARTNER'S AMAZING DEBUT!!!!!!!!!
I have read many many drafts of this beautiful, important book. YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE is about two sisters, Adina (Adi) and Tovah (#TEAMTOVAH!!!), as they deal with their mother's Huntington's disease, college applications, romance/sex/love, being Jewish and what the heck that means (and if G-d even hears us when we're praying/upset/etc.), and what living - truly living - means. It is dual points of view, which means you get to hear from both Adi and Tovah, and their relationships - with each other, with their parents, with their friends, and boyfriends. It is a love letter to Seattle and sisters, something Rachel knows only too well :).
I'm so excited you all get to read it!
giulay's review against another edition
4.0
"The thin ivory candles in the middle of the table are a third their original height. Jews are not to extinguish them; we are supposed to let them burn on their own instead. That’s what I have been taught.
Tonight I lean over and blow them out."
TW: self-arm, suicide, social anxiety, depression.
Actual rating: 4.5 ⭐️*whispers* so close to a 5 ⭐️ and yet so far...
Honestly? I won’t even TRY to express my feelings towards this book.
Just know this: [b:You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone|30339479|You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone|Rachel Lynn Solomon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498939281s/30339479.jpg|50838513] is beautifully painful.
Its prose is stellar.
Its diversity is incredibly important; a magnificent representation of Huntington’s disease, a topic I’ve never seen in any YA books.
Its characters are phenomenal. Adina and Tovah’s very different personalities jump off the page and are so…human and real. (also, Zack? You adorable little cinnamon roll, I love you)
It is a deep, raw, emotional and hopeful story about love, religion, family, music, friendship, science, sisterhood and sickness.
It is fantastic. 👌🏻
The only reason why this isn't a five star is because I would have loved a bit more bite to the ending. I personally think it was a bit predictable and...bland. But that is literally the one and only reason.
I am speechless. I am fascinated. I am in awe.
"Everyone wants to think they are an exception."
Tonight I lean over and blow them out."
TW: self-arm, suicide, social anxiety, depression.
Actual rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Honestly? I won’t even TRY to express my feelings towards this book.
Just know this: [b:You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone|30339479|You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone|Rachel Lynn Solomon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498939281s/30339479.jpg|50838513] is beautifully painful.
Its prose is stellar.
Its diversity is incredibly important; a magnificent representation of Huntington’s disease, a topic I’ve never seen in any YA books.
Its characters are phenomenal. Adina and Tovah’s very different personalities jump off the page and are so…human and real. (also, Zack? You adorable little cinnamon roll, I love you)
It is a deep, raw, emotional and hopeful story about love, religion, family, music, friendship, science, sisterhood and sickness.
It is fantastic. 👌🏻
The only reason why this isn't a five star is because I would have loved a bit more bite to the ending. I personally think it was a bit predictable and...bland. But that is literally the one and only reason.
I am speechless. I am fascinated. I am in awe.
"Everyone wants to think they are an exception."
msghani's review against another edition
5.0
Utterly heartwrenching. YMMWIG is storytelling at its very best. Solomon's debut is mesmerizing. I fell into the depth of emotion and characterization from the opening pages. The alternating POVs is flawless. Adina and Tovah have such distinct, powerful voices (and I'm not afraid to say I strongly disliked Adina and loved Tovah, though both are complex, interesting characters). I love that their Jewish heritage is so prevalent in the story and that the sisters have such different levels of observance. It's very realistic, as is their strained sister relationship. The prose is phenomenal. I couldn't have picked a better book to start off 2018 with.
princessbilbo's review against another edition
3.0
Current world climate and personal mental health did NOT do this book justice. It was fine, but pretty triggering.
aswanson1223's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-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
4.25
raeanne's review against another edition
5.0
>>Immediately engaging, like stayed up all night to finish it and did not see shit coming!
>>Loved both sisters for different reasons. They’re a study in contrast, but it’s not gimmicky. It didn’t feel forced or contrived at all.
>>Impressed with how the age-gap romance was handled. I haven’t see such a realistic and nuanced portrayal before.
>>There are some brutal, heart wrenching, and awkward moments that made me want to look away and will haunt me.
>>Love the sex positivity and talk of girls masturbating.
>>The ending is AMAZING. Feels like how it was always supposed to be, I just hadn’t realized it yet.
>>Loved both sisters for different reasons. They’re a study in contrast, but it’s not gimmicky. It didn’t feel forced or contrived at all.
>>Impressed with how the age-gap romance was handled. I haven’t see such a realistic and nuanced portrayal before.
>>There are some brutal, heart wrenching, and awkward moments that made me want to look away and will haunt me.
>>Love the sex positivity and talk of girls masturbating.
>>The ending is AMAZING. Feels like how it was always supposed to be, I just hadn’t realized it yet.
b_tellefsen_rescuesandreads's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4.25/5
I absolutely flew through this book!
At its core, this is a story about sisters and their complicated, often tumultuous relationship with one another:
Adina and Tovah are fraternal twins, but they could not be more different.
Adina is a musical prodigy, blessed with talent that has always made her stand out. Combined with beautiful curves, Adina has always been the center of attention, but she is not the social one. Her closest confidant is her mother, and she has few friends, but she is sexually active and not shy around boys. She is also the one that rebels against her family's Conservative Jewish lifestyle.
Where Adina is musically gifted, Tovah is academically. An AP student who has won awards and honors for her mind, Tovah has a bright future, intending on attending John Hopkins for college and medical school. She is also more socially adept, surrounded by friends. And she, unlike Adina, respects their religion and honors the customs.
Differences aside, the two were always close, especially after their mother was diagnosed with Huntington's Disease, an incurable brain disease where a slow and progressive breakdown of nerves in the brain will cause her to become entirely dependent and unable to function on her own.
But after an incident drives the twins apart, they remain estranged from each other.....and the distance only widens when they are tested for Huntingtons and one of them is free....but the other receives a life sentence.
This books is a lot more intense and a bit darker than you might be expecting. It takes a hard look at the difficulties that come along with being diagnosed with a terminal illness, and the complexities involved in sibling relationships, particularly when one is going to be sick, and the other is not. There is so munch anger and jealousy and sadness, that this book explores and I feel it does it well.
I will say, that neither of the sisters is very likable. Both of them are extremely ambitious, almost to the point that they do not see beyond that ambition. I honestly did not like Adina very much at all. She is very selfish and self-absorbed, often acting jealous and childlike. She makes very rash decisions, is all emotion and does things to intentionally hurt Tovah. She often felt sociopathic to me. It was really hard to connect with her, or even care that she had the disease.
I did appreciate the exploration and representation of Jewish culture. That is not something you typically see in YA novels and it was interesting to learn more about their customs and traditions.
I did have some nitpicks with it, however. There was a small section in here, where the characters are complaining about Christmas decorations, and how people should say "Happy Holidays" rather then Merry Christmas because it is inclusive. But inclusive does not equate to acceptance. I feel we should focus on acceptance first.
If some one is Jewish and wishes me a Happy Chanukah I will wish them one in kind. I will not be offended that someone assumed I celebrated that holiday, because offense was not the intent. If I wish someone a Merry Christmas, it is because that is what I celebrate and I am spreading that celebration to others. You don't have to participate in that holiday to appreciate the thought behind the warm wishes.
I know that was a bit ranty, but I think we spend a lot of time trying to accommodate rather than time to appreciate. If you are not being insensitive about someone's culture, there shouldn't be an issue.
All-in-all, I really enjoyed this book and, as I mentioned above, I was able to fly through it. I don't remember the last time I finish a book in 36 hours. This read so quickly, and I was always curious to see how the dynamic between the two sisters would grow and change.
I absolutely flew through this book!
At its core, this is a story about sisters and their complicated, often tumultuous relationship with one another:
Adina and Tovah are fraternal twins, but they could not be more different.
Adina is a musical prodigy, blessed with talent that has always made her stand out. Combined with beautiful curves, Adina has always been the center of attention, but she is not the social one. Her closest confidant is her mother, and she has few friends, but she is sexually active and not shy around boys. She is also the one that rebels against her family's Conservative Jewish lifestyle.
Where Adina is musically gifted, Tovah is academically. An AP student who has won awards and honors for her mind, Tovah has a bright future, intending on attending John Hopkins for college and medical school. She is also more socially adept, surrounded by friends. And she, unlike Adina, respects their religion and honors the customs.
Differences aside, the two were always close, especially after their mother was diagnosed with Huntington's Disease, an incurable brain disease where a slow and progressive breakdown of nerves in the brain will cause her to become entirely dependent and unable to function on her own.
But after an incident drives the twins apart, they remain estranged from each other.....and the distance only widens when they are tested for Huntingtons and one of them is free....but the other receives a life sentence.
This books is a lot more intense and a bit darker than you might be expecting. It takes a hard look at the difficulties that come along with being diagnosed with a terminal illness, and the complexities involved in sibling relationships, particularly when one is going to be sick, and the other is not. There is so munch anger and jealousy and sadness, that this book explores and I feel it does it well.
I will say, that neither of the sisters is very likable. Both of them are extremely ambitious, almost to the point that they do not see beyond that ambition. I honestly did not like Adina very much at all. She is very selfish and self-absorbed, often acting jealous and childlike. She makes very rash decisions, is all emotion and does things to intentionally hurt Tovah. She often felt sociopathic to me. It was really hard to connect with her, or even care that she had the disease.
I did appreciate the exploration and representation of Jewish culture. That is not something you typically see in YA novels and it was interesting to learn more about their customs and traditions.
I did have some nitpicks with it, however. There was a small section in here, where the characters are complaining about Christmas decorations, and how people should say "Happy Holidays" rather then Merry Christmas because it is inclusive. But inclusive does not equate to acceptance. I feel we should focus on acceptance first.
If some one is Jewish and wishes me a Happy Chanukah I will wish them one in kind. I will not be offended that someone assumed I celebrated that holiday, because offense was not the intent. If I wish someone a Merry Christmas, it is because that is what I celebrate and I am spreading that celebration to others. You don't have to participate in that holiday to appreciate the thought behind the warm wishes.
I know that was a bit ranty, but I think we spend a lot of time trying to accommodate rather than time to appreciate. If you are not being insensitive about someone's culture, there shouldn't be an issue.
All-in-all, I really enjoyed this book and, as I mentioned above, I was able to fly through it. I don't remember the last time I finish a book in 36 hours. This read so quickly, and I was always curious to see how the dynamic between the two sisters would grow and change.
kiperoo's review against another edition
5.0
This book is achingly real. I found the relationships, especially between the sisters and Adina's with her viola teacher, so, so well done. Not at all pretty or neat, these characters are as messy and complicated as real-life people. The combination of getting tested for HD and waiting to hear back from colleges gave the story such depth, and the family life and insight into a contemporary Jewish family today (lived the Hebrew sprinkled throughout) was absolutely refreshing. Great book for anyone suffering from senioritis!
austenmostardently's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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
5.0