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A review by cass_cady
Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner
4.0
Zenter's novel about grief is honest and heartbreaking. He doesn't dumb down or shy away from the very real questions, emotions, and anxieties people feel when someone they love has died. Zentner's characters journey through the grief process in very realistic ways- shock, denial anger- but his exploration of guilt is unique in this novel in that his protagonist Carver struggles with the very real possibility that he might be found criminally culpable for causing the deaths of his friends. Carver's grief process is punctuated by flashbacks that serve to bring the "Sauce Crew" back to life for the reader and also enlighten the family members they left behind. I wasn't so sure about the titular premise of the story- it seems almost tortuous for the adults to Carver, a child (albeit a near-adult), to have a "goodbye day" in which Carver role plays his deceased friends in order to help them find closure, honor their memory, or process their feelings about Carver's guilt. It felt irresponsible to a certain degree to place that kind of pressure on Carver, and that was the only aspect to the plot that felt a little ridiculous. The way the characters spoke to one another, Carver's anxieties and panic attacks, his family's attempts to help him- all of this felt visceral, raw, and realistic.
Zentner's talent for description and imagery become Carver's writing talent and Zentner captures the language and mannerisms of teens on the precipice of becoming young adults- how do they reconcile wanting to be mature and in control with their childish tendencies? Carver's insecurities and difficulties with managing relationships is honest. Even as an adult I can relate to Carver. Zentner writes mental illness well- Carver's panic attacks are intense, and Zentner appears to be a proponent of a shameless and realistic approach of ways teens experiencing depression and anxiety can get help.
It's definitely not a book for all students. Those who've recently experienced tragedy either from losing a friend or loved one or have experienced a car accident may find this book too intense. The main characters are teenage boys who curse and joke around (references to sex, but no graphic sexual content), so younger middle schoolers are not the target audience. This books would be a great small ground novel for 8th grade or high school students.
Zentner's talent for description and imagery become Carver's writing talent and Zentner captures the language and mannerisms of teens on the precipice of becoming young adults- how do they reconcile wanting to be mature and in control with their childish tendencies? Carver's insecurities and difficulties with managing relationships is honest. Even as an adult I can relate to Carver. Zentner writes mental illness well- Carver's panic attacks are intense, and Zentner appears to be a proponent of a shameless and realistic approach of ways teens experiencing depression and anxiety can get help.
It's definitely not a book for all students. Those who've recently experienced tragedy either from losing a friend or loved one or have experienced a car accident may find this book too intense. The main characters are teenage boys who curse and joke around (references to sex, but no graphic sexual content), so younger middle schoolers are not the target audience. This books would be a great small ground novel for 8th grade or high school students.