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A review by fairytales
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
Five stars, no notes. I read this in a day because I was enjoying the writing and story so much. This was a fantastic second chance romance. The author wrote about many complex topics—divorce, dating after divorce, grief, depression, still birth, parenting pre-teens, female friendships, etc.—in a sensitive, deep, but approachable way. I was impressed with how well she portrayed two people who loved each other but were so lost and stuck in grief that they divorced and had to focus on themselves and learning healthier healing habits before they could make their way back emotionally to each other. In between the serious topics, this book is pretty spicy so be aware.
I loved that Yasmen and Josiah were mature characters written with sensitivity and grace, who grew prior to and over the course of this book,went to therapy, and learned how to process their trauma, grief, and depression in a healthy way that allowed them to move forward after several years of struggling following two close family deaths (one of which was a difficult stillbirth).
I also appreciated the kids in this book, who at ages 10 and 13/14 were deeply affected by the grief and change their family experienced. I felt like they were written with nuance and an understanding of complex but close family dynamics.
The grief and depression were very well-written. I would recommend anyone who struggles with topics of miscarriage and stillbirth to approach reading this with caution (the author also notes this at the beginning), but know that even with the deep grief discussed in these pages and the challenging “what ifs,” this book covers these topics in a way that to me felt both incredibly genuine and in the end, hopeful but without glossing over the deep and abiding loss.
I also really enjoyed Soledad and Hendricks and am looking forward to reading the next books in the Skyland series!
I loved that Yasmen and Josiah were mature characters written with sensitivity and grace, who grew prior to and over the course of this book,
I also appreciated the kids in this book, who at ages 10 and 13/14 were deeply affected by the grief and change their family experienced. I felt like they were written with nuance and an understanding of complex but close family dynamics.
The grief and depression were very well-written. I would recommend anyone who struggles with topics of miscarriage and stillbirth to approach reading this with caution (the author also notes this at the beginning), but know that even with the deep grief discussed in these pages and the challenging “what ifs,” this book covers these topics in a way that to me felt both incredibly genuine and in the end, hopeful but without glossing over the deep and abiding loss.
I also really enjoyed Soledad and Hendricks and am looking forward to reading the next books in the Skyland series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Grief