A review by cm_goodreads
Every Time You Go Away by Abigail Johnson

4.0

Ethan and Rebecca become fast friends when Ethan comes to live with his grandparents who live next door to Rebecca and her family. The two are adventurous and love spending time together, but every visit comes to an end. Ethan’s mom struggles with substance abuse issues and she sporadically leaves Ethan to live with his grandparents, but always to returns for him. Ethan is returning for the first time in three years and a lot has happened to both Ethan and Rebecca since the last time they have seen each other. Rebecca was in a car accident two years ago that resulted in her father’s death and left her paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Ethan has been caring for his mom and trying to keep her safe from herself and her drug use. This story follows Ethan and Rebecca as the reunite and discover what their relationship looks like after all they have been through.

Ethan and Rebecca are both navigating the typical challenges of growing up on top of circumstances that are unique to them. I have not personally experienced any of the challenges that Rebecca or Ethan have, but I still found the book and characters to be relatable. I definitely shed some tears throughout and loved to see the growth of the characters of the course of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!