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notesbynnenna 's review for:
The Ghosts We Keep
by Mason Deaver
This book was sad and beautiful and emotional and messy. It’s about Liam, a sixteen year-old nonbinary teen whose older brother Ethan dies suddenly. It flashes back and forth between the present day, after their brother has died, and the past, when their brother was still alive.
It’s such a life-altering event and we can see how Ethan’s death completely turns Liam’s world upside down, how Liam searches for answers about who Ethan was. I thought this was so beautifully written and that the way the author captured grief was so authentic. I don’t think I could have read this book a few years ago when I was dealing with a loss and honestly, I had a bit of trepidation that I wouldn’t be able to handle it when I first picked it up and read the synopsis.
I think if I was a teen reading this now and going through something similar, it would help me feel less alone. It would let me know that it’s ok to have all these messy and complicated feelings after the death of a loved one. That there is a way through all of the pain and hurt. It’s not an easy book to read, I think especially if you’ve experienced something similar, but at the same time, it’s such a beautiful expression of humanity and grief.
CW: Death of a sibling, suicidal ideation, self-harm
It’s such a life-altering event and we can see how Ethan’s death completely turns Liam’s world upside down, how Liam searches for answers about who Ethan was. I thought this was so beautifully written and that the way the author captured grief was so authentic. I don’t think I could have read this book a few years ago when I was dealing with a loss and honestly, I had a bit of trepidation that I wouldn’t be able to handle it when I first picked it up and read the synopsis.
I think if I was a teen reading this now and going through something similar, it would help me feel less alone. It would let me know that it’s ok to have all these messy and complicated feelings after the death of a loved one. That there is a way through all of the pain and hurt. It’s not an easy book to read, I think especially if you’ve experienced something similar, but at the same time, it’s such a beautiful expression of humanity and grief.
CW: Death of a sibling, suicidal ideation, self-harm