Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on
• Pro: My heart belongs to Gideon. I fell in love with this awkward, tenderhearted, skinny boy, who wrote amazing slam poetry, loved his family to pieces, and bravely fought his depression.
• Pro: The poetry featured in this book was incredible. I don't think any of the poems failed to bring tears to my eyes, but I also loved that Christian put a spotlight on how amazing art is as an outlet for pain.
• Pro: Not only did this book have incredible poetry, there were also a myriad of letters between Ava and Gideon, which were so sweet and funny and made my heart do a little flip flop.
• Pro: Both Gideon and Ava scored in the family department. Ava's dad was trying so hard to support his daughter as she grieved, and he even went to bat for her in some tough situations. His love for Ava was obvious, and they shared a really lovely connection. Gideon's moms were too fabulous and so was his sister. I loved their dynamic, and there were so many heartwarming on-page moments with them.
• Pro: I was really pleased with the way all the mental health issues were addressed. There was a positive stance towards medication and therapy, as well as alternatives to talk therapy. There were times, when Kelly or Gideon were trying to help people understand their depression, which really hit home for me, because they totally captured my own feelings.
• Con: The whole time I was reading this book, I was thinking "5-stars", but then at 91%, Christian did something that made me yell, "WTF". It sort of frustrated me.
• Pro: BUT, she did give me a nice, jump-ahead ending, which left me feeling happy and hopeful.
Overall: A beautiful and messy story of grief and loss, told with humor and lots of heart.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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Reading updates
- Started reading
- 14 August, 2018: Finished reading
- 14 August, 2018: Reviewed