Book Review: “Goodbye Days” by Jeff Zentner

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner (2017)

Genre: YA, Fiction, Contemporary

Page Length: 405 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

One day Carver Briggs had it all—three best friends, a supportive family, and a reputation as a talented writer at his high school, Nashville Academy for the Arts.

The next day he lost it all when he sent a simple text to his friend Mars, right before Mars, Eli, and Blake were killed in a car crash.

Now Carver can’t stop blaming himself for the accident, and he’s not the only one. Eli’s twin sister is trying to freeze him out of school with her death-ray stare. And Mars’s father, a powerful judge, is pressuring the district attorney to open a criminal investigation into Carver’s actions.

Luckily, Carver has some unexpected allies: Eli’s girlfriend, the only person to stand by him at school; Dr. Mendez, his new therapist; and Blake’s grandmother, who asks Carver to spend a Goodbye Day with her to share their memories and say a proper goodbye to his friend.

Soon the other families are asking for a Goodbye Day with Carver, but he’s unsure of their motives. Will they all be able to make peace with their losses, or will these Goodbye Days bring Carver one step closer to a complete breakdown or—even worse—prison?  (description from Goodreads)

Review:

Goodbye Days follows the story of Carver Briggs who feels the immense responsibility for the death of his friends. He sent a text message to his friends while they were driving and they were killed in a car accident. Carver struggles to recover from their deaths since they shared a very close bond, and has a hard time moving on past their deaths.

Carver feels alienated by many people in his neighborhood and school because they see him as a murderer. He has very few allies who he can rely on and the isolation mixed with guilt results in him having panic attacks due to the stress. He finds some solace in a new friendship with Jesmyn, Eli’s girlfriend and together they bond over mourning the loss of a loved one. They also act as a support system for one another.

What I appreciated most about this book is how Zentner explores the theme of grief. No two people grieve the same way. Grief can be a long process of healing; some people go to therapy, take on new hobbies, memorialize the ones they love, along with many other ways. Needless to say, this story pulled at my heartstrings and the book definitely had me in tears at some point. It’s a heartbreaking story but is relatable to people who have lost of a loved one in their lives and how they cope with their death.

I also liked how Carver participated in the “goodbye days” as a way to help heal and remember his friends. It was a concept that was new to me, but I loved its ultimate purpose. Overall  I felt the plot was very engaging and I appreciated that it also touches on issues of mental health. The story felt very real and I liked the complexity of the characters and how they were woven together,

The journey carver goes through is a difficult one, character development over the course of the story shows that he’s come a long way. The book gave me a bittersweet ending, but it had closure.

This is one my favorite YA releases of 2017!

Final Verdict:

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.