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geggal's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book, mainly because it felt real. The character is constantly making bad decisions(as most teenagers do) while he figures out how to deal with being a teenage single dad, and grieving his girl friend. I really like the ending and how his problem with taking advantage of the people in life wasn't just quickly solved for the sake of plot
fatimareadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
*I received this book from the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, this was such a refreshing change from all the other YA teen pregnancy books I've read. Most of them are focused on single teen moms, so it was reinvigorating to finally read a book about the paternal side instead. On the other hand, I still had a lot of issues with main aspects of the book, which I’ll be going into below.
It kills me to have a less-than-great rating for this book, because all I'm seeing are positive full-star reviews. Everyone's gushing about how wonderful Jessica and her previous books are, but this was my first and I sadly didn't even enjoy it very much.
Before we delve in, however, here's a quick run-down on the basic plot: (P.S. You won't find any spoilers in this review.)
Ryden is a 17 year old who was on track to get into UCLA and become a professional football player. That is, until he kills his girlfriend who has cancer by getting her pregnant. Meg had to stop taking her chemo and died after she gave birth, leaving Ryden with an infant baby to take care of. Now Ryden is struggling to balance taking care of his daughter, working, going to football practice, and going to school. All this stress heaps on him and leaves him understandably frustrated and angry. In addition to all that, Meg left Ryden some type of posthumous journal checklist and he is determined to find all of them, thinking it contains the secret to being a good father. How will poor Ryden deal with all of this?
This book was angst-filled and grief-ridden, but it was still enjoyable. Not in a fun way, exactly, more like in a Woah, did the book end? Where’d all the pages go? way. This was a very well thought-out story and I’m glad that YA fiction today offers books like this.
What I liked most about the book was the characters. They were all unique, but not in an overwhelming way. Alan was so cool and funny, Ryden’s mom was very supportive, and Hope was the best baby ever. And let’s not forget my absolute favorite, Joni. She was such a dynamic character; the only drawback was that I hoped we got to know more about her. We knew superficial stuff that were only there to contribute to the story and keep the plot moving, but I wanted something deeper. Her family, perhaps, or her friends. We just touched on the basics.
I also wasn’t able to fully enjoy the dynamic between her and Ryden because of the secret. This just made everything even more superficial. Their relationship felt very unsatisfying to me. Too fast, shallow, and insincere. Maybe it was just the vibe I was getting from Ryden’s side. When they first kissed in the car, all I could think was: “Woah, slow down there, folks.” Halfway through the story I realized why the relationship didn’t sit right with me, no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise. It was full of lust. Ryden liked Joni only because she made him forget about Meg. I know the main point of the story isn’t about the romance, or even about Joni for that matter, but it would’ve been really nice if everything was just a bit more fleshed out.
Overall, this was an okay book. It didn’t live up to the expectations I had in mind when I read the synopsis, but it still satisfied me a bit. I haven’t given up on Jessica Verdi, I think her other books have potential to be even better and I’d definitely love to read more in the future.
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, this was such a refreshing change from all the other YA teen pregnancy books I've read. Most of them are focused on single teen moms, so it was reinvigorating to finally read a book about the paternal side instead. On the other hand, I still had a lot of issues with main aspects of the book, which I’ll be going into below.
It kills me to have a less-than-great rating for this book, because all I'm seeing are positive full-star reviews. Everyone's gushing about how wonderful Jessica and her previous books are, but this was my first and I sadly didn't even enjoy it very much.
Before we delve in, however, here's a quick run-down on the basic plot: (P.S. You won't find any spoilers in this review.)
Ryden is a 17 year old who was on track to get into UCLA and become a professional football player. That is, until he kills his girlfriend who has cancer by getting her pregnant. Meg had to stop taking her chemo and died after she gave birth, leaving Ryden with an infant baby to take care of. Now Ryden is struggling to balance taking care of his daughter, working, going to football practice, and going to school. All this stress heaps on him and leaves him understandably frustrated and angry. In addition to all that, Meg left Ryden some type of posthumous journal checklist and he is determined to find all of them, thinking it contains the secret to being a good father. How will poor Ryden deal with all of this?
This book was angst-filled and grief-ridden, but it was still enjoyable. Not in a fun way, exactly, more like in a Woah, did the book end? Where’d all the pages go? way. This was a very well thought-out story and I’m glad that YA fiction today offers books like this.
What I liked most about the book was the characters. They were all unique, but not in an overwhelming way. Alan was so cool and funny, Ryden’s mom was very supportive, and Hope was the best baby ever. And let’s not forget my absolute favorite, Joni. She was such a dynamic character; the only drawback was that I hoped we got to know more about her. We knew superficial stuff that were only there to contribute to the story and keep the plot moving, but I wanted something deeper. Her family, perhaps, or her friends. We just touched on the basics.
I also wasn’t able to fully enjoy the dynamic between her and Ryden because of the secret. This just made everything even more superficial. Their relationship felt very unsatisfying to me. Too fast, shallow, and insincere. Maybe it was just the vibe I was getting from Ryden’s side. When they first kissed in the car, all I could think was: “Woah, slow down there, folks.” Halfway through the story I realized why the relationship didn’t sit right with me, no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise. It was full of lust. Ryden liked Joni only because she made him forget about Meg. I know the main point of the story isn’t about the romance, or even about Joni for that matter, but it would’ve been really nice if everything was just a bit more fleshed out.
Overall, this was an okay book. It didn’t live up to the expectations I had in mind when I read the synopsis, but it still satisfied me a bit. I haven’t given up on Jessica Verdi, I think her other books have potential to be even better and I’d definitely love to read more in the future.
flux_6174's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Abandonment, and Terminal illness
books4susie's review against another edition
5.0
This book war just what I needed. Thankful it wasn't a tear jerker for me. So glad I really devoured it.
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
4.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
What You Left Behind gives us the unique perspective of a teenage single dad who is both adjusting to his new status as a father and mourning the loss of his girlfriend, who died so that their daughter Hope could be born. The book shows the difficulties and the sacrifices that have to be made in this type of situation – and it doesn’t sugar-coat the painful emotional consequences.
What I LOVED:
Ryden’s struggles.
Ryden was NOT an amazingly heroic character. In fact, much of this book was about the mistakes that Ryden made and about his inadequacy as a parent. Ryden sometimes made selfish decisions when it came to his daughter (and his other relationships), but I thought that this was pretty realistic. After all, he was a teenage boy who had dreams and aspirations, and he wasn’t sure if he could give all of that up for his daughter, even if he did love her. He also struggled with the fact that he didn’t feel like he knew how to be a dad – a lot of the time, he didn’t even feel like his baby daughter liked him all that much. These were natural reactions for a teenage kid, and I could definitely sympathize with Ryden. On top of all that, Ryden felt responsible for Meg’s death, since he got her pregnant. So, not only was he grieving, but he felt an incredible amount of guilt as well. Ryden’s journey through all of this and his growth was compelling.
Ryden’s mom.
I loved the relationship between Ryden and his mom. She understood Ryden’s struggles in a lot of ways because she had gotten pregnant with him when she was a teenager and had raised him as a single mom. I loved that Ryden and his mom were close and that she supported him, but she didn’t let him off the hook or take over when it came to Hope. She let him make his own decisions, even when she disagreed with them. On the other hand, Meg’s parents were horrendous – I couldn’t believe that they wouldn’t help Ryden in any way and wanted nothing to do with their own grandchild. I got that they were grieving, but they made me so mad!
The negatives:
The romance.
While I loved Ryden, I never quite felt completely invested in his relationship with Joni. I just didn’t see a true connection between them (especially since most of it was based on lies). Luckily, I didn’t feel like the romance was the most important part of the story, so it didn’t bother me that much that I wasn’t completely behind it – I didn’t dislike Joni and Ryden together, I just didn’t love them.
Meg’s choices.
A lot of things are revealed throughout the book about what Meg was thinking and feeling before she died and about the choices she made, and it turned out that she was acting pretty selfishly. When I found out everything, I wasn’t quite as horrified as I maybe should have been. (It was actually another review that made me really think about this part of the book more – for some reason while I was reading, I really hadn’t thought a lot about what it all meant and what Meg had truly done. I know I shouldn’t be influenced by other people’s reviews – bad on me for reading one before I wrote my own – but it’s hard to unthink a thing once you’ve thought it). Again, Meg was just a teenager, so her actions could be chalked up to immaturity, but her choices had a huge impact on others, so …
In the end, I felt like this book was raw and honest. It didn’t paint a pretty picture or give us characters who make all the right choices, but it did give us a glimpse into life as a single teenage dad and the pressures and pain that go along with that situation. I give this one 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
What You Left Behind gives us the unique perspective of a teenage single dad who is both adjusting to his new status as a father and mourning the loss of his girlfriend, who died so that their daughter Hope could be born. The book shows the difficulties and the sacrifices that have to be made in this type of situation – and it doesn’t sugar-coat the painful emotional consequences.
What I LOVED:
Ryden’s struggles.
Ryden was NOT an amazingly heroic character. In fact, much of this book was about the mistakes that Ryden made and about his inadequacy as a parent. Ryden sometimes made selfish decisions when it came to his daughter (and his other relationships), but I thought that this was pretty realistic. After all, he was a teenage boy who had dreams and aspirations, and he wasn’t sure if he could give all of that up for his daughter, even if he did love her. He also struggled with the fact that he didn’t feel like he knew how to be a dad – a lot of the time, he didn’t even feel like his baby daughter liked him all that much. These were natural reactions for a teenage kid, and I could definitely sympathize with Ryden. On top of all that, Ryden felt responsible for Meg’s death, since he got her pregnant. So, not only was he grieving, but he felt an incredible amount of guilt as well. Ryden’s journey through all of this and his growth was compelling.
Ryden’s mom.
I loved the relationship between Ryden and his mom. She understood Ryden’s struggles in a lot of ways because she had gotten pregnant with him when she was a teenager and had raised him as a single mom. I loved that Ryden and his mom were close and that she supported him, but she didn’t let him off the hook or take over when it came to Hope. She let him make his own decisions, even when she disagreed with them. On the other hand, Meg’s parents were horrendous – I couldn’t believe that they wouldn’t help Ryden in any way and wanted nothing to do with their own grandchild. I got that they were grieving, but they made me so mad!
The negatives:
The romance.
While I loved Ryden, I never quite felt completely invested in his relationship with Joni. I just didn’t see a true connection between them (especially since most of it was based on lies). Luckily, I didn’t feel like the romance was the most important part of the story, so it didn’t bother me that much that I wasn’t completely behind it – I didn’t dislike Joni and Ryden together, I just didn’t love them.
Meg’s choices.
A lot of things are revealed throughout the book about what Meg was thinking and feeling before she died and about the choices she made, and it turned out that she was acting pretty selfishly. When I found out everything, I wasn’t quite as horrified as I maybe should have been. (It was actually another review that made me really think about this part of the book more – for some reason while I was reading, I really hadn’t thought a lot about what it all meant and what Meg had truly done. I know I shouldn’t be influenced by other people’s reviews – bad on me for reading one before I wrote my own – but it’s hard to unthink a thing once you’ve thought it). Again, Meg was just a teenager, so her actions could be chalked up to immaturity, but her choices had a huge impact on others, so …
In the end, I felt like this book was raw and honest. It didn’t paint a pretty picture or give us characters who make all the right choices, but it did give us a glimpse into life as a single teenage dad and the pressures and pain that go along with that situation. I give this one 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
aayusha's review against another edition
1.0
I was determined to love this book and feel all kinds of feels, but by the end all I felt was relief- relief that it was FINALLY over.
WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT!!
WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT!!
christinaerickson33's review against another edition
4.0
Ryden used to be on the soccer team, have friends and was working for a scholarship to play college soccer. This all came to a screeching halt the day he met Meg. Then Meg got pregnant and stopped her chemo that could have saved her life. Now Ryden is a teenage parent going into his senior year in high school.
The only person that makes Ryden feel normal is Joni. But how do you share this kind of secret with the only person that’s not looking down on you right now for your past choices?
This is a very compelling read. I have yet to see another story like it. And for all those teen dads out there, there is life after children.
The only person that makes Ryden feel normal is Joni. But how do you share this kind of secret with the only person that’s not looking down on you right now for your past choices?
This is a very compelling read. I have yet to see another story like it. And for all those teen dads out there, there is life after children.
lisawreading's review against another edition
5.0
What You Left Behind is unusual in the increasingly crowded field of contemporary young adult fiction: It's a teen drama full of loss and hope, told not through the eyes of the tragically dying Meg or by new love interest Joni, but by Ryden himself. I don't recall reading any other YA novels recently with a male narrator who's experienced anything quite like Ryden. Age 17, high school senior, father. Bereaved as a teen without every really getting to start a life with the girl he loved. Work, school, soccer, trying to be a good dad, trying to be a good son, and still trying to understand what really happened with Meg.
You can't help but love Ryden. He didn't ask for any of this. Meg insisted on keeping the pregnancy, even though it meant going without chemo for all those months. All Ryden wanted was to love Meg and do anything in his power to keep her healthy... and here he is six months after her death, stressed out, feeling like a terrible father, having to face the reality that the life he thought he was meant for is now forever out of reach.
Jessica Verdi's writing is beautiful in its heartfelt sorrow and frustration and bitterness. Ryden is a giant mess, and he screws up a lot -- but I challenge any reader not to feel complete sympathy with him. He's in a horrible situation, and even though he has an amazing mother who supports him wholeheartedly, his life really does suck at the moment when we first meet him. Watching him go through the process of grieving and figuring things out and finally starting to see a glimmer of hope is painful. Ryden's emotions are raw and brutal, and he makes some big mistakes, and really doesn't understand the world around him or what his new life really is a lot of the time. But it's impossible to blame him for anything. He's in a horrible situation, not of his making, and -- he's only 17! He's bound to make mistakes, but I can't help but admire the courage and grit he shows in just waking up and moving forward day after day.
The author knows how to get inside a teen's head and explore all the contradictory wants and needs lurking there. The writing doesn't condescend and doesn't shy away from showing the good, the bad, and the ugly. The story didn't necessarily go where I thought it would, but I was invested every step of the way and couldn't look away.
My only complaint is that the author made me care so much about these characters that I wanted more at the end. I like the ending of the book very much, which makes it clear that a new chapter is just beginning and that Ryden finally has a path ahead of him that can lead to happiness. But (and maybe this is the mom in me speaking!), I wanted to know more. I really want to know what Ryden's life is like in a year, in two years, and in five. What happens next? What does he decide to do with himself? How does he grow as a person and as a father? I think it's a testament to the power of this novel that I feel invested enough to have so many questions.
Bottom line: If you enjoy contemporary YA fiction that deals with tough subjects with honesty and emotion, don't miss What You Left Behind.
You can't help but love Ryden. He didn't ask for any of this. Meg insisted on keeping the pregnancy, even though it meant going without chemo for all those months. All Ryden wanted was to love Meg and do anything in his power to keep her healthy... and here he is six months after her death, stressed out, feeling like a terrible father, having to face the reality that the life he thought he was meant for is now forever out of reach.
Jessica Verdi's writing is beautiful in its heartfelt sorrow and frustration and bitterness. Ryden is a giant mess, and he screws up a lot -- but I challenge any reader not to feel complete sympathy with him. He's in a horrible situation, and even though he has an amazing mother who supports him wholeheartedly, his life really does suck at the moment when we first meet him. Watching him go through the process of grieving and figuring things out and finally starting to see a glimmer of hope is painful. Ryden's emotions are raw and brutal, and he makes some big mistakes, and really doesn't understand the world around him or what his new life really is a lot of the time. But it's impossible to blame him for anything. He's in a horrible situation, not of his making, and -- he's only 17! He's bound to make mistakes, but I can't help but admire the courage and grit he shows in just waking up and moving forward day after day.
The author knows how to get inside a teen's head and explore all the contradictory wants and needs lurking there. The writing doesn't condescend and doesn't shy away from showing the good, the bad, and the ugly. The story didn't necessarily go where I thought it would, but I was invested every step of the way and couldn't look away.
My only complaint is that the author made me care so much about these characters that I wanted more at the end. I like the ending of the book very much, which makes it clear that a new chapter is just beginning and that Ryden finally has a path ahead of him that can lead to happiness. But (and maybe this is the mom in me speaking!), I wanted to know more. I really want to know what Ryden's life is like in a year, in two years, and in five. What happens next? What does he decide to do with himself? How does he grow as a person and as a father? I think it's a testament to the power of this novel that I feel invested enough to have so many questions.
Bottom line: If you enjoy contemporary YA fiction that deals with tough subjects with honesty and emotion, don't miss What You Left Behind.
mom2triplets04's review against another edition
4.0
I debated between 3 1/2 stars to 4 stars. I started out really liking this book but as I read on I started to dislike the main character Ryden. He was a teen who got his girlfriend pregnant who died of cancer. He was left to raise the baby. I felt he was selfish and didn't take the responsibility of being a father the right way. This book is heartbreaking.