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booksmaud's review against another edition
5.0
bkmckown's review
3.5
Family and friends left are trying to find out why, it can be frustrating, trying to get inside their head during their last moments. I thought it was well written but the teen drama didn’t really do it for me.
maryquitecontrary_22's review
4.0
Yes, it's another teen book about suicide. Yes, the protagonist is abnormally intellectual and likeable. Yes, the protagonist's dad left the family which triggered the emotional turmoil. BUT, I appreciated the absence of so many more clichéd characters and plot lines that we've been reading in YA lit. lately. I also liked that the author didn't try to explain the "why" of Steven's suicide because we all know that in real life, it's never that simple. And Cynthia Hand must know first-hand because her own brother took his life when he was in high school. This must have been a really difficult book for her write.
Not for teens who need a fast-moving plot, but for those who like books with raw emotion and maybe even those who have lost a friend or family member to suicide.briannawilkes's review
5.0
emasvingerova's review against another edition
3.0
marieintheraw's review
3.0
julie_reads15's review against another edition
2.0
Lex is currently known as the girl whose brother killed himself. She's coping with Tyler's suicide by blocking out her old friends and ex boyfriend, and by reigniting a friendship with a childhood friend. Lex feels partly responsible for Tyler's suicide. On the night he died, he sent her a text which she ignored. She's tinged with guilt because if she had answered it, then she could've saved his life. On top of all that, Lex is still trying to cope with her parents' divorce. With time, Lex learns how to let go of her guilt and move on.
I liked the inclusion of Lex's diary entries because it broke up the narrative.
It was a very character driven book but I didn't think the characters were strong enough to drive the book. At times, the story felt unnecessarily long and like it could be cut back.
I sympathised for Lex because of her brother's suicide and how she feels partly to blame. And on top of all that, she's still suffering the repercussions of her parents' divorce.
Although, there were times where Lex was an unlikeable character. She was an arrogant nerd who looked down on people who weren't as smart as her. She made fun of cheerleaders because she thought she was better than them.
Despite the fact that Lex is having trouble coping with her brother's suicide, it still doesn't give her an excuse to be unnecessarily rude to her friends and ex boyfriend, when they're only trying to help her.
I didn't think the climax was as dramatic or interesting as it was foreshadowed to be. I also guessed what was going to happen. Other people may think differently.