The Last Time We Say Goodbye - Cynthia Hand

Goodreads summary:

There's death all around us.
We just don't pay attention.
Until we do.

The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.

Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be.

As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

Lex's brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on.

From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand, The Last Time We Say Goodbye is a gorgeous and heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and letting go.


My review:

5/5

This. Book. *heart eyes* 

This story is absolutely heartbreaking. As an older sister, I've always been overprotective of my little sister, because I feel responsible of her and it seems like I should be the one protecting her and making sure she's happy. Because of that, I could try to imagine what Lex must be feeling and it was already too much for me to bear. Her situation is awful, just like her mother's, and I started this book already saddened by its story. 

This story focuses on Lex's grief and how she copes with her brother's death and I liked how honest and true she was about it. Her feelings are understandable and her distress made me feel really sad for her. I wish I could've helped her when she was at her worst, but I still thought she was doing well, given the circumstances. Her parents made me angry most of the time, because while she pushed her friends away, I don't think she would've pushed her mom away, had she made the move. Her relationship with her dad was trickier, because it deteriorated even before Tyler's suicide. Anyways, Lex's evolution as the story goes is amazing and gave me hope that there's always something better coming when you're having a hard time. 

I was impressed by how realistic Lex's character is. Her dreams, her personality and her reactions were easy to understand for me and, by the time I finished this book, I felt like I knew her pretty well. While it killed me to admit it, I could see why she had tried to get away from her friends and her boyfriend after her brother's suicide, so I couldn't blame her at all. I'm glad they were so kind to her and they kept trying to get her back, because that's the most amazing proof of loyalty I've ever seen and I can only hope that my friends would react that way if something made me push them away like Lex did. 

I really liked this book, as tragic as it is.