I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner Narrator: Michael Crouch
Length: 10 Hours 45 Minutes
Also by this author: The Serpent King, Imprison the Sky
Published by Random House Children's Books on March 7th 2017
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Social Themes, Death & Dying, Friendship, Emotions & Feelings
Pages: 416
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Publisher
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“Gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately life-affirming.†—Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything.
Perfect for fans of Turtles All the Way Down,Thirteen Reasons Why, and Zentner's own The Serpent King, one of the most highly acclaimed YA novels of 2016, Goodbye Days asks what you would do if you could spend one last day with someone you lost.Where are you guys? Text me back. That's the last message Carver Briggs will ever send his three best friends, Mars, Eli, and Blake. He never thought that it would lead to their death.
Now Carver can’t stop blaming himself for the accident and even worse, a powerful judge is pressuring the district attorney to open up a criminal investigation. 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†together to share their memories and say a proper farewell. Soon the other families are asking for their own 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?
"Jeff Zentner, you perfectly fill the John-Green-sized hole in our heart." —Justine Magazine
“Evocative, heartbreaking, and beautifully written." —Buzzfeed
"Masterful." —TeenVogue.com
“Hold on to your heart: this book will wreck you, fix you, and most definitely change you.†—Becky Albertalli, Morris Award-winning author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Why Did I Listen To Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner?
Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner is a book that I wanted to read regardless of which format it took. I LOVED The Serpent King even though it made me feel all the sad feelings. Initially, I wanted to physically read this via ebook or actual book. I thought that I would have a better experience and take away more from it. However time just got away from me and I happened to have a review audiobook copy of Goodbye Days and well, here I am.
What’s The Story Here?
Zentner’s Goodbye Days is about this boy named Carver who loses his three best friends. You see, he sends his friend Mars a text. Mars is driving. Unfortunately, Mars reads the text and as a result gets into a car accident that kills himself, Eli and Blake. As you can imagine, this is horrific and tragic all around. Compounding matters is that Mars’ father is out for blood and is trying to get the state to pursue legal action against Carver and hold him responsible for the deaths as he sent the text message.
Zentner’s book weaves this looming threat of legal action against Carver’s grief and memories. Carver finds himself connecting, though, with Eli’s girlfriend and also with his therapist, Dr. Mendez. Meanwhile, on the other end of this reaction spectrum is Blake’s grandmother. Rather than hold Blake responsible, she asks Carver to hold a goodbye day with her for Blake. This means that Carver and her do things that she used to do with Blake and they share memories and stories about Blake. Word of this spreads and Eli’s family requests a goodbye day as well. So, this book is about Carver’s friendship with his three best friends and how he says goodbye to all three and moves forward with his life.
How Did I Like Goodbye Days?
I feel a little bit weird right now because I am getting all sad writing about Goodbye Days. It is not a book for the faint of heart. I mean, if you want a book with FEELING and that will make your eyes actually leak, this is the ticket. It is a beautifully written book. And you can’t help but want Carver to be okay in the end. Meanwhile as you learn about his best friends and how they each join the friend group, what happens to them just feels worse and worse as you think about it. I mean, shit, I am still sad AND THESE ARE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS. Not even the main character. That’s how hard this book just hits you. I loved this book and will shout that you need to read it right from those rooftops.
How’s The Narration?
The audiobook of Goodbye Days is narrated by Michael Crouch. He’s such a good narrator. I mean, especially when it comes to reading young adult books. He was the narrator for Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda which FYI was also great via audiobook. So, as it turns out, he really is talented and it is not just a fluke. I was nervous about listening to this on audio and not getting the same experience with the emotions and pathos. Crouch just really nails it though and brings across everything I wanted to experience while reading this book. So, however you choose to experience this book will be well worth it.
Sum It Up With A GIF:
Accurate.
Other Reviews Of Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner:
- The Story Sanctuary – “a thoughtful, emotional story“
- Bookshelves & Paperbacks – “Poignant, moving, and incredibly memorable“
- Heart Full Of Books – “Will you cry and laugh? Most likely“
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