by Jennifer Niven

YA Romance, 2015 by Knopf, 378 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

Content Warning: Suicidal thoughts, planning, and actions. Be VERY wary of taking on this book if you are struggling. There are parts of this book that feel like they’re romanticizing suicide. If you’re struggling, call someone for help. Don’t read this book.
There are moments in this book that cut away from action or scenes that I would’ve preferred to actually see first hand. I want to know, for example, exactly what Finch yells into the void.
A bit cliche. There are stories like this so you feel as if you’re spending a lot of the book looking for those moments when this book is original (don’t worry, they are there).

Right away, I like the originality of Finch’s voice. It’s different from other things in this genre (and different from Violet’s) and I love that.
The challenge of seeing their state first hand (wandering) is a cute idea. It gives the first half of the story a reason to move along in a way that works.
The back half of the book is painful, raw, and emotional. There’s a moment when you fear this one will go there … and when it does it’s incredibly powerful.

Contemporary readers who like powerful, strong, raw books that hold no punches. Seriously though, watch that content warning.
This one feels like it’s NOT written for teens struggling with mental health, despite the main characters being exactly that. This is written more for adults trying to help those teens or other teens trying to understand. Keep that in mind.