Not the most interesting book I read lately. The writing style was a bit heavy-handed for me. Perhaps I was just in need of lighter fare or perhaps the trailer was a bit misleading. In any event the novel wasn't really what I expected, but it did keep my attention until the end.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this book to be honest. I read Marieke Nijkamp's other book, This Is Where It Ends, and was beside myself about how good it was. When I saw that she had a new book out, I immediately requested it. I am saddened to say that Before I Let Go disappointed me. I know that I shouldn't ever compare books, but I loved this author's other book, so I thought it was going to be great.

The first thing that bothered me about this book was the characters. The characters had me begging to have something more to them...some type of development or backstory, but I didn't get my wish. Corey, the main character, seemed to be the one that had the most interesting factors, but I can't even say I enjoyed it fully because it was a back-and-forth blame game the entire novel. Owning up to mistakes is an important lesson that can be taught through a novel, but this was overly done throughout Before I Let Go.

I feel as though the story and the mystery of this novel was under developed as well. I kept reading and reading, waiting for something to be given to me, and eventually it was. However, I feel like the excitement was not there for me because of the slow-burn buildup about how it was the fault of the town relating to the death of Corey's best friend Kyra.

Overall, it was definitely not a book for me. I read other reviews and still gave it a shot, and it is safe to say that I was pretty disappointed.

This was a DNF for me. I read the authors first book and was horrified but also riveted. In this one, i just could not connect with the characters or the story. I tried going back to our multiple times but found myself putting it back down quickly.

I was really excited to read this book but it fell far from my expectations. It moved slowly and the ending...well, the ending was just not what I was hoping for. Not my favorite read this year.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire/Netgalley for allowing me to read this!

Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy this. The writing was very repetitive, and the characters were very bland. I wanted a deeper plot and deeper emotions from the characters. The only one I felt any emotion from was Corey. You could tell right off the bat that the town of Lost would treat Corey differently after Kyra's death. That's what usually happens in this situation. There was no mystery to it. You pretty much knew what was going to happen every step of the way. I also didn't like the ending. It was anticlimactic! I wanted SO much more.

I believe that this novel had a lot of potential as far as the story line goes. However, it fell very flat. I just finished it a day ago, and I cannot remember most of the small details. I couldn't tell you a single line from the story.

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp was neither the worst book I read nor the best, but it wasn’t in the middle either. The story drew me in so tightly that I could not and would not put the book down. The main characters of Corey and Kyra were very well drawn and at the same time an unknown. The crux of the story was that Kyra had committed suicide and Corey was going to her old home to deal with the suicide and the funeral, but nothing was the same or right.

I both loved and hated the story. I love reading about such realistically and flawed characters. I hate reading about suicide and mental illness. I love reading about a place where the setting was almost another character, but so unrelenting and dangerous. The book is listed as a young adult and I suspect that many YA readers will love the magical realism of the story as well as the too real conflict and reality of mental illness.

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp was a mesmerizing read that was indescribable.

I was very intrigued by the book and majority of the story was good but unfortunately the ending as just really bad so I chose to not do a video review on this book as that would hurt it's chances with other readers. I talked however about this book in my general wrap up video.

I received a free arc of this book from Net Galley. This book was just ok. There were aspects of it that just didn't make sense, and I felt like they never did. I did think the main story of the guilt over losing a friend seemed very real.

I loved the storyline of this book, I loved the build up and mystery around what actually happened to Kyra.. I was dying to find out!
However, the whole idea of her being a ‘phrophet’ and being able to see the future felt like a let down to me. I think I would of preferred there to be a single killer instead of the whole town just watching her kill herself. I also would of liked a little more action, we did get some right at the end but I could of done with some spread throughout.
But what I felt I needed the most and didn’t get, was JUSTICE!!! Obviously Corey wouldn’t of been able to take the entire town down but I wish there could of been some justice for her death! Reading Kyra’s letters really allowed me to understand and connect with her so the fact that every single person in the town basically got away with murder, made me feel angry.
Over all I really enjoyed reading this book!

As a big fan of "This is Where It Ends" I had high hopes for this book that it just didnt hit. It was good but just not my cup of tea.

I felt for Kyra as I read this novel. Kyra was shunned from her community because she was different. When she was finally diagnosed, the community still rejected her. Kyra just wanted to find someone that she could call a friend. One day, she found Corey and they were the best of friends until Corey moved away from Lost Creek. Corey said that she would come back and visit and Kyra tried to hold onto that dream but the walls kept closing in on her. Pushing her and pushing her until Kyra couldn’t take it anymore.

Corey didn’t believe the news when her mother received the call. Kyra had drowned. Corey couldn’t make sense of this news; how could Kyra drown in the frozen lakes in Alaska? All the lakes were frozen this time of year. Immediately, Corey catches a plane to Lost Creek, her emotions were stretched.

Corey notices that her hometown looks a bit different than when she left and she’s surprised when they tell her why. Corey knows that Kyra was depressed and lonely but she doesn’t feel that she’d kill herself. Corey wants to know more about Kyra’s last days and she plans to talk to people and see what they know about them. Corey is treated like an outsider by the individuals she grew up with, a reaction she doesn’t take lightly.

Curious about the town and meeting up with an old friend, Corey begins to see how things have changed since she left. Using flashbacks, we see Lost Creek many years ago and all the changes that have occurred over time. There have been drastic changes since Corey left, changes that have affected Kyra.

Kyra held-on to the notion that Corey would return. Kyra had written countless letters to Corey, some that Corey had received and now, it seems some that Corey never received. I wouldn’t have wanted to be in Corey’s shoes during this novel as it felt to me to be a heavy burden to carry.

There was this mysterious element as Corey investigates Kyra’s death. The novel had plenty of emotions threaded through it, as Kyra was on a roller-coaster as people accepted her and then cast her off. The ending was different. I guess in the long run it worked out and everyone was content. 3.5 stars

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this one. It was a really quick read and I felt it had a lot of potential that it just never quite reached. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and setting, but was hoping for more character growth!

This story does have a trigger warning for suicide.

I really loved getting into this story. We follow the main character as she attempts to uncover her best friend’s suicide, but the small, secluded town of Lost begins to push her away, labeled as an ‘Outsider.’

The setting was my favorite part about this story. Even though there is a lot going on in the background, I really enjoyed how the creepy town meshed with the mysterious suicide. I also enjoyed the mental health inclusion which I think does a descent job in explaining how bipolar can be seen from the outside.

My only issue was the ending. I feel like justice should have been deemed on a particular character that surprised even me. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. At first, I thought there was going to be more paranormal, creepy moments in this book, but it wasn’t that way at all. I would recommend this book if you like mental health reads and a good mystery in an Alaskan town.

I am not really sure how I feel about this book. I didn't really enjoy it, a lot of the time, I had no idea what was going on. i continued reading in the hope this would change but it didn't. i just wasn't really into this book.

*Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for sending me a copy to read and review*

This book was hard for me to wrap my feelings around. It wasn't inherently bad, but it didn't blow me away either. It was a story in which I enjoyed the time that I allowed myself to pick up the book and read, but once I set the book down, the characters and the plot were far from my mind. I never felt eager to pick it up again.

The huge pro for me, was the setting. I absolutely love books that are set in Alaska, and this one was atmospheric and chilling. The descriptions were great, and I felt the cold seeping into my bones just from reading about the climate. Paired with a story that surrounds themes of grief, and mental illness, this was certainly not a lighthearted story.

This one is going to be enjoyed by many, but unfortunately I didn't love it.

I wanted to like this book but i found the story dragged on and could have been much shorter. This is a story of friendship, mental health and a desperate and struggling community based in Lost, Alaska

"After so many years struggling to make ends meet, hope can be a dangerous thing. They wanted to cling to it with both hands"

On the one hand, it has a very interesting premise. Sure, at its base, this storyline has been used a lot. But every author adds something different. In the case of Before I Let Go, I really enjoyed the Alaskan setting, as well as the eerie atmosphere it provided.

I was a bit under-whelmed by this book, possibly because it is aimed at teens. The storyline was good and it was enjoyable to read, I loved how it was all unfolding but found the ending rather disappointing if I'm honest. I would rather it had ended differently but that just my opinion. For the teen/YA reader I think that it would be a brilliant read.

*I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

What a bloody weird book tbh. It starts off really off-kilter, people are being purposefully evasive and their answers are all mysterious and none of it makes sense and for the main character (and myself as the reader), it's really frustrating.

The overall feeling by the end of this was ...well that escalated quickly, as you see how the whole town has just descended into madness by making a girl with mental health issues into a deity. The whole magical prophetic painting isn't really resolved so it's hard to categorise this book- half mystery half supernatural? Either way it wasn't a particularly enjoyable experience.

I was intrigued by both the title (I wish NetGalley offered that as a reason for choosing to request an ARC!) and the premise. And this was an interesting read. But the plotting was uneven, and ultimately the story fell a bit flat.