Not a Traditional Romance
I love romance in novels, but I truly appreciated that Six Goodbyes is about healing and providing support instead of giving readers a traditional romance as the focus. This is incredibly compelling to find in a contemporary novel for teens because it's a reminder that there are so many facets to life, and while romantic love is wonderful, people need to be able to love themselves first. While there is romance in the novel, it's definitely not what I was expecting. I'm hoping to see a lot more of Dew and Naima in a future novel where we get the chance to see where their story has moved!

Dew Stole My Heart!
He was such a different character than I have previously read and I loved the way he chooses to see the world. He's been through so much but he doesn't let the bad things from his past overtake the way he looks at his future. Although he has his struggles, he is constantly trying to show kindness to others, often going out of his way to try to make others happy. Like Naima, he often becomes obsessed with things and is constantly trying to manage his social anxiety, but he never gives up the fight. I also loved his relationship with his second parents and sister. He's just such a beautiful boy.

Naima Is Harder to Connect With...
...but that's the point. One moment that stayed with me was when Naima talked about loving her body, but it was her brain she has a problem with, and this just completely broke my heart. She's such a strong, smart young woman, but there are aspects of her brain that she just does not have control of. Dew sees her in such a beautiful light and I loved that we slowly start to understand her and see her the way he does. She puts up shields because it's all she can do to protect herself from the harshness of the world around her. She's so different from Dew, but that doesn't make her less than anyone else.
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Overall, this was such a beautiful story. The premise and characters are so different from any other books I've read and I really enjoyed getting to both read the text and have my questions answered by Candace Ganger. She's even given me some new authors and books to read with her response to the 3rd question! Six Goodbye's We Never Said comes out tomorrow (September 24th!) and I'd highly recommend that everyone gives it a read.

Following the completely differing characters of Naima and Dew was a whirlwind of a book. I loved how polar opposite these characters are. Initially I did struggle with Naima’s character and how abrasive I found her in the beginning. However, as I read on, I began to love her as her walls began to fall down and she was open to becoming friends with Dew and finding different ways to potentially cope with her anxiety. I found Dew to be endearing, but sometimes a little intense at times, especially when he’s trying to build a friendship and get to know Naima in the beginning.

I found the dual POV to be vital for this story. Initially I was confused with the setting out of the dual POV’s as Naima’s was set out, and Dew’s wasn’t as obvious. I don’t know if this was just me being an idiot or the ARC kindle set out, but I did figure it out after the second chapter. The writing style is definitely unique and is like nothing I’ve read before. This is definitely the highlight of this book for me and why I would recommend it to anyone who is slightly intrigued by the sound of Six Goodbyes We Never Said.

Also, once I realised the importance of the title of book, I will admit I got very excited! I do believe that the own voices of mental health was done well to a certain extent. I believe that it was written as a good starting point for someone understanding OCD, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. I cannot comment on the representation for Latinx for obvious reasons.

I normally don’t struggle with a more character driven book, but I definitely did struggle more with Six Goodbyes We Never Said. I think it was because I did feel like majority of the book was just following Naima and Dew walk around town and go to their small jobs. However, the growth that both characters experienced, especially in the last quarter (maybe?), I absolutely loved.

This is such an important and deep book! There were a lot of different topics handled here that I think were really well done. Naima and Dew were such a wonderful set of teens and the growth of their friendship was just wonderful to see. Definitely loved the characters and the plot!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Content warnings;
Social Anxiety, OCD, Depression,
GAD, PTSD, Death, Grief, Loss,
Thoughts of Suicide

Diversity Rep:
Latinx, Depression, OCD, Bi/Pan

Knowing that there were very personal pieces of the author included in this book – by means of the characters that we read about – I feel like this book was even more heartbreaking to read than usual. I say this because being someone that is not only Latinx, but also suffers from depression and anxiety, it’s like a mirror that reflects part of what I go through, even if it’s not exactly the same, and wondering if there are people out there that can understand me the way that these characters want to be understood.

It’s an interesting and emotional feeling, and I feel like that’s one of the first things you should do before you read this: get in the right emotional head space.

Some people can read things that reflect their own lives and be okay, compartmentalizing the book and real life and things are fine. Others, like me, start to feel more for these characters and start to see themselves in the book somehow. It’s a weird feeling, and I don’t know what that says about me as a person, but I know I had to stop a few times while reading this to compose myself and remember I wasn’t reading about me in an alternate reality.

That’s the thing about absence – it sinks into your skin, clinging to the bone until it’s so much a part of you, you can no longer tell where it ends and you begin. You are the FLOAT phase.

*FLOAT phase: Fallen Loved Ones Awaiting Transfer

Having family members die during their service in the military, I understood this feeling so well. It’s one of the things that I fear every time my husband was deployed, and I wouldn’t hear from him for months at a time. I tried not to think about it – I didn’t want to jinx anything after all – but in the back of my mind, I always wondered if that was the last time I saw him. If that was the last time I’d ever talk to him. Thank goodness, he’s still here, he’s still alive, and he’s okay for the most part. Not everyone gets so lucky. Naima Rodriguez wasn’t lucky. She wasn’t expecting her father to leave her a voicemail talking about a surprise he had for her when he got back, only to get the news that he wasn’t coming back alive.

Sometimes you don’t think about that until it’s right in front of your face.

Then there’s a situation which I could never imagine being in: losing both of my parents at the same time and effectively being alone in the world. This is what happens with Dew, who now has to learn how to be a part of a different family, because the one he knew is gone forever.

Both of these characters are experiencing extreme loss and grief. This story tells us how they learn to deal with that grief on top of everything else they have going on in their lives. It’s not easy. It’s not a picturesque story line where things line up the way they need to in order to come to a clean conclusion. Life just isn’t like that. But the journey that they do go on feels real enough, that I couldn’t do anything but support them and root for them to get through their hurt, and learn to live with it.


I wanted to put here that I really appreciate Ganger’s beginning note. Not only does she include the content warnings from the get go, but she also explains how she shares many of the characteristics of Dew and Naima, most notably their mental illnesses. Seeing an author be so open and truthful about what they are experiencing, writing about it in such a public forum to allow others to digest and understand them from this point of view, and to be so vulnerable to society like this extremely brave, and I think this made me appreciate these words much more.

Thank you for reading, and may Six Goodbyes serve as permission to speak your truths – the good and the painful. ~ Candace Ganger’s Author’s Note

If you're looking for a book featuring #ownvoices mental illness and biracial rep, look no further than Six Goodbyes We Never Said! Naima and Dew's experiences reflected my own in many ways. I enjoyed their uniquely different perspectives on mental illness and grief.

Naima and Dew's mental health experiences are not EXACTLY like mine but it doesn't have to be for me to feel a connection with their collective stories. So my final message is to let teens with all mental disorders tell their story and let them exist.

Book Review | Six Goodbyes We Never Said by Candace Ganger

Six Goodbyes We Never Said by Candace Ganger
YA Contemporary
Wednesday Books | September 24th, 2019
3.5/5 Stars


We all have our quirks, but for Naima and Dew, they are very real. With the loss of her father, Naima's OCD and anxiety have gotten a lot worse. While living with her grandparents for the summer she meets Dew, who has lost both of his parents and now lives next door with his foster family. They are both still grieving on top of dealing with their anxiety and other things. This is a story of how two broken people help each other start to heal.


The two main characters in this book are quite different, but I liked them both. Naima has anxiety issues, OCD, and the death of her father didn’t help these things at all. Dew also has anxiety issues and really struggling with the death of both of his parents. Naima has a hard time letting anyone in, so although they live next door to each other all summer, this was not a quick and easy friendship. Dew tries his best throughout the story to find ways to help Naima or just make her smile, but it’s not easy and doesn’t give up.


At the beginning of this book, before the story begins, the author creates a connection between herself and the characters by explaining that she suffers from anxiety and some things like Naima and Dew. I think that this was such a good idea because if she hadn’t given that introduction you may have thought she was writing about things she knows nothing about and given up on the book.


I have to admit that I did almost put this book down. In the beginning, I was having a hard time with the transitions between Naima and Dew’s point of view, but then I got it. I also found Naima’s parts more interesting than Dew’s. Other than those tiny things, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a book that was really hard for me to rate. It had so many topics that many can relate to and I did love how much representation was in the book.
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Grief and anxiety were huge topics in the book, mental health overall was a huge part of it. Both of the main characters have lost their parents and as expected have a hard time adjusting. They deal with it in different ways.
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Told in dual perspectives we get to know Naima and Dew. Some parts of the book are written in a way that allows us to see what is going in the MC’s head. Naima, is angry and pushes away people after the death of her marine father. Dew, whose foster parents live next to Naima’s grandparents is battling his own battles. But while Dew hopes to connect with Naima despite his social anxiety, Naima wants nothing to do with him. Naima was harder to like because she was mean in various parts of the book.
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This book highlights the fact that people deal with things very differently. Although I didn’t agree with some of Naima’s actions I do think her character was very realistic as well as Dew’s. They are young high school kids trying to navigate through a bunch of feelings. I also loved that it had bi-racial characters. While writing this review I actually found myself liking this book even more. Has that happened to anyone? My rating actually went up while writing this review.
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If you read this book just be aware there might a lot of triggering subjects. PTSD, OCD, Anxiety, GAD, Grief. Thanks to @netgalley and @st.martinspress for my review copy. If you pick up the book please take the time to read the authors note. Most of the topics in the book are things she deals with herself.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy of Six Goodbyes We Never Said by Candace Ganger & inviting me to join this blog tour!

Confession? I barely wrote any notes on Six Goodbyes We Never Said, because I was too engrossed by the beautiful writing of Candace Ganger. #couldn’tbebothered.

With each word, sentence, paragraph, chapter — it’s clear just how much emotion Ganger put into her work. Six Goodbyes We Never Said is a perfect #ownvoices read for those well-acquainted with OCD, GAD, Depression & Social Anxiety. Ganger knows what she’s talking about when it comes to mental health, which is definitely helpful when it comes to relating to the characters.

Six Goodbyes We Never Said centers around two characters — Naima & Dew; both dealing with grief & their own mental health. Personality-wise, Naima and Dew are complete opposites. However, as they’re both dealing with similar situations — they are exactly what the other needs. It takes time for these two to come together, but it’s the relationship build-up that makes this story a fantastic & emotionally-packed read.

Besides the two main characters, there are others that add to this read. Dew’s sister, Faith, is absolutely obsessed with the WWE & Rick Flair & runs around the house screaming woooo. Relatable. Violet, a coworker of Dew, is eccentric & into auras, palm reading & all that fun stuff. Naima’s family is extremely supportive & are the kind of relatives I would love to have.

It was wonderful seeing the relationships build throughout Six Goodbyes We Never Said. Naima & Nell’s (stepmom) strained relationship doesn’t necessarily reach a high point, but there’s a definite growth between beginning & end. Dew & his relationship with Faith absolutely warms my heart. Ganger does a wonderful and realistic job at both character & relationship development.

I definitely recommend this book & I feel that Six Goodbyes We Never Said would be a comfort read for those dealing with grief & those who are at a battle with their mental health.

"Everyone needs that person. The one who sees you stuck between the minute and the hour hands of your most painful moments, and reaches out for you."

This is one of those books that sneaks up on you. I started it after a few intense reads and struggled a bit with connecting to Naima so I set it aside for a few days, took a breath, and restarted. And then BAM! I'm so glad I picked it back up on the weekend because once I restarted I couldn't put it down. This book took hold of me, took a piece of my heart, and just reflecting on it now has me tearing up. It's one of the most powerful YA books I've ever read and probably the first time I've ever read a book where I wished I wasn't the empath I am. But I'm enriched for having read it and am in awe of Candace Ganger.

At the center of the story are Naima Rodriguez and Andrew "Dew" GD Brickman. Two souls on the same hellish collision course with the worst thing in life, death. They are both experiencing tremendous and ferociously palpable grief that drives their paths towards and yet away from each other. Naima, traumatized by loss and life is riddled by OCD, GAD, and PTSD. Dew shares many of the same inflictions and as similar as their situations are, couldn't be more different. But trust me, you need to get to know them. There's something in both of them that the reader can connect with, you'll want to experience their journey and see them safely off on their paths toward happiness and health.

I really can't stress how incredibly well this book is written. Ganger's writing is prolific and beautiful. Her style is clever and makes the story the immersive experience it is. My heart clenches at the thought of it, of Naima and Dew 's pain, of the cathartic release it inspired in me - yes, that response! This is a book worthy of the 5++ star, re-read status. And as for those books that I and those books that I thought were intense, just fell a notch or two in comparison.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. I wasn’t really sure how I was going to feel about this book because it is not my usual preferred genre, but right from the start, I was intrigued. The characters are slightly broken and extremely relatable. I ran the gamut of emotions and fell in love. I hope you do, too.

I am in love with Six Goodbyes We Never Said by Candace Ganger. This story blew me away, and went beyond my expectations.

This story is about grief, forgiveness, and understanding what you yourself can be capable of when you become open to it. Naima has moved to the town that her father is from, where her grandparents currently reside. You see, her father was her hero but also a fallen Marine. She has a complex case of OCD and GAD, and the sudden death of her father has not helped her any. I connected to her on such a deep level, I still cannot fathom it. She’s hurt and can’t grieve, because she’s so angry. Her family was always broken, but her stepmother and her grandparents can never replace the importance of her dad.

Dew has my heart. I haven’t met a character like him before, and he definitely stands out. He’s pure and innocent, but with this great big heart. I loved getting to know him as an individual, but also as a son and a brother. His story is similar and also one of grief. His story made me cry most, but I don’t know if it was because of the sorrow or if it was because of the hope of healing.

This story isn’t a love story. There isn’t a romance or anything like that. But it’s a story of liking one’s self. It’s a story of trusting in the process of healing. And above all, it’s a story of forgiveness of the things that are out of your control.

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Six Goodbyes We Never Said, written by Candace Granger, is officially on sale. I received this book from the publisher, Wednesday Books, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book tells the stories of two teenagers, Naima and Andrew, who both lost their parents. They each deal with this trauma in different ways. While this is already hard on them, they both also suffer from mental illness. Their stories deal with hard topics that are not always understood or well perceived in our world.

I struggled to write this review because I’m honestly torn between different feelings. I want to applaud the author for writing about such important topics. I felt that the mental illnesses were well described, but in all honesty, I have limited experience in that area and so cannot comment more on that part.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Andrew. He is a lovable character that goes through loss, teenage issues, and so much more. At times, I wanted to protect him, and other times, I simply wanted to hang out with him. I really enjoyed getting to know him and his family.

Most of the book, though, was about Naima. Unfortunately, I did not connect with her as much. I understand that she was angry, but I felt like she was extremely rude to everyone around her for no valid reason, and that bothered me to no end. I felt that her arc probably took up too much time in the story, which made the book feel slow.

One thing I found really unique about this book was the format that made it easy to know who was speaking at any given time. I also enjoyed how the author used the writing to depict each character’s state of mind. I wish I could give the book more than three stars, but overall, this book was not for me. Even so, I want to applaud the author for tackling such difficult topics, and I hope to see much more from her.

I love how real this book felt. It deals with the topic of mental illness and dealing with it (specifically OCD, PTSD, and anxiety), and is told in such a genuine and realistic way. I really love this book and highly recommend it! Definitely one of my favorites.

Different books impact their readers in different ways; and each book impacts its readers in different ways as well. But some books have at least one (universal) appeal or a singular impact on their readers; and I do feel that this book is one such. The Book: Six Goodbyes We Never Said. The Impact: Tugging at heartstrings.

My Thoughts
Reviewer’s (well, my) Note
This review is a day later than intended. For one, I started reading it later than planned; and while I thought I could read it at break-neck speed, this is not a book you can read quickly. It makes you pause, think, remember, and more. And for another, it was a tough review to write. This version here is my third-ish attempt.

The Book Review Itself
This book is kind of an ode for those who suffer from issues discussed in the book, including PTSD, OCD, and social anxiety. As I read it, it made me feel:
– feel empathy for those who have issues like OCD; feel sympathy for and want to reach out to those with PTSD and social anxiety; and simply feel for all of us who have gone through grief at the loss of loved ones sometime in our lives.

What I loved about it:
Naima’s unsent emails in response to her dad’s voicemails (because she never picked up when he called): These conversations (well, sort of, because they ..) are poignant (so much so) and remind you of things left unsaid that SHOULD have been said; because, you know ‘Life is Short’ so make it matter.
Naima’s ‘would you rathers’ that make you ponder, and want to make you pause and keep reading all at the same time. And her side notes that made me smile every once in a while.
Violet’s silver linings peppered all along the book that perk your spirits
Dew’s recordings and neologisms (adorbville for one) that made me smile more often than not.
In addition, this is a book that celebrates family and friendship. I love that it does not automatically dissolve/evolve(?) a friendship between a boy and a girl into romance. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Dew and his foster sister, Faith, evolve from something beautiful into something more beautiful. As a parent, I loved even more the portrayal of every single parental figure in the book. That certainly lifted my spirits.
The dual POV format of the book, which took a while for me to get into, but once I did, I realized the book’s format is just right.
The way the book embraces quirkiness…
Characters that are real – kind, mean, weird, quirky, normal, those wearing their ‘souls on the outside’ and those hiding their hurts ‘in a suit of gleeful’, and everything in between; characters dealing with real issues and real life in real ways.
And yes, Faith, Stella, JJ, Thomas, Kam, Nell, PS the flytrap, Hiccup the Pekingese, and essentially all the other characters who find their way into this book.
This is a #ownvoices book; and it shows.

What might have made it even better:
More Nell..(For those yet to read the book, Nell is Naima’s stepmother and I ached for her)
Lyrics to the songs Dew refers to (by August Moon…)!
That is all…can’t think of anything else

Other Random Thoughts:
I highlighted and bookmarked so many lines in this book that I had to stop doing it at one point.
The pauses I mentioned earlier in the book were oftentimes because I recalled my dad who passed away last November, and I know how tough it is to say goodbye (especially when it has not been said)
While I do know that people respond to issues that they face differently, including grief, Ganger shows that difference in a stark yet real way with the main characters of Dew and Naima.

Quotes I loved (well, only a fraction of them):
“Hope never leaves us – we’re the ones who abandon it.”
“Kindness matters. Not only when it is hard – especially when it is.”
‘…. – maybe the thing we’re all in search of is right in front of us.’
‘Would you rather listen to something that will break you, or always wonder what words may have been?’
‘…..Dad……, even when I felt like the most invisible thing in any room, he saw me.’
‘Everyone needs that person. The one who sees you stuck between the minute and the hour hands of your most painful moments, and reaches out for you.’

In Summary
As I mentioned at the beginning, I feel this book will tug at the heartstrings of everyone who reads it. It might be a hard read for some because of the issues it deals with or for others because of the way it is written with its dual POV and dipping back and forth in time; but it is regardless a read that will, well, tug at your heartstrings ALL THE WAY…

Rating: 5/5
Reading Level: 14 years and above

I love when a book catches my attention with either the cover or description but I am not really ready for the gem it truly is. I was presented with an opportunity to read an early copy of this story, it caught my attention and I immediately signed up.
WOW! I don't know exactly what I was expecting but I didn't realize how much it would hit home to me. I worked with kids for a couple years in the mental health field so this story really did pull at my heart strings.
I loved the way Ms. Ganger told this story it is unique and really captured my attention. And she will definitely tap into your emotions and really grab onto you. I will forever carry this story with me. This story is ABSOLUTELY a must read and make sure you have tissues within reach.

Ultimately, I think I’m a little in the middle about how I feel about this book. Six Goodbyes We Never Said is my first novel of Candace Ganger so I went into this book without any expectations.

Overall, I found her writing to be really good. Especially since she had characters who were constantly going through realistic obstacles and anxieties. I could have used a little more description to add to the story and to help a reader who doesn’t know firsthand what it’s really like to have OCD or to process losing your parents, getting adopted, and moving. Descriptions were there, I just think there could have been a just a little more. One thing that I did really like were the emails, voicemails, and recordings from each of Naima and Dew; I found it gave some uniqueness to the story.

I found this story to be more character driven, however, I think there was some potential to make the book a little more plot driven that was missed and therefore made the book a little slow; it took me about a month to read.

I didn’t exactly love Naima or Dew. I don’t know exactly what it was. Sometimes I found their quirks enjoyable. Sometimes I found it to be too much. However, I don’t hold that against the story too much as I think that was the point. Overall, I think this book is an important one for the YA genre.

All of the feels - every single last one of them can be felt in the pages of this book! It's is amazing just how many uncovered feelings one can posses and feel within these pages. I recommend everyone read this and start conversations about mental health everywhere!

Two recently orphaned teenagers in a smallish town in Indiana are connected before they’ve even met. But when they do it’s because Dew, for the first time since he met Ray Rodriguez, accidentally spies on the girl next door, Naima, daughter of Ray staying with Ray’s parents for the summer. Their parallels go further than their shared familial misfortunes and heartbreak. They’re also both medicated and in therapy for varying levels of anxiety and OCD. Naima is also depressed and attempted suicide a year earlier. Her father, following her hospitalization promised to he’d leave the military and that his next tour would be his last. It was, but he didn’t make it back to be with his daughter. So Naima was left with her stepmother to whom she doles out hell in order to show an affection she otherwise hides, and struggles to accept her father now “lives” in an urn her grandparents refuse to move from a chair at the kitchen table. Dew has heard fables of Naima from Ray while he served coffee to him the summer before when Ray was caring for Naima through her recovery and, in the style he hopes to employ on air one day as a reporter/weatherman, Dew observes Naima, hoping to connect over their grief.

The cute easy way the characters interacted with each other reminded me quite a bit of Emergency Contact or Everything Everything, maybe even To All the Boys I Loved Before, but with less humor, so maybe Eleanor and Park or the Fault in Our Stars— OH, and Forgive Me Leonard Peacock, for sure— are more apt comparisons, but 6 Goodbyes did provoke several laughs. Despite the tough subjects I hope teens pick up this book and learn how universal hardship is and despite the difficulty in moving on from something as astronomical as losing both parents before their 18th birthday, life is worth living and there are people out there who understand what they’re going to, and those people may not always be adults but they will be just as important to their growth and well-being.

This book does have triggers for mental health related to PTSD, OCD, grieving, and identity. If any of these topics are sensitive to you, please be cautious in picking this book up.

With that being said, I think this was a well-written story encompassing a girl’s journey with mental health. It’s a touching plot that grabs you in for a ride when the main character’s father passes away overseas. She’s a military brat (AKA growing up in a military household) struggling with the hardships of him being away from home.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. I think it’s the perfect end-of-summer read for fans of strong, YA mental health contemporaries. It’s one of those books that will leave you thinking and analyzing your own life in the process. The book overall is a little slower to get through, but I feel like it’s more related to the density of the content rather than boredom.

I think it is very important to read the Author’s Note PRIOR to starting the book just because it gives you a clearer background into the author’s storytelling process.

Mental health, what does it mean? Is it a big issue, a small one? Is it real or tall tales? Even in this present enlightened day, despite awareness efforts and campaigns, a large majority still don’t place as much importance to it as they should. In small countries, mental disorders aren’t viewed as genuine or real or worse—they are viewed as a bid for attention. The people with these disorders are seen as being difficult. What so-called “normal people” don’t understand is those with disorders are actually having a difficult time.

Mental health is a fact. It’s a reality. It’s the emotional, psychological and social well-being of a person. It’s all about how we feel and think and what affects our thoughts and emotions. Depression, anxiety, stress, bipolar disorders—they’re facts and ongoing, merciless wars, fought every day, leaving you with fresh wounds over old battle scars.

Six Goodbyes We Never Said is the story of two teenagers, Naima and Dew, who have both lost their parents in difficult circumstances and are trying to find a way to cope past the depression and anxiety, the guilt and loss, the pain and the 3 a.m. irrational thoughts.

Naima’s mother died at her birth and her father was a soldier who sacrificed himself for others, whereas Dew lost his parents in a car accident and is now living with foster parents in a new town. Whose grief is harder? Being reminded of what you lost every day, like Naima or starting anew like Dew? Grief is grief and both are faced with reminders every day, both trying to find coping mechanisms to deal with their loss. I think for teens it’s harder with all the volatile emotions that are difficult to master.

This was a hard book to read, not because it wasn’t a good one but because I could recognize myself in so many of the issues Naima and Dew dealt with, the fight to push past the downward spiral that threatens to drag you down and bury you. The unexpected sprinkles of humor added a lightness here and there, showing that life went on. It’s a book worth reading, and I hope, with the patience and understanding it deserves.