I liked it aka I wrote it aka I wanted to see it in this form! And I stand by all of it with love. Thank you for your support Bloomsbury team who is approving this very weird review (trying to keep my netgalley rate up sorry)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

This was a book that I couldn't put down but also didn't want to finish because of how much I was loving it. I really enjoyed the way that this book handled Avery wanting to commit suicide and how that shifts as we find out the world is ending. I also like how we see that others didn't know and only one person did and how that secret was kept for everyone's sake. I also was a big fan of the romance included in this book and how long it took for that to come into play.

I’m surprised at how much I loved If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come. The first chapter is a really attention grabbing one (I mean, it has to be when a meteor is headed to Earth), and I was a bit unsure if it would work, but I can confidently say that it does.

Firstly the characters. Avery is such a strong main character, and she really pushes the story along. She and Cass work very well together, and I loved how the romance panned out for them. Peter is everything that I would want in a brother, and he really takes the award for the best fictional character.

The writing is also amazing. The dual timeline chapters made this a very interesting read, by showing who Avery was and is, and how they are similar and yet contradicting. I don’t think that the story dragged on, or went too fast either, which is often the case with other novels that have the same quick introduction.

This does have a heavy underlying struggle of depression, but it was handled very well, and very realistically, but please do not read if you are not in the right headspace for this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury YA and the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A powerful story of longing and heartbreak and how badly we need each other to keep existing even when at our lowest. A true testament to the human condition in times of trial, sadness, and chaos.

When I tell you I wasn’t expecting this book to hit me as hard as it did! Lordt I wasn’t ready! I always say after books like this I’m going to stop going into books blind, because something like this book happens and I’m never ready for it.

The thing that sticks out the most to me is actually very different than most other books I read tho. For this book I was more interested in the premise. I couldn’t imagine hearing that an asteroid that was big enough to end life on Earth was headed our way. It was pretty scary to even just think about. And then what the main character is considering when the book opens would definitely make anyone think. It really made me think. I thought it did a great job of showing depression, but that’s coming from an outsider. I’ve never been diagnosed with it, but others around me have and I recognized so many of the same characteristics that I saw in Avery.

The other type of representation in this is LGBTQ+. I’m just an ally, but this is an Own Voices book, so I would say it’s a great representation of what it was like grappling with the feelings of falling for someone that you’ve been told by everyone you’re close to was immoral or bad. Avery’s journey was so hard I remember crying at so many parts of it. I hated that she had to figure out those things and I hated the way she went about it and the people she encountered. Like that one girl on the soccer team?! I have never wanted to fight a character more.

The second thing that stuck out to me was the characters. Watching Avery and her progress was incredible. I loved watching her come into herself and show herself and the world she was worthy of that happiness. I remember celebrating each of her revelations. This is the type of character arc that I enjoy. I also really enjoyed meeting all her family members and the rando professor that wanted to hang around. (I’m sorry, but that still creeps me out. Like why? Why did you trust this person that you failed to help you survive? lol) I do think the roommate was weird tho. She wasn’t there to help anyone but herself. And just like the professor she didn’t like Avery either, so why did she trust her with her literal life? It just seemed weird.

The writing style was great tho. It’s just something about a non-linear timeline that does it for me. This one starts at the end. Or what Avery thinks is her end. Throughout the rest of the book it goes through however many days until “the impact.” It starts far from the impact when her and her brother were kids. I loved it. Idk why but I find that so intriguing. It was enough for me to want to binge read it. The only reason I didn’t give this a perfect rating was the ending. I HATE not knowing exactly what happens to the characters. Especially when they’ve done all these things to prep for it and when they’ve finally got their lives together and have finally found each other. I get why it works here, but I would at least have liked to get a glimpse of the what happened. Even if she described the impact and then what it did to the environment and then nothing else.

I really enjoyed this. I cried, I wanted to hug her, and I wanted to throttle everyone else that was around and not SEEING her. No one was there when she needed them, but she kept herself from everyone as well. I cycled through all my emotions with this one and I really hope y’all love it as much as I do.

“If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come” is a queer YA debut novel by Jen St. Jude.

Avery Byrne is on her way to kill herself when she receives news that there’s an asteroid heading towards earth. This follows Avery on what happens when you find out you and everyone you love has only 9 days left to live.

This was an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. Avery has suffered from lifelong depression and is also trying to come to terms with being gay. Her family is a religious Catholic family and she’s grown up hearing that people like her will be going to hell unless they change their ways.

Avery has pretty much given up when we meet her. She’s failing a class at her first year in college, her soccer career has tanked and her best friend Cass, who she also happens to be in love with, hasn’t spoken to her in months. She can’t see a way to make anything better and decides to end it all. However, once she realizes the world as she knows it is about to end, she decides to hold off and spend her remaining days with her loved ones. Rather than piling onto what her family will be going through.

I cannot stress enough how emotional this was. There are a lot of lows because not only is Avery trying to deal with her mental health and thinking everyone would be better off if she were gone; she’s also now trying to be there for her family in preparing for the end. Avery and her family decide to prepare a bunker in case they can survive somehow after the asteroid hits. On the other hand, there are some really lovely highs as well. After reconnecting with Cass, Avery spends her possibly last days finding some joy again. Her growth and finding out she has things to live for was a touching journey.

This is told in a dual timeline. It begins in the present and then goes back in time so you can see what leads her to her suicide attempt. I mention this because I know there are some out there that don’t like this set up.

However, I found it really worked in giving the backstory on Avery and Cass and Avery’s progression with her depression.

I found the ambiguous ending fitting. It was sweet and hopeful and I love St. Jude for leaving it to me to determine what happens.

I received an ARC from Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story handles well the sensitivity of Avery, who wanted to die by suicide, and the grand ending of the world. The parallels show how fear made these characters want to live more.

Religion, gender, and sex are exquisitely woven together for the story, especially for young adults. The timeline of years before the asteroid's impact and as the asteroid blast on Earth was imminent is thoroughly told.

Cass is an interesting character who has a full arc.

The ending had a good balance of leaving me wanting more yet knowing the story was complete.

everything hurts and i'm dying 😭😱

thank you so much to the publisher and Colored Pages Blog Tours for gifting me this early copy in exchange for an honest review!!

i didn't know i would end up loving this book so much 😭 it's so fast paced, the writing flows beautifully and all you want to do is hug the MC during the entire story. the balance between past and present was perfect, tbh, it kept me hooked and gave me the need of continue reading. i would have to scream on top of my lungs the trigger warning for depression and suicide; Avery's thoughts were a mirror of my own sometimes and i had to stop the book because it overwhelmed me at times. i loved the final reflections, about us being able to find reasons to live every day, that being sad one day doesn't define our entire lives, and give ourselves a chance to live and try things. and obviously it brings out how important is the support of your loved ones, which broke my heart all the time.
the romantic relationship?? cheff's kiss, absolute pure perfection, they were so freaking adorable and i was rooting from them since page 1, they made me fangirl so much 😍
it's going straight to my faves of the year, no hesitation. loved it so much and i wish this book reaches people who need it.

Perhaps quiet and bold are contradictory words, but I'm going to assign those adjectives to <i>If Tomorrow Doesn't Come</i> anyway. I'd categorize this as a sci-fi/dystopian book since it relies on the "end of the world" trope (due to an asteroid!), but it's a very plausible kind of dystopian--one where disaster happens in the middle of everyday life, as if this too could be our real-life reality tomorrow. So in this way, the book is loud and brave as the characters reconcile with what could be their last days on earth.

But the quiet part? My absolute favorite. Through Avery, we get a glimpse into the turmoil that comes with bottling up shame and confusion. I appreciated the exploration of sexuality, mental health, and loneliness; I also wasn't expecting the religious aspects to this book, but they worked wonderfully to explain some of the inner conflict that comes with respecting your family and accepting yourself. This was truly a tender, candid debut that did not hold back from recognizing its characters' flaws.

I also appreciated the diversity in this book. We get characters who hold a variety of identities related to sexuality, race, and religion. Even though our main character Avery, who is White and queer, experiences discrimination for her sexuality, there are also conversations on her limits on understanding other characters' experiences due to her race. The writing throughout was nuanced and well thought-out.

I'd recommend this one to anyone who is interested in a sapphic YA book that takes place in college, exploring themes of mental health, religion, love, longing, and identity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the advanced copy of this book!

Nothing like trying to end things for yourself just to have an asteroid steal your thunder. (Obviously joking, but what an opening chapter!)

Jen St. Jude has delivered a masterful book that, for me, perfect illustrates the well of darkness that depression can have. It’s visceral and endless, and Avery nearly loses herself to it several times. I’ve never resonated so much with a character written as depressed before, but St. Jude did a fabulous job describing that struggle and how it colors small parts of every day life. Add in the spice of religious trauma and it’s basically like looking into a mirror.

I cannot recommend this book more. It’s got it all.

> Queer Love
>> Mental Health Rep
> End Of The World
>> Dual Timelines
> Family
>> Secrets

Jen St. Jude writes an incredible story of queer love and the haunting effects of depression and shame can have on a person.
The author uses flashbacks as alternating chapters that eventually catch up to the current the-asteroid-is-coming times which I found to paint a better picture of Avery and her life- her struggles, her relationship with her family, the friendship with Cass (whom she loves) and her deteriorating mental health which all leads to the events of the morning of the astroid news.
The ending was written really wonderful, even if there is no way to stop the astroid.

I highly recommend this impressive debut novel. If you need a good cry while rooting for a character working through severe depression, then read this. We can chat about it afterwards.

Many thanks to the wonderful @coloredpagestours for having me on this book tour and to @bloomsburykids for sending me a copy of the book.

I know how hard the days can be friend; my DMs are always open to vent or cry or whatever you need 🥰🖤

At this point in my life, I genuinely struggle to read books about the apocalypse or the end of the world. Reading has always been an escape for me, and escaping into a world on the brink of disaster has generally been too stressful for me to handle. I decided to break my own no-end-of-the-world-books policy for If Tomorrow Doesn't Come, though, largely because of it's promised sapphic representation and discussions on mental health.

I am so glad that I decided to give If Tomorrow Doesn't Come a chance even though it was outside of my normal reading comfort zone. The discussions of self-worth, depression, and queer acceptance were more than worth the read for me. I was especially taken with the way that Jen St. Jude wrote the end of days. The way they captured such great tenderness in it was something special. They wrote heart into the last days of the world, creating characters and relationships that were more meaningful for the lack of time they had left.

My Recommendation:
If you are looking for a book with mental illness representation for mental health awareness month (which is right now, in May!) you need to grab a copy of If Tomorrow Doesn't Come. This book is so important, and should be in the hands of every reader!

Thanks for the gifted copy @bloomsburypublishing @coloredpagesblogtours

📍Tour: @coloredpagesblogtours

📍Pub Date: May 9, 2023

📍 Rating: 5 ⭐️

Poor Avery was living for everyone but herself. I feel like every thing that she was going through alot of people go through but they don't know how to express it OR they're scared Of what people would think.

Clayton was a douche AND a disliked him AND His sh!t brother AND dad

I loved cass because she was never afraid to
Be her authentic self. I just hate that they
Waited so late


I really loved this book 📕 like there isn’t much more I can say without spoiling it because it was just that good. The ending did have me wondering if the “end” ever happened … I definitely recommend this book

You know those special books, the ones that changes your life in a way. The ones that seem to make the time stop when you read them, to allow you to bask in the book that you’re reading and all of the emotions that it evokes in you, and this book certainly did that for me. There was just something so special about this book that I don’t even know how to review this book because my words are failing me and wouldn’t be enough to describe how much this book had an impact on me.

The descriptions of every little detail in this one were just the best. They were so well detailed and so well done and I just felt every emotions that Avery was feeling, as she was feeling them. I just connected so much to everything she did and felt and this book just had the biggest impact on me.

Also the love story in this book was just so cute and wonderful, it was the perfect hopeful spot in the middle of the rest of the story.

I wish that I could go back in time and give high school me this book to read, she really would have appreciated it, but much older me appreciated it just the same.

First and foremost, I absolutely loved this book. Sometimes it felt like it was reaching inside my chest to learn my heart, but cradling it too. It not only feels like a deeply personal and heartfelt story, but also a well written one with so many elements and characters that I loved. I really could not recommend it enough.

IF TOMORROW DOESN’T COME is so many things, a story about mental health and loving yourself, queer first love, coming of age at the end of the world. But it’s also just a story about Avery, and all the people she loves, and how to fight for tomorrow whether or not it’s coming. There are some deeply heavy topics at play, and they are handled with genuine love and care while also playing out that reality. There were so many times that I saw myself in Avery, and that made the hope that is so interwoven into this book’s message hit that much deeper.

Undoubtedly this book would not work without all the supporting characters, and they were all so truly wonderful in their own way. While there is a love story at play, it never overshadowed the platonic and familial connections at play, and I loved to see all of those connections and characters develop. At the end of the day, they felt like more than just words or characters on a page.

I’m in the same stage of life as Avery is in this book, and while I can’t relate to her life experiences exactly, I can feel a lot of what she feels. It’s hard to put into words exactly why, but as I said before, I love this book. It feels like my book in a way, and though it’s not the happiest book in the world, it’s one that made me feel a little more hopeful about what tomorrow brings.

Content Warnings: severe depression with suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, sexual harassment, religious trauma, homophobia, violent home invasion, end of the world

If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come blends contemporary fiction with science fiction by telling the story of Avery Byrne, a soccer star in love with her best friend, Cass. It’s her freshman year at an elite college, and things aren’t going well. Her undiagnosed depression spirals; she can’t keep up with everyday demands.

The day she plans to jump into the river near her school, she gets a call from Cass. As it turns out, an asteroid is projected to hit Earth in nine days. Avery decides to find Cass and spend her last few days with her family. Over the next few days, Avery realizes the world is much more beautiful than she thought. She gets another chance to live life to the fullest, so she won’t waste the next few days.

This book was a whirlwind. I appreciate the care Jen St. Jude took when writing about Avery’s depression. Some authors can’t handle the delicate balance between representation and romanticization. Add in a literal Earth-shattering event, and that task is even more difficult. If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come is sad, hopeful, and devastatingly beautiful.

The characters were fleshed out so well, from Avery’s supportive brother, Peter, to her adorable nephew, Teddy. Even her aunt Devin’s backstory was well-done. I’m also happy with all the queer rep in this book, from the sapphic girlies to an ace character.

I rarely cry when I read books, but the last few pages turned on the waterworks. Read If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come if it won’t be triggering for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warnings: Depression, past injury, threat of world ending asteroid, thoughts of suicide, past suicide, church/Christianity/Catholicism, homophobia, cursing, blood, gun violence, animal death, coming out, underage drinking, drugs, sex, theft, gun violence, fire, death

Representation: Irish-American, immigrants, Lesbian, mental health, Latina, Mexican-Indian, Bisexual, Nigerian, Ace

If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come is a young adult contemporary romance about Avery Byrne. She has secrets; she’s queer; she's in love with her best friend, Cass; and she's suffering from undiagnosed clinical depression. On the morning Avery plans to jump into the river near her college campus, the world discovers there are only nine days left to an asteroid is headed for Earth, and no one can stop it.

Trying to spare her family and Cass additional pain, Avery does her best to make it through just nine more days. As time runs out and secrets slowly come to light, Avery would do anything to save the ones she loves. Most importantly, she learns to save herself, speak her truth, seek the support she needs and find hope again in the tomorrows she has left.

Wow! What an amazing debut! This book is a total celebration of queer love! I loved the narrative and the author’s urgency about the need for more conversations around depression, mental health, and shame. The theme of saving yourself rings strong throughout the entire novel! I loved the honesty and the mental health representation. This character is very relatable! Overall, a great and very important story!

This is a story about what becomes important at the end of the world. Avery Byrne was a star at her high school in New Hampshire, where she was a great soccer player and it seemed everyone was in love with her. But she had a secret she felt she couldn’t reveal to anyone — she was queer and in love with her best friend, Cass. Heading off the college, she was determined to live a more authentic life. But college was nothing like what she expected. Avery struggled mightily at soccer, the one thing that had always come easily to her, and she feared coming out and alienating her teammates, including her roommate who barely seemed to tolerate her. To make matters even worse, she had a falling out with Cass on a trip to visit her in New York.

Having long struggled with undiagnosed clinical depression, Avery makes a plan to jump into the river near her campus on her birthday. But that morning, the world learns startling news — there is an asteroid heading to Earth in nine days, and nothing can be done to stop it. So Avery, hoping to avoid any more pain for her family and, maybe, to see Cass one more time, decides to try to make it back to her hometown. There, Avery, her family, and some surprising other people in her life try to figure out how both to plan for the end of the world and make the most of the time they have left.

This book was terrific. The author created a poignant story about what happens when the coming end of the world actually gives someone a week or so more to live — and how they use that time and the opportunities it gives them to reconsider their life and her relationships. It was interesting how Avery and Cass and Avery and her parents both used this period to both put behind them old conflicts and also finally confront and discuss what had gone unsaid or unprocessed for so many years.
I particularly appreciated the portions of the story focused on Avery’s relationship with Peter, and his wife and their young son, Teddy. The book portrayed as well as any book I’ve read how the relationship between close siblings changes when one of the siblings has children. And as Peter and his wife consider what the news means for Teddy, while trying to shield him from it, we see both the hope and tragedy in the promise and loss of youth. Finally, the book offers thoughtful insights into how people process a world ending event — the ways some want to do everything they can to try to survive and the ways others want to maximize their remaining time.

Strongly recommended!

I had to set this one aside for a bit, as I don't feel I'm in the right headspace to start reading, but what I'd read so far was truly stunning, and I'm really looking forward to picking it back up again!