3.75, rounded up. I enjoyed this story, but I did feel like it got stuck in rut of Ethan feeling stuck by his mom’s situation and Rebecca being upset about it. There were other family dynamics that were explored well & I liked the secondary characters very much. The issues dealing with the death of a parent and addiction were authentic. I like how the story was revealed between the past and present. Overall, it was good, but not great.

This books was Avery cute and easy read! One of the first books I have read from this I’m author and I liked it loads!

A sweet YA novel with hidden depth?! Sign me up! This is the first book I've read by this author, but I doubt it'll be my last. "Every Time You Go Away' follows Ethan and Rebecca through alternating timelines of their past and their present, as they grow up, grow apart, and come back together- all while Ethan deals with his mothers ongoing drug addiction, and Rebecca deals with her own personal grief. This book provided a very accurate portrayal of real grief and the guilt and other feelings that often come along with loss, and I found that to be refreshing for a fictional novel. The characters are extremely likable, and the disability representation was awesome. This book was emotional and heartfelt, but also had some lightness and sweetness to to it with the lovely romantic aspect (and sub-plot) Having the extra "twists" regarding the romance really intrigued me as well, but no spoilers on that! Overall, I certainly would recommend this book to any contemporary YA lovers!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Abigail Johnson, and the publishers for providing this ARC for me to read/review. All opinions are my own honest thoughts!

I was quickly pulled into this romance and didn’t want to put it down. It could have been longer and gone deeper with a storyline this engrossing. A few times the characters grated on me with their repetitive whining, but that is teens for ya.
Recommended For: Fans of young adult or romance.

I knew this book was going to be emotional when I was already crying at the authors introduction.
As someone who survived a spinal cord injury it was really hard to read about Rebecca's trauma but it was also something I didn't know I needed. It has been seventeen years since my injury and I still struggle with coping nearly every day.
This book follows Ethan and Rebecca throughout their childhood having to constantly say goodbye and wait until the next time they'd see each other not knowing when that would be.
Ethan's mother is an addict, when things get bad she drops him off at his grandparents house which just so happens to be next door to Rebecca.
Rebecca is curious when a boy suddenly is dropped out next door, they become instant friends and every time he leaves it hurts her more and more but she can't seem to stay upset about it when he shows up again.
Ethan and Rebecca are nearly adults now, his grandparents are desperately trying to save him from his mother and the toxic environment he has been in but Ethan just wants to find his mom. That is until he starts to realize just how much of Rebecca's life he has missed while he's been gone.
Rebecca had an accident while Ethan was gone. One that took her father and her ability to walk. She hates talking about it and her mother seems to not want anything to do with her as well.
When Ethan shows up again she wonders how long he'll stay this time and if she's ready to be hurt again.

This book hit me in so many places. Like i said having survived a spinal cord injury and then reading about someone else's experience is hard. Rebecca's mother reminds me of mine. Very closed off emotionally, I've always felt like I can't talk about my injury with her. I feel guilty for all of the time she had to spend with me while I healed. Time away from her other children.
Ethan's story was hard too. My brother is very similar to his mom. Always chasing that high that seems to be more important than everything else. Trying to let go of guilt for not being able to save or help someone can seem almost impossible at times. Unfair that they can't just choose family over drugs. But trying to cope with the fact that it isn't your fault at the same time you have to cope with losing someone that is still alive.
When I started reading this book I don't know what I expected but I didn't expect it to help me heal in some ways. I know that won't be the case with everyone but I highly recommend reading it. If you know someone who suffers from these traumas it might help you better understand them. and there's romance! What more could you want in a book?!!
Thank you Abigail Johnson for writing such an amazing story. I was rooting for Ethan and Rebecca the entire time, not just as a couple but as individuals that needed the support to start healing.

This is a heavy book but a worthwhile read. The characters are instantly approachable and the circumstances you find them in gets you easily hooked.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Every Time You Go Away by Abigail Johnson. I was honestly surprised by how great this book was. I selected this book on NetGalley predominantly for its fantastic cover, and for the first couple of chapters, I wasn’t sure about it. The story is pretty heavy- it’s about the complicated friendship between a teenage girl who is paralyzed in a car accident that kills her father and the neighbor boy who only appears in her life when his addict mother is at rock bottom. While that might describe the subtext of the story, the characters are so much more. Tragedy is a footnote in who they develop into over the course of the book. There’s romance, difficult parental relationships, and hard truths about addiction, all while maintaining the levity needed to be an easy read. I loved this one. I highly recommend you check it out when it’s available December 5, 2023.

I just finished this spectacular YA contemporary novel and it's so good I'm a bit speechless - the last line is so powerful, I just sat here, stunned for a minute. Ethan and Rebecca (the boy and girl next door) have been friends since they were kids, in and out of each other's lives with incredible difficulties thrown at them both - Ethan's mom is a drug addict always spinning out of control, and Rebecca has been seriously injured in a car accident that left her paralyzed and using a wheelchair for mobility. This is not just a slow-burn love story (and that aspect is always well done in Abigail Johnson's books) - this is an emotionally hard-hitting book about moving on after incredibly great loss and finding hard-won hope for the present and future. I feel like there just aren't adequate words for how good this book is. Seriously, just read it - it's the most inspirational thing I've read in a long time (and not in a trite way - in a profoundly moving way). I'm stunned by the author's courage in telling such an emotionally raw story with such universal themes. I hope this book wins all the awards. My highest recommendation.

5⭐️ thank you NetGalley and Abigail Johnson for this ARC copy of Every Time You Go Away. This review is entirely my own.

Loved this. Could not put it down. You can definitely tell the author’s perspective is authentic and heartfelt and reflected in both of the main character’s stories. I truly loved this story and both MCs and will 100% be recommending this book to everyone.

Thank you NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review. Everytime you go away is a heart wrenching book about 2 people and their difficult childhoods growing up. This book will get you hooked right away and in love with the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was fantastic. It shines a light on disabilities and real-world issues like addiction, grief, and transition from childhood into adulthood.
Seeing the friendship/relationship between Rebecca and Ethan grow throughout the book with the flashbacks of their past is refreshing.
Abigail Johnson is a fantastic author and had me hooked from the very beginning.

Thanks to Netgalley and ink press for allowing me to read this arc for an honest review!

This was so good! I really enjoyed this romance more than I thought I would. Usually, I can tell what rating I am going to give a book within the first 30 pages and this was an instant 5-star. One movie I love is "October baby" and this showed that vibe. I liked the romance but how it wasn't everything in the story. Great writing too!

Thank you to NetGalley for this free version in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book. Initially I thought it was just about two people who meet at different times in their lives, it's actually about a lot more. Each character experiences some rather tragic life events. I enjoyed the resolution of the book, although watching the characters muddle through so many experiences was painful to watch (read). I am glad I read it though.

A poignant story about grief, healing, forgiveness, and finding a second chance at love along the way. It was a beautiful portrait of the beauty of life even amidst the pain.

This was a lovely book! Lots of meaningful themes, thoughtful writing, and a well-paced plot that kept the story moving along. Ms. Johnson creates memorable characters with interesting conflicts and problems. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Every Time You Go Away

3.5 stars rounded up

Ethan and Rebecca's story begins when Ethan is dropped off at his Grandparents home next door to Rebecca's parents. His Mom perpetually lost in the revolving door battle of substance abuse, drops him off promising to return when she is well. For Ethan the time apart is filled with anxiety and worry as he waits for her return, the gnawing responsibility of keeping her safe never fading..
Rebecca and Ethan become fast friends making the days go by fast, although the weight he carries clings to him. Over the years, this pattern continues as Ethan is dropped off, only to be whisked away just as abruptly.. Every time he goes away he leaves a picture of a hand drawn flower on Rebecca's windowsill, a goodbye of sorts until he returns. Rebecca faces her own hardships, but she stuffs them down determined to not be a burden to those around her. This sweet and heart wrenching story about love, loss, and forgiveness, will cause you to look deep in your heart and reexamine how our actions affect those we love.

Thank you Netgalley and Inkyard press for allowing me to read this for an honest review

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a review.
I was so excited to be approved for this read, I dove right in and could not put it down! I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more by this author!

Abigail Johnson's Every Time You Go Away is a poignant and beautifully written novel that explores the themes of grief, forgiveness, and love. The story follows the lives of two childhood friends, Ethan and Rebecca, who reunite after many years apart. Their relationship had been abruptly ended when Ethan's mother took him away, leaving Rebecca with only a flower as a goodbye gift.
Years later, Ethan returns to town to take care of his mother, who has been struggling with addiction. Meanwhile, Rebecca is still learning to navigate life in a wheelchair after a car accident that killed her father. As they reconnect, they must confront the challenges they've faced and determine if their love can overcome the hardships that have kept them apart.
Johnson's writing is searing and lyrical, capturing the emotions and struggles of her characters with great depth and sensitivity. Every Time You Go Away is a powerful and moving read that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

Abigail Johnson employs her superb knack for engaging dual-POV YA romance in a new novel that is both deeply personal and widely relatable. In an author’s note Johnson reveals that she hadn’t been ready to write a character working through the emotional fallout of a spinal cord injury, as she had as a teen, until the characters in Every Time You Go Away took a hold of her and wouldn’t…go away.

In addition to crafting a messy, sexy, heart-wrenching and life-affirming love story, Johnson depicts everyday life as a wheelchair user at an authenticity level an able-bodied author would be hard pressed to match. The disastrous engagement party at a completely inaccessible restaurant, where it’s assumed Rebecca won’t mind the “inconvenience,” rings particularly true.

Rising way above problem-novel melodrama, Rebecca and Ethan’s story is thorny and thrilling in equal measure,

Wow this book is filled with a lot of hard things, but a lot of good too.
This book is beautifully written. We see Ethan and Rebecca in the now and in the past. We learn about what has happened to them and a lot of it is hard things that deal with grief. But we also see so much good as they work through it apart but also together
Rebecca and Ethan have a beautiful friendship, that also leads to more. I really adored these characters. I could picture them in these spaces. Johnson does a really brilliant job creating these characters and this world.
I really loved this story and can't wait to get it into the hands of so many readers.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!