Without spoiling too much of the story, here is a glimpse of my thoughts:

13 Ways to Say Goodbye follows Nina as she grieves her sister, Lily. The writing resonates with anyone who has experienced a similar loss, making it relatable and impactful. I found myself connecting with Nina on many levels. The poems felt like intimate glimpses into her soul, often mirroring my thoughts and feelings about loss.

The story resonated with me on several levels, often reminding me of my own experiences and feelings. One particular poem frequently explored the thoughts and emotions that Nina wished to express, capturing her unspoken desires and struggles. In contrast, another poem delved into her actual words, recounting the messages she shared through emails and conversations. Together, these pieces created a vivid picture of Nina’s inner world, highlighting both her aspirations and the reality of her communication.


Overall, "13 Ways to Say Goodbye" is not just a collection of poems; it explores love and loss that many readers will find both relatable and cathartic. It reminds readers that grief is a personal journey, and finding ways to say goodbye can be as unique as the relationships we cherish.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advance copy.

I love novels written in verse and I love middle grade stories and I find a lot of hope in stories about grief - so combining these 3 elements made for a wonderful little novel.

I honestly don't have a ton of feedback other than that this story was sweet and beautifully written and that this middle grade story is going to be very important to very many people. I had a great time and am eager to pick up more from Kate Fussner.

When Nina's older sister Lily died, Nina's world fell apart. Her parents have retreated into grief, and without Lily, Nina has a road map—just the to-do lists Lily left behind. But although the last list has taken her to Paris for the summer, she knows that from here on out she'll be flying without a map. What she doesn't expect, though, is that this last list has a few surprises in store for her...

Like Fussner's first book, "The Song of Us," this is written in verse: "She would hate / that I decided / my best path forward / was to follow *hers* / but I didn't know / what else to do." (loc. 547*) My favorite chapters/poems are the ones in which the form gets less conventional, because they force me to work a bit more for it, but as a whole they're cleanly put together. I'm not a huge fan of romance in middle grade (largely because I was not ready to be thinking about romance when I was that age, and I'm a fan of kids getting to be kids for longer), but I love the way the mini-romance is treated here: Nina and Sylvie are so tentative, so cautious—and what's more, they know that summer can't last forever. (Again: have read too many books where this is solved by "Surprise! I got a scholarship to study in Paris! Now we can be together forever!" and I just think it's valuable to let these shorter relationships, where the characters are figuring out what they want and what a healthy relationship looks like, play out.)

There's a mild supernatural element to the book. That's not generally my thing, but I think in this case it could have been explored just a wee bit more—Nina accepts it so easily (which actually makes a certain amount of sense, because it gives her a new way to process her grief, which is something she's desperate for), but it also slides back out of the story with barely a whisper, and she accepts that easily too. Perhaps an instance where some explanations were trialed and nothing quite fit.

Grief, first romance, and Paris—ingredients for an excellent sophomore book, as it turns out.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

This is beautifully crafted, capturing the essence of loss and the grief it brings. It's perfectly suited for middle school readers, yet teens and adults alike will appreciate the poignant perspective shared with the reader. Though a first crush serves as a small backdrop to this narrative, the true essence of the story is a heartfelt tribute to the love shared between siblings.

love, and the fragile journey of moving forward when your heart still clings to the past. Fussner's novel-in-verse hits like a punch to the gut in the best way possible, with every line dripping with raw emotion and poetic beauty. Nina’s struggle to let go of her sister, Lily, is so relatable it hurts, and the magical realism woven into her journey adds a layer of depth that makes the story feel almost dreamlike. The way Fussner captures the complexities of sibling bonds, the yearning to hold onto lost loved ones, and the fear of stepping into the unknown is masterful. If you've ever lost someone or felt stuck between holding on and moving on, this book will resonate deeply. It’s a must-read for anyone who loves stories that make you feel every single word, especially fans of lyrical, heartfelt narratives like Everywhere Blue.

A beautiful novel-in-verse about finding your own path while respecting all the ways that children grieve. 12-year-old Nina found comfort in art even when her friends and family expected her to be over the grief of losing her sister and not be sad anymore. “I don’t want to be the girl with the dead disaster or pretending she never existed. They both hurt.” Nina convinces her parents to let her visit her aunt in Paris to take an art course for the summer but she's really it is to finish Lily’s 13 before turning 13 wish list. Until she wakes in her aunt's apartment to see memories of her life with Lily. I cried a few times and then by 90% I was bawling! The poems are incredible atmospheric--young readers will feel transported to Paris--and connect with Nina's first crush with Sylvie, full of emotion and the need to see those we care for as their own people with their own goals and desires. Highly recommend!!

I usually really like novels in verse but I didn't care for how this was written at all. The concept was great and the story was beautiful I just found the writing kind of confusing. It muddled the story for me unfortunately.

This novel in verse does some things very well. The first is develops a young lesbian relationship. It's gentle and soft and represents a common experience for young people. The second is keeping the focus on recovering after grief. The lists in the book are a great way to keep the plot moving and the reader engaged.

This book is 4.5 stars. The inclusion of the magical moments -- bringing back to life past events -- is. a lovely addition. I would have rated it 5 stars if the author had gone a little farther with the magical realism elements. For instance, when the parents visit they act like she has been missing for a very long time. It might have been a cool touch to have had a time lapse happen for everyone without them knowing at the time. The book built to this and didn't follow through. It works the way it's written; it just seems like a missed opportunity.

I would recommend this book to young readers who love travel, time changes, who are dealing with grief, family dynamics, or young love.