After finishing this book, Im sure I was not the intended reader of this book, please take my review and rating with a grain of salt.

This story is about Tristan, the days and weeks following him leaving the navy and after the loss of his friend and mentor Jacob. Its the turmoil he faces with not only the news of Jacob's death but his own internal struggles.

I was interested in the idea of novel; exploring the depths of the human experience through difficult times but this wasn't what I was expecting at all.

Im not sure if the prose was meant to embody the emotions or rather numbness of Tristan as we follow him through the journey, or if it was just the style of the author. I felt like a lot of the moments were jolted, or hitched to a stop; like being in a manual drive car with someone who doesn't know how to drive stick. Tristan goes through a few places and interacts with a few side characters, and I just didn't follow the emotions or thoughts he thinks with the writing of his choices. Again, Im not sure if this jarring views of the people around him, the events he participates in, or the choices he makes was meant to mimic the jarring, unpredictable, or unstablility of a man who has been broken (in which case, you definitely feel that) or if it was the style of prose.

Reading through some of the other reviews I've seen, Im in a minority of opinion here, so it does lead me to think Im just not the type of reader that can appreciate the aim of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This book was truly captivating. I loved reading this story of redemption.

A beautifully written journey of the power of the human heart and mind, the internal and external struggle of knowing our purpose in life and the guilt of being the one left behind after someone you love commits suicide. The questions unanswered and the things left unsaid. It is a story of great pain yet great hope. The story definitely appeals to the veteran but I feel the story can transfer to anyone who has lived their life with a certain purpose and transitions into another phase of life where they have to figure out their next purpose. Being an avid hiker and lover of the outdoors … then book perfectly paints a picture of the places Tristan visits during his journey. I will probably read and again and definitely recommend this book.

A must read for everyone!
The author did an amazing job and left me feeling inspired. I truly enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to read more.
Everyone can easily relate to this book, it felt very personal.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.