What an interesting read! And that ending! I wasn’t ready. I had such an enjoyable time reading this book. Admittedly, YA has become a bit stale lately but this book really flipped that around for me. Highly recommend

4.5 rounded up to 5 Stars

Wow!! The way I could not put this book down! I had to keep reading. It captured me from the first page to the last! Absolutely recommend. This was a thought-provoking read that begs the question of what would you choose?

Riley meets Jackson after he moves to town for a refresh and restart. While there is an initial clash between these characters, mostly on Riley's side the ice quickly melts away developing first into an intense friendship and then into something more. Riley and Jackson begin to have dreams of the past, in each of their dreams they are together, in the past, and at the end they both die. Soon enough they are both having the same dreams or maybe memories? Riley and Jackson have to decide what they want to do with the information and how they proceed. And let me tell you it's beautiful, devastating, and I could not look away.

This novel beautifully captured what supportive friends, and parents can look like and explored themes of love, and finding yourself. It was beautifully written and unputdownable. If you've loved anything by Eliot Schrefer or Adam Silvera I'd pick this up. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kevin definitely knows how to write magical realism books. I’m not a fantasy gal, but I might just be a sucker for romances with fantastical elements. The more I read, the more I am coming to like.

Plus, Kevin slays at writing chemistry. I mean, I somehow end up jealous of every single relationship he writes — even the side characters and platonic relationships ships!

But I will say, I liked this a lot more than Milo and Marcus. I flew threw it and had such a fun time!

Have you ever read the first line of a book and known you're going to devour it? That it's going to devour YOU?

"If there was ever a time when I didn't love Marcus, I don't remember. From the moment I could speak, I saved all my words for him. From the moment I could walk, my legs carried me in his direction."

My aching heart! Riley and Jackson have only just met in present day Orlando, but something draws them together, made even more poignant by vivid dreams they both have of the past. In these dreams, they are in love and die young and together (Pompeii, WWII London, etc).
As they figure out why their lives are fated together, they are on a deadline to break the curse so they don't suffer the same fate as their past lives.

This multi POV book absolutely ripped my heart out! Golden retriever Jackson was my favorite. His growth and dedication to Riley was unmatched. And Riley, the prickly little hedgehog, learned to let down his defenses and allow love in.

This book was everything I needed. I was sobbing. I was clinging to hope. I couldn't put it down!

I received this ARC from @netgalley and publisher @harperkids. The opinions are my own.

Don't Let Me Go will be released on May 20, 2025.

I absolutely loved this book. It had me in a chokehold from page one and I could not put it down. I loved both Riley and Jackson. Riley could be a bit much, but in a "that's how teenagers are" kind of way. Yes he was quick to lash out and tended to have a pretty black or white viewpoint on a lot of topics, but these are quite common traits of teenagers, so I didn't mind.
I loved Riley and Jackson's relationship. We actually get to see them interact and slowly develop feelings as they get to know each other. Well, I guess it "technically" wasn't that slow, as the story takes place within a pretty short timeline, but the relationship still felt well developed. The conversations felt organic and balanced deep conversations and silly banter. I would regularly find myself either smiling at a cute interaction or feeling my heart tug at a particularly emotional conversation. Riley and Jackson also make each other better. They both help each other gain confidence and learn to accept themselves (and more). Riley and Jackson are meant to be soulmates and this was clear in the present timeline and all the past ones.
I do wish there could have been more interactions with some of the side characters, but I still liked what we got. And the story likely would have been bogged down had there been more focus on other relationships.
I absolutely loved this book and have been thinking about it since I finished it. Just writing this review is making me want to cry all over again. I can't wait for it to come out in May so I can buy myself a copy and read it again.

I've have not read many reincarnation stories in novel format, and I'm beginning to think that I might love them. Don't Let Me Go was devastating and wholesome and encapsulated teenage desperation perfectly. Seriously, the dramatics from these characters were so over-the-top, granted, they were warranted considering their situation, especially towards the end of the book. The amount of angsty yearning that was fit into this relatively short book was giving me second-hand embarrassment and giggle fits. That ending too...ugh (and I mean that in a good way). I will for-sure be buying myself a copy of this upon it's release.

Thank you @epicreads for a digital copy to review!

A moving romance about two star-crossed boys trapped in a millennium-spanning cycle of reincarnation whose only hope of escape may be a price that neither is willing to pay.

^from the publisher!

This was the very definition of romance. Swooning. Yearning. Coming of age. Sex positive. Bi-awakening. Supportive parental figures (minus 2).

My god I was giggling and squealing so much during this book. Riley and Jackson are SO freaking romantic in every single timeline!!!

Also truly LOVED Aunt Rach and Riley’s dad and the entire friend group. Little meddlers. Love them all!!!! Duy was a special fave.

I refuse to give anything away but let’s just say I had tears for the last 25% of this book and I LOVED the ending. @kevinchristophersnipes took my heart and smashed it and said “here you go” with a sweet lil forehead kiss.

Don't Let Me Go by Kevin Christopher Snipes is a heartfelt and thought-provoking story that delves into the complexities of love, friendship, and self-acceptance. The novel masterfully explores themes of identity and belonging, centering on characters whose struggles feel deeply authentic. Snipes’ compelling prose and nuanced storytelling create a narrative that is both tender and raw, making it an emotionally rich reading experience. A beautiful and moving tale that resonates long after the final page

"A story of two boys, always together, one with eyes bluer than the sea and hair like polished bronze and the other with hair like midnight and eyes as sharp and green as glass."
If you're a sucker for star-crossed lovers reincarnated over and over, this is the PERFECT book for you. This book perfectly captured teenage love, made me believe in soulmates, and gave me a history lesson in one sitting. DON'T LET ME GO was insanely good. I cried, I laughed, and I swooned over and over. Every interaction between Riley and Jackson in every life was so intensely, adorably romantic and I was rooting for them in every lifetime. The scenes between Riley and his dad had me getting up to hug my parents, and Riley has the best group of friends. Riley is actually so funny. His personality is so perfectly written. I love how Snipes incorporates little elements into each "flashback" scene so we can tell which character is Riley and which is Jackson in their other lives. I love picking out the little connections. I have so many highlights and annotations in my copy because everything Snipes writes is so iconic. This book is literally the epitome of love. Like, "At the end of the world, he chose me." Hello? Now I need someone to hold me.

*Disclaimer I have received a free copy of this book and it will not affect my thoughts or feelings towards it.*

From just reading the first chapter of this book I knew I was hooked on the concept of this book. I mean who wouldn't love a romance book about how people will always find a way to be with each other regardless of what time period it is? That said my only complaint about this book was the lack of usage of the flashbacks to the other timer periods they fell in love with each other because they were always great additions to the story in my opinion. Besides that I only have good things to say about this book. I think the dialogue that Snipes crafts is simply witty and fun to read and feels like authentic conversations being discussed today. On top of that the character dynamics between Riley and Jackson with Riley's friend were always delightful scenes to read. Most importantly if you are looking for a comfy, good vibes romance this book is perfect for you! Riley and Jackson were really one of the cutest couples and you will never stop rooting for them!

Overall I would rate this 4.5/5 stars rounded up.

This poetically beautiful executed arrangement is the embodiment of the quote "Why think separately of this life than the next, when one is born from the last? Time is always too short for those who need it, but for those who love, it lasts forever" - Dracula Untold. The usage of inclusive characters and their cultures/backgrounds are well thought-out making the reader understand them even if the reader, themselves, may or may not have had prior knowledge of.

that was so cool
I definitely agree that this is for fans of Adam silvera
I love the timeline and the double pov
my only gripe is the ending…
I was just expecting something else, but I don’t feel like that conflict was solved??? Maybe I’m wrong

Kevin Christopher Snipes does a fantastic job in writing this type of book, it had that romance element that I was hoping for and enjoyed the overall feel of this. The concept and characters were realistically done and enjoyed the overall story being told. I was never bored when reading this and left me wanting to read more.

⌛ ┊ “ when one song ends, another always begins. ”

Here's a short synopsis: Don't Let Me Go is centered around Riley, an out-and-proud boy living in Florida, and Jackson, a seemingly straight newcomer. As their lives become more intertwined, they begin experiencing strangely vivid dreams about one another--dreams in which they always reach a tragic end. Despite the dreams, they can't stay away from each other. But as the dreams become more frequent, they begin to question whether there is a hidden message behind them.

When I first started the book, I wasn't sure if I was going to finish it. Riley, the first of the main couple we're introduced to, has a personality type that I generally don't like reading about; he is very defensive, and quick to lash out at others. He even admits it himself: 'I'd almost rather be insulted so I can get offended and tell someone off than receive a compliment that I don't think I can live up to.' Jackson was much easier to relate to, at least in my opinion, and I found his POV enjoyable from the start. As I continued, however, and Riley gradually relaxed around Jackson, he become much more bearable and I actually began to enjoy his POV.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for their friend group. While Audrey, Tala, and Duy all have their moments of being good friends (and I especially appreciated reading about Tala's experience with coming out to her family and how coming is not just one event but a series of moments), but they were, for the most past, very pushy. I understand that they wanted to help their friends but they didn't allow them to make their own decisions, which I hated (I could say the same for Jackson's aunt but she was his guardian so she understandably gets some leeway). Also, Duy said something super weird at about the 30% point that made me look at them funny for the rest of their scenes: 'I want to suck off his face and make beautiful biracial babies with him.'

My favorite part, and what pushed this rating up to four stars, was most definitely Riley and Jackson's past incarnations. Throughout the novel, there are chapters flashing back to their lives in Italy, England, France, and Greenland; each version of themselves was a little different, though no less in love with one another. These little glimpses of their pasts endeared them to me, and I began to see the love and care they had for each other in their current selves, though we unfortunately do not get to spend much time with them.



PROS:

- intriguing premise

- dual povs + flashbacks of past lives

- gay mc + questioning mc + lgbt friend group

- realistic portrayals of coming out

- believable romance

- fantastic ending

CONS:

- slow-pacing

- a handful of annoying minor characters

I'm very much in the minority here, but I did not love this one and DNF'd around 65%, skimmed the rest.

The opening had me absolutely hooked, I was certain it would be a 5 star read, but the tone of the novel really changed once it got to the present day. The best way I can describe it is that it goes from a very serious, intense theme to an almost Heartstopper-esque backdrop (complete with a very trendy young, queer friend group; a brown-haired gay MC that has been hurt by a closeted ex and has a disordered relationship with food; a sporty blond-haired MC that has a bi awakening; and a lot of on-the-nose conversations about queerness.) The contrast between the opening scene and flashbacks to past lives and most of the novel was pretty extreme and, unfortunately, I didn't love how young the book felt in the present day. I wasn't a fan of the dialogue or supporting characters or the specific coming-of-age issues the characters were faced with (not when there was a *much* bigger plot happening in the background). The book does swap back to the intense theme at the end and the author really knows how to land an emotional scene.

That said, this is a necessary book - it's set in central Florida and it's important these stories are not erased. Imagine a dramatic reincarnation AU of Heartstopper. If that sounds up your alley, this is definitely the book for you.

Absolutely devastating in the same vein as "The Darkness Outside Us". I read this in a matter of hours and felt my stomach drop when I realized that Kevin Snipes was GOING THERE. He was taking this story and all of the foreshadowing to its natural conclusion. And it KILLED ME in the best way possible.

I had some issue with the original conflict between Riley and Jackson in the beginning— it seemed like something someone might post to go viral on instagram rather than an actual talking point a teenager might make in conversation, but I sort of began to see it, in the context of Riley's other interactions, as him being purposefully over-the-top trying to make Jackson slip up and prove that he was just another conservative football bro.

I loved everything else about it and don't know enough about history to nitpick anything that happened. I was able to absolutely vibe and enjoy the heartwreching trope of "I will find you in this life and the next". The Kesha of it all. All of the side characters were fleshed out in a way that felt very real and we saw different bits of them from Riley and Jackson's POVs, and they didn't feel like props around Riley and Jackson's relationship. Duy was so incredibly funny at points that I literally laughed out loud.

Absolutely BANGER of a book. Funny, sad, loving... 6 stars.

If you like They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera, this book is definitely up your alley. I really liked the cyclic and historical elements of this story, and the journey of Riley and Jackson falling in love. I found this extremely engaging and hard to put down because I wanted to see why they were being reincarnated and why they remembered their past lives. The ending wrecks me and I wish it could have gone another way, but I also understand why this was choices made for the story, and how cyclic everything is for Riley and Jackson and their history and future.

even though time traveling is sometimes not my favourite thing to read, i do the star-crossed lovers trope. i like to believe soulmates find each other in every life, the same way jackson and riley find each other in every life.

however, i really hope we are getting a second book, because what the hell was that ending? like based on the number of pages i had left, and how the story was progressing, i knew it was coming, but kevin, i beg you. you can’t leave it like that because i will simply riot.

that being said, many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher HarperCollins, and most of all, the author, Kevin Christopher Snipes, for giving me the opportunity to read this arc.

Recipe: take 60% cuteness from Simon James Green, add 20% love that’s needed to survive from The Darkness Outside Us, and top off with 20% Death-Cast from They Both Die at the End.

Don’t Let Go is pitched as Adam Silvera meets Eliot Schrefer, but I need to tell you that this story is far from angsty. It’s sweet, vivid, and witty. At least, most of the time …

The book starts with Pompeii and the eruption of Vesuvius, and I immediately sat on the edge of my seat. Just like I did when I met the boys in the now. Even though Riley was five seconds hostile towards Jackson, this changed fast, and a strong bond grew between those guys who dared to be incredibly vulnerable to each other. So many smiles danced on my face, even in those ancient times when they were so in love and always died at the end (it’s in the blurb).

I adored the first part of this story and still loved the second half. I only wanted a bit more tension until I sat on the edge of my seat again and gasped for air! My heart was full of love and I cried big, ugly tears. That ending was perfect! I’m not sure, though, if everyone will feel the same way …

Actual rating: first half 5 stars, second half 3.4-4 stars, ending 5 stars.