4.5 STARS

The Serpent King was my top YA/contemporary last year, and I have been desperately waiting to read more from Zentner. I could not request this one fast enough after coming across it on NetGalley. Looking at the synopsis and knowing this was going to be a heartbreaker, I still wasn't prepared for how morose this book is. It is a realistic and profoundly moving book about death and our mortality. This is not an easy read, but the message is worth the tears and the heaviness that often comes with discussing such topics.

"I want to be happy again before I die. That's all I want.

One of the things I value most about this book is Zenter's ability to stay true to his narration. Often times in YA, the teen's language and manners are too adult. All of Carver's mannerisms and actions remain true to a young man attempting to deal with the loss of his friends and his role in their deaths. I especially adored the interactions with his older sister and parents; they are realistic but profound. There is a vast array of emotions from those affected by this tragedy, and I admire how there is no villain, no wrong way to grieve, or to process what happened.

"For the most part, you don't hold the people you love in your heart because they rescued you from drowning or pulled you from a burning house. Mostly you hold them in your heart because they save you, in a million quiet and perfect ways, from being alone."

In the end, Zenter delivers another powerful and deeply moving read. He has quickly moved to one of my top YA/contemp authors in only two books.

**Thank you to Crown Books for advanced ecopy of this book.

The Serpent King was one of my favorite books of 2016 and now Jeff Zentner is back again with Goodbye Days. I've been putting off reading this book because I knew from the summary that this would be a heavy, emotional read. I would definitely recommend reading this book with at least a box of tissues within arms reach. I managed to become entirely immersed in the story and Carver's life, and this book is just raw emotion. It handles grief, loss, family, and religion in a way that I've rarely read in YA books.

Goodbye Days is told from only one point-of-view - Carver Briggs, the boy who sent a text that may or may not have caused the death of his three best friends. The Sauce Crew. A group of four boys (Carver Briggs, Blake Lloyd, Eli Bauer, and Mars Edwards) who have been inseparable ever since they met. The story seamlessly weaves their history into Carver's present day. Their stories are beautiful and normal, young and invincible.

This book shows grief can come in many forms. Blake, Eli, and Mars' families grieve in different ways. Blake's grandmother wishes to celebrate the life of brilliant, comedic grandson; Eli's parents want nothing to do with Carver; Mars' father is a judge and wants to see someone blamed for the death of his son.

And all the while, Carver blames himself.

Carver, luckily, isn't left to handle his grief and anguish alone. I love that this story has a support system for Carver. He has his older sister, Georgia, and Eli's girlfriend, Jesmyn, who try to support him, even when, in Jesmyn's case, she's grieving too. When Carver starts experiencing panic attacks, I like that this story shows Carver getting professional help and seeing a therapist and I enjoyed reading his sessions with Dr. Mendez. These sessions are healing to read in a way I didn't expect. Dr. Mendez's suggestion to have Carver tell stories during their sessions seems kind of odd at first, but I loved seeing how all this fell into place at the end of the book.

There's something grounding about this book. The grief feels real. It's relatable for anyone who has ever experienced loss. I love that Zentner doesn't shy away from talking about religion in his books and in Goodbye Days, he shows what God means to the three grieving families and shows something differeint from all their perspectives. Does believing in God and heaven and hell make the death of a beloved one any easier? This book never makes it seem like bleieving is ever superior to not believing. Religion is woven into this story without ever shoving it in your face, because it seems to be a part of the characters. Whether or not the character believe in Christianity, in the end, the dead are still gone.

The last chapter absolutely just broke my heart, but in an uplifting sort of way. This book is heart-wrenching, and yet it manages to slowly piece together a shattered heart as you go through this story with Carver. I loved reading Goodbye Days. This writing is beautiful, and the story just hits you in the feels. I would highly recommend this book for all ages, not just YA readers.

***Thanks to Random House for providing me an ARC through NetGalley***

Just as amazing as Jeff's first book, if not better. What a great message in a variety of ways for readers. Teens need the reminder about texting and driving, as well as the reminder to live life to the fullest because you never know when your time is up. Goodbye Days is an amazing story!

Given the concept here, I don't think anyone wold expect a joy-filled read. Indeed, the raw emotions are almost painful at moments, sitting right at the surface. Zentner doesn't shay away from harsh realities either. Carver deals with his grief in very visceral ways, at times nearly overwhelmed by guilt and blame, both internal and external. He's not only lost his friends, he is viewed by most of his town with suspicion. He's become something of a pariah. Grief on it's own is not unique. What makes this book stand out is the goodbye days, the way they illustrated the varied needs of grieving people. Each goodbye day presents the reader with a different approach to grief. Beyond simply exploring grief, Zentner explores how well we can ever truly know a person. And he does all this with prose that is beautiful in it's simplicity and artistry. Brace yourself before you start it, but do read this book.

Stop what you are doing and go pre order this book! It needs to be read! This is one of the books that could change someone's life. I mean let's start with the very first line of the book.

"Depending on who -- sorry, whom-- you ask, I may have killed my three best friends."

The book follows Carver Briggs after his three best friends died due to texting and driving. Texting him to be exact. Carver is suffering with feeling responsible for the accident and also learning how to live without them. Carver stuck with his main group, he never really ventured out with other people. We This story took all my emotions and made them mush. I cried a river that's for sure. To add to all he is going through this is the start of his senior year at his arts high school.

I can't even chose where to start the characters were so well developed and rich. I felt like I knew every single person at some point in my life. The three characters that passed all show up in different way's through the story. All in the arts school for different things. The artist, musician, comedian, and of course Carver our writer. Each so individual but so perfect for each other. Through this tragedy we also meet Jesmyn she was the girlfriend of one of his friends Eli who passed. She is a wonderful character. I had a friend pass away my senior year of high school. At the time of his death he had been dating a girl for a short period of time. It was hard for her to figure out where her grief sat compared to ours because of how long he had been a part of our lives. Because of that I was very enthralled by Jesmyn throughout this whole story. She also has synesthesia it causes her to see color to match the sounds she hears. THAT MADE FOR SOME BEAUTIFUL LYRICAL MOMENTS example

"It's like Eli's dying broke something in me, and now I have this weird sickly greenish-yellow photo filter over everything I do. It's horrible to have something I love so much feel so completely wrong."

We meet all the parents of the deceased. All very different in how they are handling grief. It was heart wrenching. This entire book was heartbreaking. I truly believe it is one of those books every teen should have to read before getting their license. Carver learns that sometimes it isn't just a text.

"Where are you guys? Text me back."

Jeff Zentner truly has a beautiful way with words. If I could pick my favorite book to quote ever this might be it. It was written in a way that makes you lose yourself in the words on the page. This book was amazing 5 stars. Please read. PLEASE.

One of my thousand favorite quotes
"I tell her how every time I said goodbye to him, it cast a faint shadow on my life-- muting every color --until I saw him again."

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 heart-snatching, heart-mending stars! Mr. Zentner spent my emotions like quarters at an arcade. My body got confused about why the tears were falling as I traversed through the happy and heartbreaking moments that filled these pages. It was a bittersweet joy to watch four boys meet and see why Sauce Crew was formed in Carver's memories. Then it was a striking ache in my chest to see how he would never be the same again after his three best friends died and he was left to walk the halls of school during his–their–senior year without them. Even worse, he carried the burden of guilt because he felt like his text message was the reason they were dead.

Goodbye Days was an incredibly poignant exploration of friendship and tragedy, and how deeply our lives can be impacted when those two elements overlap. I certainly believe this is a book to be treasured.


♥ Review: I'm not sure anything I say in this portion will ever do justice to this story, how much it impacted me, or how beautifully written Goodbye Days is. I'm not quite sure how the author was able to bring such vibrantly realistic teen boys to life on the page, crude jokes and fart humor included, and it still manage to be some of the prettiest prose I've come across in a while. Seriously, it was like his writing had a hardline straight to my heartstrings, and with each page, my emotions churned more and more. But gorgeous words aside, let's get back to the real heart of this book and that's the people who the author chose to fill it with. Carver was a special boy and I loved his narrative, from the snark in his inner dialogue to the somewhat quiet, mindful disposition he presented to the world. Then there's his extremely involved parents and absolute riot of an older sister. I loved watching the family dynamic at work here and how his parents were so present, both in his life (or as much as he would let them be) and on the page. As an older sister myself, I easily connected with Carver's sister and their teasing, loving interactions and strength of their relationship really felt genuine. I loved that. Then there's the chance to see the family and one girlfriend of the deceased boys through the funerals and the goodbye days. I believe Zentner did a wonderful job of incorporating these secondary characters, and it was a startling, honest look into how grief affects all of us so differently. I enjoyed getting to know them–even if their grief made some of them act so hatefully toward Carver– and seeing how this tragedy had struck each of them so profoundly, each with their own individual reaction and yet also altogether similar in ways, too. Then there's Carver's therapist and I truly liked how the process played out, and how eventually Dr. Mendez was able to forge a true bond with Carver and get him to see that the universe is filled with unavoidable accidents and that ultimately the wreck wasn't his fault, even if sending the text might have been a costly mistake. I want him to be my therapist.

Zentner did introduce a romance, sort of. I won't go super in-depth on it, but I think I appreciated how naturally he let it evolve considering whose girlfriend she used to be. But it really was like background music to me, not part of the biggest storyline. That said, I really loved the girl and how she wasn't shy about putting Carver in his place when he was acting shitty or saying things that were insensitive.

Above all else, I think the greatest aspects of this novel was how effortlessly Zentner painted the picture of the boys' friendship throughout the pages. It was so bittersweet getting those glimpses back through their timeline because we know how their stories end, but that didn't keep me from enjoying the moment. We got to see them from the very start; watch how one became two, and then how each new boy was brought into the fold until they were the completely inseparable unit known as Sauce Crew. It's not too often in YA lit that you'll find a solid group of good boys, each individual multi-faceted and layered with so much personality. They were the highlight of this book, and I certainly hope to see more guys represented like these boys were in future novels.


♥ Teaser Quote:

"...But guess where my love of writing took me. One day I wrote a text message that killed my three best friends. Now do I have your attention? Sure, I've written a few stories here and there, but my masterwork was a two-sentence-long text message that ended three stories. I'm the only writer in the world who makes stories disappear by writing."
–quote taken from an eARC of Goodbye Days at 32%


♥ Rec It? Absolutely! This book was so thoughtful, packed with emotion, heart, and multiple journeys through grief. I won't soon forget this novel or the way it touched my heart. Furthermore, and something that I failed to mention above, I found there was a good balance of POC in this book as well. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more of Zentner's work in the future.

♥ A very special thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.

I was late to the party on Zentner's first book, The Serpent King, but once I saw it kept winning best debut, I was intrigued. I needed to know what all the fuss was about. So I got it from the librarry and read it. And after reading it, I was alreadt obsessed with his words. So it came as no surprise that I NEEDED this book in my hands.

Carver Briggs was seding a text to his friends. Something he does day in and day out. But this time, it seems that it resulted in a fatal crash, killing hi three besst friends. Carver is hit very hard by the pain of losing them, so when one of his friend's grandmothers comes up with the idea to glorify them by giving them a "goodbye day," he isn't too thrilled, but is willing to help however he can.

Ok, if you followed my updates with this book, you know that I have most of my memory on it gone because I have basically saved every last word of this book too my Kindle. I swear I highlighted EVERYTHING. Zentner is an amazing author who is so detailed, but it's still not overly done so. It was done just right and I couldn't be more amazed at what he's done.

Going along witht that, once upon a time I said I saw Morgan Matson the Queen on YA contemps because she makes an amazing story with the plot and subplot and they always make me laugh and swoon and more. Well I think I've found the King. Zentner has done the same things in my eyes but from a male POV and I LOVED both his main characters, form here and TSK.

This is another story where I fell in love with this emotions he brought forth from me. During this books I laughed, cried, got angry, the whole nine yards. It was one of those novels where I began yelling at the characters in the book while getting questioning eyes from my husband.

The only thing I didn't care for was the characters. I felt like the dialogue between them was trying too hard, but then again, I'm not exactly sure if that's what teen boys talk like when I'm not around. It could just be me. Which is why I didn't choose to knock anything off the rating. Still completely five stars.

Zentner has quickly climbed up the chart to being one of my favorites. He's definitely been added to the autobuy list. I look forward to buying this when it comes out. Thank you for another amazing story!

It's a rare thing for me to connect with contemporary novels. I mainly read fantasy, and those are my favorite books; however, Goodbye Days, hit me so hard that I'm planning to write my senior thesis about it. This book really took my breath away, and made it hard to disconnect to go back to my own life. Even now after finishing the novel, words fail me. The characters and the story was spectacular, but the way Zentner wrote the story and the characters was magical. Writing hasn't hypnotized me in so long! I'm still in awe of how Zentner forced me into the story. I remember getting a text from my friend and being like, "what now I just went to my friend's funeral.... Oh wait that was fictional." I seriously cannot believe that I forgot that my own life existed. I have three favorite quotes, I cannot pick which is best, "Maybe love, like water, returns to some unending cycle, only changing form," "I believe we are stories of breath and blood and memory and that some things never finally end," and "...Stare into the blushing sky like we're reading from a page, letting the world whisper in our ears." I wish I could give this book more than five stars.

I'm still crying because of the aftershocks this story left me, but I'm also basking in the glow Zentner left behind.

Jeff Zentner’s debut novel, The Serpent King, was far and away my favorite 2016 debut I read. So, of course, I had extremely high hopes going into his sophomore novel, Goodbye Days. Overall, I was not disappointed! I had a few minor gripes with the novel (and, who knows, they’re things that could change from the ARC to the finished copy), but Zentner has retained his spot on my list of auto-buy authors.

I’ll be up front with you: no book has made me cry as much as Goodbye Days in a long, long time. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I spent at least a quarter of my reading experience bawling my eyes out. The premise itself is just immensely sad– Carver not only loses his three best friends in one fatal car accident, but he also is grappling with crippling guilt due to the fact that he might have sent the text message that ended their lives. Oh, and the father of one of his deceased best friends is trying to press legal charges against him because of his role in the accident. Due to all of this trauma and stress, Carver begins having panic attacks so frequently that they hinder his daily life. The book itself opens with Carver attending the last of the three funerals. So, yeah, not exactly the happiest of circumstances. I felt so strongly for Carver and everything he was going through. Every flashback or memory of his time with Mars, Eli, and/or Blake felt like a brutal punch to the gut. The Sauce Crew (as the four friends called themselves) all had such distinct personalities and interests, and I really loved reading about such a tight-knit group of guy friends (more of this in YA, please!). However, the fact that I grew to love each of these characters so much just made every reminder of their death all the more confusing and painful. The book is told from Carver’s first-person POV mostly through a linear timeline, but there are occasional, shorter flashback chapters. Carver’s voice was so strong; I truly felt every emotion he went through over the course of the book.

The thing I appreciate most about Jeff Zentner’s writing is his ability to write such realistic portrayals of teenage life in the South. His characters just jump off the pages– they remind me of people I knew in high school and even people I’ve met in college. They discuss things real teenagers talk about, feel emotions that real teenagers feel, and generally act like, well, teens. Like I mentioned, Carver and his friends felt so real to me, like people I would be friends with, which only served to make the book all the more devastating. While we’re on the topic of characters, I adored Carver’s older sister, Georgia! Again, she just felt like a real person, and I could totally see myself being friends with her. She always had Carver’s back, and I really appreciated her fierce dedication to her family and to her friends. Jesmyn, Eli’s ex-girlfriend who Carver befriends in the aftermath of the accident, was the only character who wasn’t completely three-dimensional. I still liked her, but I didn’t feel like we got to know her well enough as readers. Regardless, most of the characterization was extremely well-done. I thought the setting of Nashville contributed a lot to the story, too. Plus, it’s set at a high school for the arts, which I always love reading about!

Another thing I appreciated about Goodbye Days was the discussion of mental illness, specifically, panic attacks. Carver begins having frequent panic attacks after his friends’ deaths, usually triggered by stressful situations (like his first day back at school without his friends, with everyone talking about his possible role in the accident). He begins going to therapy, and it’s not just glossed over in the story– Carver’s therapy sessions are well-documented through this book. I loved reading about how therapy and medication (YES to discussing medications to treat mental illness in YA) actually helped him. And, from the panic attacks I’ve experienced in my life, I felt that Carver’s panic attacks were described realistically.

For all the things I loved about it, I also had some qualms with Goodbye Days. There were a few things that just didn’t sit well with me. First off, the characters, Jesmyn and Carver in particular, threw around the words “crazy” and “psycho” to describe themselves and each other quite casually. I have mixed feelings about people who live with mental illnesses describing themselves as “crazy”– as someone with multiple mental illnesses, I would never describe myself that way, but I recognize that mental health is extremely personal, I respect the desires of these people to reclaim a word that’s been used for centuries to describe mentally ill people with a negative connotation. On the other hand, I don’t think it’s ever okay to describe someone else who is living with mental illness as “crazy” or, especially, “psycho.” It just felt… wrong to me.

All in all, though it had faults, I really enjoyed Goodbye Days. I tried not to go into the plot in this review because I think this heartbreakingly gorgeous book is best experienced on your own. I think Carver and the Sauce Crew will definitely resonate with readers, and I can’t to see how Jeff Zentner will break my heart next!

I really don't think that Jeff Zentner can write a bad book.. I LOVED "The Serpent King" and I have to say, I loved "Goodbye Days" too. This is due largely to the fact that Zentner knows how to write a compelling teenage voice. One that is authentic and real and has the power to really connect to its teen audience. That is no easy task and Zentner seems able to do this effortlessly. In addition to his powerful voice I think the subject matter of this book goes above and beyond in terms of importance and relevance. Teens get warnings every day about texting and driving but this one really drives that point home. At the same time it never does so in a way that is preachy or talks down to its audience. Instead Zentner opens up a conversation, one that teens will want to engage in (once again, no easy feat right there). This truly is an extraordinary novel and it's right up there with his debut. I hope Zentner keeps on writing because he has a voice that needs to be heard. All in all - definitely looking forward to adding this one to the collection and putting it in the hands of EVERY reader.

Jeff Zentner is quickly becoming a go-to author. Not only has he written emotionally devastating novels, but he's also managed to make me want to move to Tennessee.

I enjoyed Goodbye Days. Not as much as The Serpent King—I think because it took me awhile longer to get into the story. However, I was infuriated for a lot of it, too. The idea that Carver was at fault for his friends' deaths was maddening. He wasn't driving. A text didn't have to be answered. I mean, really the driver was at fault. (I should note I was not angry with Carver, but those who wanted charges pressed. Looking at you, judge.)

I loved the back and forth between past and present. Sometimes it's the best way to tell a story. And it definitely made the boys' deaths sadder as we got to know them through memories. And that pain never really goes away. It's a rough and honest look at loss; especially loss at a young age.

Goodbye Days is a touching celebration of life and all we hold dear. It sends the message that we should all already know and live by: take nothing and no one for granted.

After loving Jeff Zentner's The Serpent King, I was eager to read Goodbye Days (Thank God, for NetGalley). Zentner doesn't disappoint.

Our narrator, Carver Briggs, is enduring the unthinkable - his three best friends died in a car crash and he blames himself. The reader follows Carver as he suffers through not just his own grief, but is overwhelmed by the grief of the families forever changed by that night.

This book was brutal and beautiful and true. The writing at times so poetic that I had to put my Kindle down and then re-read the words.

Some of my favorite sections:

"It's funny how memory cuts out the boring parts. And that makes it a good story editor. Sometimes, though, you want to remember every minute you spend with someone. You want to remember even the most mundane moments. You wish you had inhabited them more completely and marked yourself with them more indelibly--not in spite of their ordinariness, but because of it. Because you're not ready for the story to end. But you only discover this when it's too late."

When Blade's three best friends die in a car accident, Blade must come to terms with his own grief as well as the people who find him responsible for the tragedy. The story helps normalize the often stigmatized issue of seeking therapy for mental health. Although the (brief) injection of Dearly (Dill of "The Serpent King") feels a little forced, the story overall is told very fluidly, and the reader can't help but feel vested in Blade's outcome. Zentner also deftly connects topics of homosexuality and racism into the narrative, and by the story's conclusion the characters of Mars, Eli, and Blake feel authentic as well.

*I received this book for free, Via Netgalley, In exchange of an honest review*

This book is 4.5 out of 5 stars for me.

I loved "The Serpent King" So when I saw that Jeff Zentner had a new book coming out, I was ecstatic. Even more so when I saw that it was on Netgalley.

This book was even better than "The Serpent King". It doesn't hold back, you are hit with emotions within the first chapter. There was several moments in this book, that tears were threatening to stream down my cheeks. You feel the emotions of the parents who lost their children, you feel the emotions of Carver feeling guilty, and feeling like he murdered his best friends. Of Jesmyn who lost her boyfriend. It was heart wrenching.

Than comes Mars, Eli, and Blake's back story. So if you hadn't been emotional before, grab tissue. However there is a light hearted-ness to this book as well, the Author does a fantastic job of putting on paper, how I would imagine a group of teenage boys would behave. The gross jokes, the talks, the secrets, and the moments that develop in friendship. This book was so superbly written, that I just could not put it down, and I will encourage everyone to read it. I also want to add the relationship between Carver and Jesmyn, was done perfectly! And I really loved the relationship between Carver and Georgia. Everything about this book, just felt so genuine and realistic.

I felt very lucky to review this book since I loved Jeff Zentner's debut book, The Serpent King. This one did not disappoint either. I'll admit that given the content, I actually didn't get as emotional as I did with his first book, but I think that's because the blurb kind of gave me some warning. This isn't a fast paced book, but it's more than meets the eye ...the title has significant meaning to the story. Also, while I loved Zentner's debut, I definitely think he has honed his writing skills significantly in this new release. I definitely saw improved writing technique. I think my reader relationship with this author is going to be a long-lasting one.

Last year I fell in love with Jeff Zentner’s debut novel, The Serpent King. So when I heard about his book that would be releasing this year, I immediately added it to my list of books to preorder. When a sneak peak was released a few weeks ago, I devoured it all the while trying not to cry on my lunch break at work. After reading those first few chapters, I knew I was in for a rough ride. I’m not even quite sure how to write this review. Any book that tugs on your emotions as hard as this one is definitely a book you need in your life. Zentner’s writing is so beautiful and although I have never been to Nashville I could easily picture the places described in this book. Carver was such an endearing main character. Throughout the novel he struggles with his three best friends being dead and feeling guilt about how they died. The three boys had been killed in a car accident that appeared to be caused by texting while driving. This subject is so devastating that it makes it hard to read. I think I had tears in my eyes more often than not while reading. I felt as though my heart was constantly breaking. I did have some laughs when Carver would flashback to funny memories he had with his friends. This book will definitely make you realize that the lives we have are finite and not to take things for granted, no matter how small they may seem.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was beyond stoked when I was approved for Goodbye Days. The Serpent King was my favorite book last year, so I was excited to see what else Zentner had up his sleeve!

Of course, he did not disappoint. This book was everything I hoped it would be. It was a tough subject to read about. Goodbye Days made me pretty angry at times and really sad other times. Mostly because I couldn't believe what was happening to Carver. It really made me angry, because I felt like he didn't do anything wrong. He was also not treated very well by some of his friends' families. I don't want to go too much into what happened, because I don't want to spoil the book for you guys.

Carver was going through a lot of emotional (and physical) things as he dealt with the loss of his three best friends. It was not at all easy for him and being thrown other not so good things in his face as he is already struggling with the loss of his friends was tough to read. You can really tell how much his friends meant to him and how much he loved them. I couldn't even imagine losing my three best friends and all at one time. I loved all the little stories about his friends, Eli, Mars, and Blake. Zentner is so good at writing about friendships and portraying them so well. It makes you want to be their friends too. They seemed like really awesome guys and their friendship is what everyone hopes to have in a friend. SAUCE CREW!

I'm glad that Carver had Jesymn and Georgia after the death of his friends. They were there to help him when he needed someone to talk to and I believe played a huge role in helping him get through everything. And of course I can't forget Nana Betsy, loved her. I teared up and cried throughout this entire book. I loved the idea behind the goodbye days and each one was so different from the other. I found myself saving line after line, because it was so good. As soon as I get my pre-ordered copy, I will be flagging everything that I saved! So many quote worthy things, because the entire book was written so well.

Overall, this book was SO good. It was as good as I hoped it would be. It was emotional. It was sad. It broke my heart so many times over. I flew through it, because it was hard to put down. Great characters. Great story. Great message. Texting and driving is a relevant thing. It's happening every day. You may not think anything will happen to you and that you've done it a million times and it's okay. That's not always the case. It's happening right now as I am writing this review. It's also about moving forward and the struggles with losing someone close to you, the grief, the sadness, and everything that comes with it. I loved this book and I highly recommend picking it up. It'll be releasing March 7th, so mark those calendars!

Review It's hard to imagine that any book can compete with The Serpent King... and then comes Goodbye Days. Zentner has done it again: another novel that's as heartbreaking as it is hopeful.

This is why I related to Goodbye Days so much. When I was sixteen years old, just like in the story, I lost three people. First my grandfather, then my other grandfather, and then one of my only friends at school due to suicide. Unlike Carver, I didn't feel responsible for their deaths, but each one tore a hole in me so massive that it was hard to imagine time would fix it. I started getting panic attacks. I remember being splayed out in the hospital, my heart rate near stroke range, the nurse trying to figure out what the heck was going on in my life. Zentner nails it. All of it.

And yes, the writing's spectacular. Yes, the pacing's excellent. But what really got me about this story was the emotional truth. No one writes about grief like Zentner does.

Goodbye Days should be at the top of your TBR.