Just a Normal Tuesday

I cried the entire way through this book. Some tears of sadness, some of happiness as Kai started to move forward in her journey. I couldn't put it down.

One of a kind

You don't tend to find books which deal with grief, death, the loss of a dear one, and the heavy, loaded, word: suicide. And you certainly don't find books where a young teenager is having to deal with these issues. As the author acknowledges, suicide affects a lot of people and a lot of families. There should be no stigma in discussing it, without this stigma we may actually be able to save lives.

The main character, Kai, is excited for the summer, she has plans for how she will spend her gap-year. And her sister, Jen, is her only ally. Without Jen to persuade and convince their parents, the plans for travelling to Europe will probably never happen. Immediately, when reading the first chapter of the book, I was taken aback to how the writer was immediately able to take us back to our college days, the feeling of complete freedom, and the buzzing excitement. Now imagine brimming with excitement rushing home only to pick up letters your sister left, for you and your parents. Suicide letters. I cried, it was real, raw and powerful. It was too much, and it was just enough. We can't let people keep ignoring, or flitting past and around suicide, and all things deemed to be 'embarrassing', or 'socially inappropriate'.

This book broke me down, I couldn't for a second imagine the extent of Kai's pain. I wanted to leap right into the page, give her a hug and cry with her. This book was written intelligently, and I can't think of a better way to have put the story to a page. I felt that this book was perfectly appropriate for teenagers, the sort of story you'll find on Wattpad. Except, there was excellent spelling and grammar at all times, and it was a story like no other.

I could read this a dozen times over, this is a story that will instantly restore your faith in humanity. Just another Tuesday serves as reassurance that when you are broken down, there will be someone to help you up, and to help you move forward. You are not alone. Kai was lucky to have found others just like her, at grief camp. . Her inner circle of amazing. But no one in her circle was dealing with suicide, but still there was no judgement. They were helping one another out during a time of trouble. Those are the grounds for a beautiful friendship. There at grief camp, she falls in love for the first time, she experiences what it is really like to connect with others, and she moves forward.

It's incredibly important that we reminds ourselves that there are others out there who are facing what we face, or have faced. Like the author, I want to help others see that they are being 'represented'. That they have a voice they can relate to. Often, this knowledge is all they need. This book is a wonderful form of reassurance, and I'm glad to have read it. An easy recommendation.