Review by Booklist Review
After Liam's older brother, Ethan, was killed in a hit-and-run, they were left with so many questions. Why was Ethan depressed in the weeks before he died? Why did Ethan's best friend, Marcus, skip the funeral? Why were their parents so ready to go through Ethan's room, and why have their best friends Joel and Vanessa been even cagier since Ethan died? Deaver's (I Wish You All the Best, 2019) sophomore novel deftly captures the chasm that a sudden loss creates, while offering moving interactions between Liam and Ethan through flashbacks. Liam explores who they are becoming after Ethan's death, and they also find out more about who Ethan was before. This emotional, character-driven journey is about a nonbinary teenager grieving their first shattering loss and, moving forward, allowing that experience to be a guidepost for the relationships that are important to them. As Liam navigates friendship with Vanessa, Joel, and Marcus and rebuilds relationships with their parents, they heal from the trauma of Ethan's death, learning to carry his love and memory. An unflinchingly honest story that doesn't shy away from the complex emotions of grief but also offers a hopeful path forward for Liam and everyone else left behind in the wake of Ethan's death. Pair with Nita Tyndall's Who I Was with Her (2020).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Sixteen-year-old musician Liam Cooper, who is nonbinary and cued as white, struggles to keep their life together after their older brother Ethan dies in a hit-and-run in their North Carolina hometown. To make things even harder, Liam's been feeling distant from their only friends: kind Vietnamese American Joel, who's trans and bisexual, and fellow musician Vanessa, who's bisexual and has brown skin. Lost, Liam reaches out to Ethan's best friend, Marcus, and they form a bond through their shared grief. With frequent flashbacks portraying Liam and Ethan's complicated but loving relationship, Deaver (I Wish You All the Best) paints an unflinching portrait of the messiness of mourning and healing, neither vilifying nor sanitizing Liam's anger, guilt, and loneliness. There are no easy answers to the questions Liam confronts ("I still found it so much easier to discuss frozen yogurt instead of my dead brother"), and their reactions have lasting consequences. Heavily telegraphed plot points sap narrative tension, but Liam's hard-won hope makes for an emotional journey--including instances of suicidal ideation and self-harm--that's as heart-expanding as it is heartbreaking. Ages 14--up. Agent: Lauren Abramo, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (June)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up--High school junior Liam Cooper's life is falling apart in the aftermath of his brother Ethan's death in a hit-and-run accident. At 18, star baseball player Ethan was the family's golden boy and nonbinary Liam feels like the leftover child. They feel equally redundant with their best friends, Vanessa and Joel, who have less time for them now that they're dating each other. Retreating into music production, Liam finds that their enduring pain and anger alienates friends and family. The only person who seems to understand is Ethan's best friend Marcus, but the more time they spend together, the more aware Liam becomes of how many secrets Ethan was keeping. Told in dual now/then time lines, this novel offers an honest look at the messy, overwhelming experience of coping with sudden loss. However, the plot drags and Ethan's secret is obvious from the book's beginning. Liam is a realistically flawed protagonist who lashes out at others and makes some selfish decisions, but their path through grief is cathartic and well-realized. Other plotlines reach less resolution, and supporting characters don't get enough time on the page to feel like fully developed people. Liam and Marcus are coded as white, Vanessa is described as having brown skin, and Joel is Vietnamese American. VERDICT A meandering look at grief, recommended for large collections.--Elizabeth Giles, Kansas City P.L., MO
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A nonbinary teen in North Carolina struggles with relationships and loss. When Ethan dies in a hit-and-run, his younger sibling, Liam, is heartbroken. In addition to the normal stages of mourning, 16-year-old Liam has other things on their mind: a crush on their brother's best friend, Marcus, an athletic White boy; feelings of exclusion after their best friends, brown-skinned Vanessa and Vietnamese Joel, disappear into a romantic relationship; and anxiety around a burgeoning music career. Liam is surprised to develop a friendship with Marcus, slowly realizing the secrets their brother had been keeping. Liam, who defaults to White, stumbles toward these realizations as they both seek and reject help from their friends, who regularly fail to provide support. It's refreshing to encounter a story about a teen dealing with darker issues without transness or queerness being implicated; Joel is a trans guy, and Liam's family is somewhat uncomprehending of the nuances but accepting of their gender. Unfortunately, although the novel opens a few months after Ethan's death, very little of interest happens in the plot, and the supporting characters (despite their narrow portrayals, viewed as they are through Liam's perspective) are far more sympathetic and fully realized than Liam is. Many scenes come across more as explanation than exploration. For teens looking for a sad wallow. (Fiction. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
