Carter Briggs' senior year was supposed to be epic, filled with crazy adventures with his best friends from the Nashville Academy of the Arts: Eli, Mars and Blake. Carter was supposed to be writing his way into the college of his choice. Then one piece of his writing destroys his dreams. A simple text to his friends leads to their death in a car accident. It is not enough that Carter blames himself; one of his friends' parents wants him to face criminal charges for his role in their death. However, not everyone blames Carter. His family, his psychologist, and Mars' former girlfriend believe in Carter. Blake's amazing grandmother asks Carter to spend a goodbye day with her where they celebrate everything Blake loved and say a final goodbye. Although nervous about the day, it goes so well that other parents request their own goodbye days. Carter is not sure if they truly want to celebrate their sons' lives or want him to suffer even more. But how can he say no? This beautifully written tale of friendship, grief, and guilt will leave you transformed. Carter is a lovable and imperfect narrator whose tenuous ascent out of the darkness caused by the accident will make you both weep and cheer. He writes so humorously about his best friends that the reader will want to be a member of their "sauce crew." I loved the idea of having a goodbye day where you truly celebrate the life of beloved person who has passed away: eating their favorite foods, going to their favorite places, and doing their favorite things. It would be a powerful way to find closure after a heartbreaking loss. This is an exceptional novel. Highly recommended!
Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner
Carter Briggs' senior year was supposed to be epic, filled with crazy adventures with his best friends from the Nashville Academy of the Arts: Eli, Mars and Blake. Carter was supposed to be writing his way into the college of his choice. Then one piece of his writing destroys his dreams. A simple text to his friends leads to their death in a car accident. It is not enough that Carter blames himself; one of his friends' parents wants him to face criminal charges for his role in their death. However, not everyone blames Carter. His family, his psychologist, and Mars' former girlfriend believe in Carter. Blake's amazing grandmother asks Carter to spend a goodbye day with her where they celebrate everything Blake loved and say a final goodbye. Although nervous about the day, it goes so well that other parents request their own goodbye days. Carter is not sure if they truly want to celebrate their sons' lives or want him to suffer even more. But how can he say no? This beautifully written tale of friendship, grief, and guilt will leave you transformed. Carter is a lovable and imperfect narrator whose tenuous ascent out of the darkness caused by the accident will make you both weep and cheer. He writes so humorously about his best friends that the reader will want to be a member of their "sauce crew." I loved the idea of having a goodbye day where you truly celebrate the life of beloved person who has passed away: eating their favorite foods, going to their favorite places, and doing their favorite things. It would be a powerful way to find closure after a heartbreaking loss. This is an exceptional novel. Highly recommended!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorMs. Smith has been the librarian at Washington HS in Sioux Falls, SD, since 2005. She enjoys reading, watching K-Dramas, Harry Potter and hanging out with her family. Archives
October 2021
Categories
All
|