Before I Let Go

I am not a harsh rater...at least, I don't like to think of myself as so, because I can find good in most every book. And perhaps, here and there, there were snippets of good in this one. Yet, the entire story felt bland...re-used, like something I'd watched before as a teen and swooned over, only to later realize how flat the characters were, how predictable the plot was, and how boring the story was. Maybe it was the beautiful cover that drew me in, or the fact that there's queer rep, or because the book looks and sounds like so many others I'd enjoyed. Some reviews made me hesitant, but hey, I've loved books not many others have loved, and vice versa. And yet, sadly, I am with the masses on this one. It wasn't so terribly bad that I DNF it...but it was boring enough to leave a rather empty, stagnant taste in my mouth. And I am not sure which is worse.

The publisher provided me with the opportunity to read this in exchange for providing feedback. (via NetGalley)

This story fell kind of flat for me. Seemed like parts weren't explained well and overall, things were a little disjointed. It's not a reflection on the author's writing style (the writing itself was fine) - moreso with the story itself.

I actually requested a copy of this book on Netgalley and was never approved but the story was so intriguing to me that I actually decided I HAD to read it so I bought it. This is my first read by this author and I can tell you it will not be my last.. The story is about Corey and her best friend Kyra. Corey returns to her childhood town after hearing that her best friend committed suicide. Kyra has been battling mental illness for sometime and Corey promised to come back for her. Kyra has always been an outsider to the town of Lost until Corey leaves and then becomes the towns prophet through her paintings. Corey is confused by the way that everyone in the Alaskan town has changed there out look on there friend since when Corey lived in town Kyra and her mental illness were seen as an outcast and now the outcast has become Corey. I love how this story explores the bonds of friendship even in death and also the concept of how far a town will go to stay in one piece. Kyra and Corey's friendship was heartwarming and sad, and I enjoyed Corey's attempts to find out the truth about her friend. In the end, though, I still wasn't quite sure what happened. An interesting, unpredictable read. The only thing I suggest for anyone who plans on reading this book is remember that this is fiction and while the author takes some liberties on reality it is a great unpredictable read.

update was approved in April still a great read!

Wow, this.....this was a Huge disappointment, I'm not gonna lie. I've read 1 other of this author's books, This Is Where It Ends, and that was Fantastic!!! I had loved her writing in that one a Lot!!! But this? The writing was boring. Corey, the main character, was so 2 dimensional. I couldn't bring myself to care for her at all. She was a horrible friend who essentially abandoned her best friend when she needed her most. The ending completely sucked. Also, it felt like the author was going more for shock value than actually getting you to care for her characters at all. It gets an extra star purely for diversity, but even then it wasn't much. All in all, this book was depressing and not even Remotely interesting. It basically a story about how a young girl who needed help was abandoned by her best friend and then killed by her town.