I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I previously read, This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp and gave it 4 stars as well.

On to the book at had, Before I Let Go. It's the story of two girls (BFF's Corey and Kyra) and their hometown. More than that, it's the story of struggling with a mental disorder. I think we've all been there, someplace public, you witness a strange and seemingly freakish outburst, you say to yourself, "What the heck." You make a strange face, maybe you go out of your way to move as far away as you can or you simply look and stare, muttering quietly to the people you're with. That is Kyra's struggle.

Upon hearing of Kyra's passing, Corey travels to her hometown to try and make sense of what happen and in doing so, she stumbles upon secrets and cover-ups even from Kyra's own parent.

Marieke Nijkamp weaves a disturbingly sad story of betrayal from the people you love most.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read another wonderfully written book by this author.

Small towns don’t often take kindly to outsiders. Sometimes, they don’t even take kindly to their own. Such is the story of Before I Let Go, which follows Corey as she seeks the truth about the sudden — and suspicious — death of her best friend, Kyra. Corey grew up in the small town of Lost Creek, Alaska, and was nearly inseparable from Kyra. When Corey’s family moves away, the two girls make a promise to stay connected; while Kyra writes regularly, Corey leaves the letters unanswered. Nonetheless, she’s distraught when she learns just seven months later, that Kyra fell through what is normally a frozen over lake. In returning to Lost Creek, she can sense that things have changed, but just how far these changes have gone aren’t anything she’s ready for.

Although I can’t say the premise of the book is particularly unique, the book itself is interesting and I read it fairly quickly. Unfortunately, the foreshadowing throughout the book is too thick. It doesn’t take long to realize where the truth lies, but the devil is in the details and getting there. The book itself is a mix of letters Kyra wrote to Corey, none of which she responded to. Some of the letters Corey received, while others are new to her. There are also flashbacks that range from a few months ago to several years. There isn’t a particular order to any of them, which makes it a bit tedious to figure out the relevance to the adjacent chapters or to the story as a whole. I found myself grateful that many of the chapters are short, because I preferred the present tense, where Corey was trying to figure things out.

I also found myself feeling like I didn’t know the main character at all. So much of the plot focuses on Kyra and trying to figure out her last days that it nearly completely ignores who Corey is outside of her friendship with Kyra. In this way, she is extremely one-dimensional and I would have loved to understand more about her identity beyond what is provided here. The town’s citizens are also one-dimensional. Before Corey returns home, the picture that is painted of them (no pun intended) is that they are closed-minded and self-centered. Later, they seem cultishly devoted to delineating those who belong from those who are or became “outsiders.” While that image didn’t completely change for me, I wanted more in the way of depth to them.

I appreciate that the book attempts to address Kyra’s struggles with mental health. Her battle with bipolar disorder and the many ways she attempted to manage are important. The book also alludes to various types of romantic relationships, but I felt it was almost too cursory to have done it any justice. It was subtle to the point where I wondered if the author was making a point with how brief it was. Overall, the takeaway was that the town didn’t manage difference well, which could have been conveyed without trivializing or glossing over what are actually important topics.

What didn’t sit well with me in the book was that I could never quite figure out if there were supernatural forces at play or if the atmosphere was so creepy that I was on edge. There are descriptions of Corey feeling like she was being watched, or outright seeing things, or unexplained items being in different places. There was no explanation offered for many of them, so I still don’t really have a good sense of what happened. It was too ambiguous for me to enjoy.

Before I Let Go is certainly interesting, but it is not my favorite of Nijkamp’s. The heavy foreshadowing, lack of main character development, and ambiguous forces left me wanting more.

Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Before I Let Go. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Corey and Kyra, best friends and outcasts in their small Alaskan town, are separated by a job opportunity for Corey's mom. When Kyra dies just days before a promised visit, Corey goes home to get some answers. Treated like an outsider, prompting more questions on her part, will Corey learn the truth surrounding her best friend's untimely death?

Although the author used time shifts, changing perspectives, and different writing tools to try and build suspense over Kyra's death, the book lost focus and was not successful. Readers are never truly able to connect with Kyra, as her story is mostly told from the past, nor with Corey, because her story is mostly told in the present. The premise was good, but the author just did not engage with the reader enough. The idea that most of a town would collude in a cult-like manner, in such a short period of time and with almost no warning, does not seem probable. The author's first book, This is Where it Ends, was more engaging, leaving me disappointed in Before I Let Go.

This book hurt my heart; I can’t imagine how hard it would be to be a young person dealing with a mental one in a town here no one understood her or her disease. The back and forth of the narrative and magic realistic elements did not add to the book’s flow/development, and while I was gut-punched by the reveal, I’m not sure the rest of the book works together to lead into it.

After reading Nijkamp's debut, I'll admit that I was a little skeptical about this book. While I thought that one had a good premise, the story itself didn't completely wow me. I was, however, willing to give her another shot, and I am so glad that I did.

Thanks so much to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

The story follows Corey, a girl who after moving away from her best friend, Kyra, and small, traditional town in Alaska, returns after Kyra's suicide. When Corey arrives, she is faced with a completely different town than the one she left. The people mourn Kyra as one of their own when Corey knows that they shunned her after Kyra's bipolar diagnosis. They begin to claim her death was meant to be and push Corey away as an outsider. As Corey delves deeper into the last few months of Kyra's life, she begins to realize that what happened to her friend may be much more sinister than she originally thought.

I really didn't know too much about this book going in. In fact, I thought it was going to be a thriller. It ended up being a raw and gut-wrenching portrayal of mental illness and how people cope and see mental illnesses. I don't want to give too much away because it would spoil the story, but Nijkamp's depiction of the town's reaction to Kyra's bipolar disorder is both devastating and a horrific example of perceptions of mental illness. They exploited her illness for their own gain and could care less about how it was affecting Kyra's mental health.

I've only read a handful of books about bipolar disorder and they've always involved the main character as having the illness. This book shows the disease from an outsider standpoint, both with the town and with Corey. I thought that was a really interesting way to look at what happens after the diagnosis; how people are treated differently afterwards, even though they are still the same person. Nijkamp does a great job of shining a light on this not-often discussed topic.

This book also shows diversity with portrayals of many sexual orientations in the LGBT+ spectrum. Corey identifies as asexual, Kyra pansexual and the book also includes a m/m romance with one of the girls' friends, Sam. While most of the book is spent looking at Kyra's life and illness, there are a few snippets where their sexual orientations come into play. Nijkamp includes these details in the story as parts of the character, not merely as plot points. At the same time, while the diversity is acknowledged, Nijkamp doesn't make it the sole focus of the novel.

The pacing, writing style, and overall length of this novel really helped keep me engaged while I was reading. I ended up reading it in one sitting - the chapters were short and the story was interesting. I'm not sure I would have gotten through it as quickly and liked it as much as I did if these aspects weren't where they are.

Despite all these good qualities, I often found myself wondering what was happening and when the big climactic scene was going to come around. When it finally did, it felt a little bit off to me. We went from everything being kind of weird and strange to a full-on murder attack. Not at all what I was expecting and it just felt a little odd to me.

I know Nijkamp is a figure in the We Need Diverse Books organization and I was quite happy to see her thanking her sensitivity readers in the acknowledgements section at the end of the book. Sensitivity readers are, in my opinion, crucial in accurately portraying sensitive and difficult topics, and I was glad to see Nijkamp used them in this novel.

Overall, there were definitely parts of this book that I liked, but there were also parts that didn't make a ton of sense to me.

Soooo... I think I should start by saying that I loved her first book, "This Is Where It Ends" , as it was original and very thought provoking. You can read my review on this book on my blog.

That being said, this book just didn't quit do it for me. Let me see if I can explain...

*WARNING- THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS*

This story did keep my attention, as I read through it pretty quickly. The chapters alternate between first person account and also letters (often unsent) between Corey and Kyra. The writing was beautiful, descriptive, and easy to read.

That being said, the entire story in itself was quite unbelievable. First, we have this mentally ill girl in a very small town she was born and raised in, and the entire town hates her or is scared of her? Then suddenly they all fall in love with her, deam her as some kind of goddess with magical powers, but let her die? It was just odd.

Then there Corey's behavior when she goes back for the funeral. Careless, reckless and pretty much just acting like and outright bitch. I couldn't believe how rude she was to people and how mean the people, mainly grown adults, spoke to her. It was like watching a Disney Channel show where everyone yells and is disrespectful to each other the entire episode.

I completely understand that desperation and fear can cause people to change. But an entire town acting like they did, including Kyra's family, was completely frustrating and unrealistic. Then, the way they treated Corey, allowing her to run away and live in a falling down, unheated hotel with no food, water, or warmth? COME ON!!!

The characters, besides Corey and Kyra, were way under developed. At times I had trouble remembering who exactly Corey was interacting with and what their role in the town was. Even Kyra's parents were forgettable. Because Kyra's last name was mentioned ONCE at the very beginning, when the story mentions Mr. or Mrs. Soandso, it took me a minute to even register they were important characters in the story.

There was also the weird, supernatural element to the story. Corey constantly hears voices while Kyra supposedly could predict the future by the pictures she drew, but none of it was ever explained. It just added more frustration to the story.

Finally, there was no actual build up. The story just kind of plateaus and then ends quickly leaving me asking "what just happened? That's it? There's no more?".

So, I give this 3 stars. Yes, I was gripped, but was ultimately left confused and frustrated. I think the only reason I read so quickly was to see where the plot was going, ultimately feeling a complete let down.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for allowing me a copy to read and give my honest review. This book is now available at your favorite bookstore, online retailer, or library.

Happy Reading!

I feel like Nijkamp’s true strength in storytelling comes from her way of taking a single situation or moment and crafting a story that shows a 360 degree view of the relationships around that situation. In her debut novel, she did this with a school shooting and the view into all the relationships surrounding the shooter. In Before I Let Go, we circle the unexpected death of a young girl in a small, close-knit community which never accepted her. Events unravel in a way both suspenseful and almost magical.

Because of the elements of magical realism, I often had no idea where the story would go. It felt like anything was possible. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Kyra showed up somehow. The way the town which Corey called home until seven months earlier becomes more and more sinister and strange kept me eagerly turning pages. Sometimes a simple, seemingly harmless thing twisted into something sinister and cult-ish. I liked Corey’s character and the way the story juxtaposed her interest in stars with Kyra’s passion for stories.

Before I Let Go is a great pick for readers who liked Bone Gap by Laura Ruby or The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma.

Content warning: mental illness disregard by characters and conversations as such that could be harmful to some people.

From reading the description, I thought that I would be going into a story that was a bit of a spooky mystery. A small town keeping secrets is certainly a good setting for that. The story that I ended up reading was rather a let down. I'll be mentioning the reasons why, some of which may be considered spoilers, so SPOILER ALERT NOW.

To begin, a couple of points:

1. First of all, it says in the synopsis that the town is keeping secrets, which is misleading as it really only had one secret. That secret being: Kyra could paint the future and they ended up revering her as some kind of prophet. 

1a. Kyra's gift actually made for an interesting plot point, but it's never explained. There are paintings of events all over town, but was she actually some kind of prophet? Was it a coincidence? The main character, Corey, never finds out and we have no other way of knowing. Not getting an answer one way or the other bugged me.

2. I don't think the author could decide what kind of book this was meant to be. Realistic mystery? Supernatural mystery? There were elements of both, but it was never conclusive what I was reading. Corey spends a good amount of time dealing with flowers appearing out of nowhere, whispers of potential ghosts (and even a possible ghostly manifestion before she even gets to town), a garden blooming out of season, but then she pushes them off as nothing more than a clue to what happened to Kyra. That thought doesn't pan out, so I was left with a confused feeling about what was happening.

3. There were some passages of the book that talked about Corey and Kyra's sexuality, with it being mentioned that Kyra, after researching, had come back with definitions and the two came to terms with their own identities (Corey [asexual], Kyra [pansexual).

3a. While I like having diverse characters, their identities felt shoved in as part of trying to make the book diverse rather than a diverse book growing organically. 

3b. From the descriptions we get of Corey's attitude toward Kyra and an experimental kiss, among other dialogue, I think there was some confusion in the writing about the difference between asexual and aromantic. They are two very different things and personally I think the writer mixed Corey up.

I had some issues with Corey as a character, not only in her actions and her attitude but also in her development. While the townspeople clearly had their own ideas about Kyra, who she was and what she was to them both before and after her miracles, Corey acted as though she was 100% correct in her assessments of Kyra. There were maybe a couple points she had that I agreed with, such as supporting Kyra in wanting treatment, but there were far more moments when Corey came across as one minded as the townspeople.

In the end, she doesn't really learn anything as far as I could tell. She gets some vague answer in regards to Kyra's death, but not a totally clear picture and she herself is much the same at the end as the beginning. I didn't see any real growth as a person. She even admits, near the end, that her remembrance of Kyra is not who Kyra was in the end. It's almost like she's admitting there's no real closure here, only the closure she made up for herself.

Corey left Kyra and abandoned her just as much as the town abandoned her as a person and took up with her as an idol. Before the opening of the novel, she moved away with her family and went to a more broad minded boarding school. Engulfed with the life she started to make there, she ignored Kyra's letters because not writing back was easier than searching for the right words and by following the easier path, Corey lost Kyra. I'm not saying that the burden of caring for Kyra and her MI is on Corey, but she makes quite a lot of claims during the novel about caring for Kyra and being there for her when she really wasn't.

A note on some of the pages in the book. They were set up like they were pages from the script. This very jarring as the scenes that were depicted didn't seem to warrant being treated differently. Why these were included is beyond me and with all the other issues I had, I think the overall book would've been better served if they hadn't been included in this manner.

The town was a ball of hurtful people that judged someone with a mental illness until it turned out she (Kyra) had an ability that could serve them. Suddenly she was everyone's best friend. I spent a good portion of the second half of the book being angry at everyone. The town for treating Kyra the way they did (shunning her for her MI, then worshiping her). I'll give that the author certainly wrote these close minded people well and knew how to inspire rage filled moments. 

I wish there had been more time spent with Kyra. Even in the flashbacks to before she died were all through Corey's point of view and tainted by her perception. There were some letters by Kyra included which were great, but beneath the deluge of Corey's idea about right, they faded.

Reading the book, I can see that the skill of Marieke Nijkamp is there and I really think she could have other stories that I'd enjoy. The pacing and the unanswered questions and the annoying main character does not make me want to count Before I Let Go among those possibilities.

Corey and her best friend Kyra have lived their whole lives in Lost Creek, Alaska. They have been inseparable from the start. But when Corey's mom gets a new job hundreds of miles away, Corey and Kyra will be separated. Will they both be able to survive? Even though Kyra writes to Corey, Corey is unable to write back. She can't bring herself to tell Kyra how happy she is now that she has left Lost. When Corey learns of a tragic accident that lives Kyra dead, she returns home to a place she doesn't recognize. It's no longer the place she called home. Determine to find out why Kyra didn't get the help she desperately needed. Corey has 6 days to find out what has happened to this town and her best friend in the few months she's been gone.

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks-Fire for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The first book I read by Marieke Nijkamp was This Is Where It Ends about a school shooting. I really enjoyed the book and Ms. Nijkamps writing and I enjoyed this book as well. I gave the book 4 stars because there was a part of it that was a little strange to me, where the town of Lost Creek seemed like a cult.

I don't know what I would do if I moved away and a few month later found out my best friend was dead and no one who was around her could explain what happened and why. No one would allow her to live her life. Kyra was bi-polar and when she and Corey were together they talked about Kyra getting help with her manic episodes. She hated the way she felt. Corey felt bad about not keeping in touch with Kyra the way she should have. Kyra said she would wait for Corey, but what happened to her that she felt death was a better option. This book had me in tears toward the end and several times it left my heart racing.

I was very lucky to obtain this book at the BEA 2017. Strong read. looking forward to reading more by this author

First, some background on my reading Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp. I received an ARC of this at ALA this past summer. I really enjoyed Nijkamp’s debut, This Is Where It Ends. Around 11 on Monday, I was thinking Oh crap! I need to read something for Bout of Books. I knew Before I Let Go was just published and I had been invited to read an e-ARC of it, I could have gone to grab my physical ARC but convenience was a factor so my Kindle called.

After reading the Goodreads Summary for it, I was wondering why I hadn’t read it long before then. I only read eleven percent of it Monday, but it was a wonderful eleven percent. Despite it being a hard-to-put-down book, I didn’t finish it until Wednesday. I may have been binge-watching a show during this week which did not help things.

Now, let me dive into five reasons why you need this book in your life.

1. Dark, Wintery, Mystery Read

It is the most perfect haunting, dark, wintery, mystery read ever. Allow me to elaborate, Before I Let Go takes place in a small town of Alaska called Lost. In a town called Lost, can you expect a happy ending? At the beginning there’s only a population of less than 300 people. Think of it as maybe Ravenswood (the Pretty Little Liars spin-off) where things are not as they seem. This is the warning that the pilot gives Corey when she arrives. An interesting warning to a girl who grew up there.

The Alaskan setting was so chilling and stunning. It made the story 100 percent more creepy to me. The woods, the dangerous anitmals in the woods, the creepy townspeople. . . I felt scared reading this at night, but of course I didn’t want to put it down either. Honestly, the setting was it’s own character. It amplified the characters a lot. It’s interesting to see how the place where you grow up can change or maybe you never truly saw it as it was. t

2. Mental Health Representation

To be more specific though, there is representation for bipolar disorder.

There was so much that was done well here. There is NO romanticism done here. When Corey attempted to make Kyra’s bipolar disorder sound like a blessing, Kyra put a stop that that then and there. I loved seeing Corey’s view on Kyra’s mental illness and how that affected their friendship. There were times when Corey questioned whether she was a good friend to Kyra or not, especially after she left for boarding school. Before I Let Go displayed the struggles well and carefully of having a friend who’s mentally ill and being unable to help them. There was also the heartbreaking letters from Kyra that we see throughout the story. They seriously broke my heart as I read each one. I just wanted to give her a thousand hugs. I wanted her to get the help she so desperately needed. I hated the people in town who treated her like she was nothing until they figured out how she could benefit them. This was an excellent display of ableism for those without mental health issues. It opened my eyes a lot to the privileges that abled people have without the struggle of having a mental illness. Finally, I loved the display of Kyra’s highs and lows. I thought she questioned Corey very well, especially when Corey talked about how Kyra was good at art and how she was “happier” when she was manic. Kyra really told Corey how it was, well, as much as she could, being her. It wasn’t sunshine and flowers and “I have this amazing talent in art” when she didn’t like art. I really felt the problems that Kyra dealt with. Her mania periods and low periods made me want to cry. i can’t imagine what she went through. There was so much in the bipolar disorder portrayal that I want to re-read it.

3. Asexuality, Pansexuality and possible Gay Representation

It can be difficult to find LGBTQIA+ representation, especially beyond those first four letters. Before I Let Go openly represents asexuality and pansexuality on page. Kyra says she is asexual and we see her best friend, Corey disclose that she is pansexual. I loved the way this was done with both girls googling and discovering names for their sexuality. The internet is a fantastic resource for discovering, so it was nice to see it being used. There is a relationship between two guys named Roshan and Sam. It isn’t said whether they are gay or bisexual but showing a positive relationship was lovely.

4. Short Times-Span

Before I Let Go takes place over the period of six days. Books spanning over a short amount of time are my favorite. I felt there was a lot of depth in the six days. I thought this worked very well because with Corey trying to solve the mystery of her best friend’s death. We know we’ll get resolution in only see six days in this town. It was interesting to see how things had changed so much after Corey left for boarding school in town.

5. The Cast of Characters

Oh my gosh, I am forever crying over Kyra. My heart was so broken for Corey and Kyra. It hurt to see how much Corey wanted Kyra to wait for her and how she was so determined to figure out what really happened to her. Friendships can be so messy and I loved how Before I Let Go showed this. After Corey moves away and goes to boarding school, she doesn’t answer a lot of Kyra’s letters. This doesn’t change the fact that they were still friends seven months later. It was lovely to see how despite the distance, they still considered each other friends even with the issues that happened.

I hated the people of Lost. They were awful to Kyra and had the nerve to then use her to benefit themselves. They were truly evil. Kyra stole the show in the cast of characters though. I only wish i’d seen more of the friendship and Kyra’s scenes in the moment.

I read this author’s first book and was drawn in by the suspense of the story. While I was trying to figure out what happened in this mystery, I struggled to stay as engaged in the book as I had the last one. I do have students that I know will love this story, so while I may not love it, I will continue to share this title with students.

I read the last book from Marieke Nijkamp and really liked it, I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately it does not measure up. I liked the short chapters and the underlying story about mental health but parts of it were a bit strange. When the town grabs onto this teen and uses her manic episodes to heal themselves and the town, it was difficult to understand. How parents went along with this was a huge mystery to me. As far as a YA book goes, teens might enjoy it very much and the message of accepting those with mental illness is very timely. The character of Corey was well written and it was easy to feel her emotions but most of the other characters were shallow and hard to understand their motives and actions. I do not want to give away the story so will leave it at that.

Erie and mysterious. The story meanders for a while leading the reader to believe that, yes there is something strange happening in Lost Creek but maybe it is not as weird as Corey thinks. A sudden twist puts Kyra's death into question.

The setting is beautifully created in this book. Also Nijkamp captures that creepy feeling throughout. Motivations and back history could have been better developed. Overall, it was a good read.

SO much here to feel absolutely nothing about. The characters in the town were beyond bizarre with no real motives for their actions (were we reading a horror novel at the end?), the two main characters were such cliches and yawn-inducing. I read the whole thing, but couldn't tell you what happened because I didn't really care about any of it.

Before I Let Go.....I’m a little torn after reading this. I like the story or premise behind it, but the execution just wasn’t quite there. I felt like a lot of the flashbacks were irrelevant or could have been better served. I also just feel like I didn’t know the characters well enough. Obviously, there was concentration on Kyra’s bipolar disorder. I just wish we’d gotten to know her better. I think it would have been great to start the book before Corey moved so we got to experience Lost and Kyra and Corey together. Then moved into the aftermath of Kyra’s death and relevant flashbacks.

My Review:

What I Liked:


Corey and Kyra. The friendship between the two girls was at the center of the novel and the author did a great job of showing it. My heart broke for the two as the mystery unraveled. I felt that the author did a great job of representing bipolar disorder with the character of Kyra.


Writing Style. One of my favorite aspects of the novel was the writing, the author writes in a beautiful and lyrical way that I loved.


Sexuality. This was one of my first times reading about a main character who is aromantic, or who I read as asexual/aromantic. That included element made the story interesting and I was able to relate to Corey, which made me more invested in the story.


Atmosphere. Nijkamp did an amazing job with the setting/atmosphere of the novel. I felt a sense of unease right from the beginning of the novel, the town and the people really brought a great suspense/thrilling element to the story.


What I Disliked:


Plot/Twists. I liked the main story, the suspense was strong but I felt that the ending fell flat for me. I wanted more from it and it felt opened ended to me.


Characters. I felt that the side characters, and even Corey herself, were underdeveloped. I would have loved to learn more about them. The most fleshed out character for me was Kyra, which is why she ended up being one of my favorites.


I recommend checking out this atmospheric and interesting mystery.


My Rating:


4 Stars Out of 5 Stars

My thoughts on this novel are mixed. I don't think I loved this novel as there were a lot of features that really bothered me or weren't done well, but the story itself - well, it had me hooked.

One of the things that was severely lacking in this story was character development. There was none. Corey started off feeling guilty and angry, and she left that way. She maintained her pigheadedness and her insistence that the town was to blame for Kyra's death right to the end. It didn't help that the only way we got to know Kyra was through Corey's interactions with others in the town, as well as Corey's own memories; it made Kyra a very one-dimensional character, although the author did try to fix that by including letters that Kyra wrote to Corey. But even those letters didn't have much substance to them so I couldn't get a good feel for Kyra.

What I found weird about the novel was the writing style. There are moments taking place in the present, followed by memories from the past, and then random excerpts that read like a script from a play or a phone call, and then diary entries/unsent letters from Kyra to Corey. It affected the flow of the novel a lot. While the author may have been trying to use these different mediums to give the reader a more rounded picture of the scene, it failed in that attempt.

While the plot was intriguing, I wish there had been more of a build-up there. What were the crowning instances that caused the town to change their attitude to Kyra? How did they get to that frenzy point that tipped Kyra off the edge? These were things that were never really addressed. If it had been, I feel like the story would have been better developed and more intriguing and the suspense would have been better. As it were, there was no real mystery to it; everything becomes clear in a short while and there is nothing to really change it up. There were also a lot of details in the story that were mentioned but never reconciled, and this really bothered me. Why mention Corey hearing voices or seeing things if you aren't going to do anything about it? 

My general feelings for this novel are still mixed. There were a lot of things that could have been improved and that would have made this story so much better, because the concept behind this novel was actually really intriguing. It was just the execution that suffered. I'm giving this a 2.5 stars rounded to 3.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Corey and Kyra grew up as best friends in tiny Lost Creek, Alaska. Kyra was vibrant and artistic—and manic/depressive, so the town ostracized her for being different. But Corey was always there for her. Until Corey’s mom got a new job and Corey had to move away, promising Kyra she’d be back in exchange for Kyra’s promise to stay strong.
Days before Corey’s visit home, Kyra dies, and Corey is devastated. Her grief turns to confusion when she returns to Lost, and discovers the town has changed in her absence. Everyone grieves for Kyra, but whispers that her death was meant to be.
Corey doesn’t know what to think. The town that shut Kyra out seems to have embraced her in the past months, but the more Corey asks questions, the more she’s treated as an outsider herself. As she tries to learn more about what happened to Kyra, the more her suspicions grow. Lost is hiding a secret—and Corey can’t get through the darkness to the truth.
I’m just going to say it: this was a weird book. It’s a mix of YA, magical realism, and death investigation—kind of. Lost comes to vivid, haunting life on the pages, and the characters are both compelling and strange. 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.
Marieke Naijkamp was born and raised in the Netherlands. She is the New York Times bestselling author of This is Where It Ends. Her newest novel is Before I Let Go.
(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

More reviews at <a href=” https://tamaramorning.com/”>Tomorrow is Another Day</a>