Cover Image: Six Goodbyes We Never Said

Six Goodbyes We Never Said

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Member Reviews

I really tried my best to finish this book, but there was just something off about it, maybe it was the writing style that didn't let me connect because my focus wandered a lot while I read it.

On the plus side, it discussed in detail topics that are difficult and aren't highly represented in stories we read, but the execution wasn't as smooth as it should have been and brought about confusion, which could be because I wasn't reading the final draft of the manuscript.

But I have to part way with it now as it's been months and I haven't gone back to read it.

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This book was so hard to read but in a good way. These two kids are dealing with loss in there own way and they learn that everyone grieves in their own way and in their own time. Not everyone just gets up and moves on and not everyone processes loss in the same way. This a beautiful story that everyone should read.

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This was a dnf for me. I could not get into the characters and was overall very heavy, for an already heavy topic. There was no lightness to alleviate some of the heaviness.

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Charming, thoughtful, compelling. A lovely read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.

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Candace Ganger's story is full of heart and truth. Naima's story is one that I saw myself in, a story that easily could have been mine with a military father from Indiana. One blink, and I was in her world. Dew was beautifully crafted as well, and his disorders were portrayed truthfully. I love that this was a story about friendship, about soulmates that didn't have to be romantic.

My only issue is some of the writing was very choppy, and it didn't flow as well as I'd want. While the representation was on par, the plot wasn't something that kept my full attention. I stopped and restarted this book so many times before I could finish it.

It wasn't that the book was bad, it just felt like it was lacking *something*. Her emotional writing? Spot on. I just wish there was more to keep the audience's attention.

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Prepare to become fully immersed in the story, invested in the characters' lives. Prepare to laugh and prepare to cry. The theme is the book is very prevalent in today's society; mental health, and it is addressed wonderfully.

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(3.5 stars)

I haven't been this conflicted over a book in a long time that I can recall. To start with, I'd just like to say that I genuinely enjoyed the writing itself. Candace Ganger is able to weave words together beautifully, and I'd love to read more of her work.

The characters of Six Goodbyes We Never Said drew me in, but here's where some of the conflict starts: I really wasn't (and still am not) sure whether I actually LIKED all of the characters. By that I mean, they all seemed... rather cliche. Like caricatures. Or unrealistic, Dew especially. Things got better with that by the end of the book, I think, but overall it always kind of nagged at me and made me not enjoy the book quite as much as I think I would have otherwise.

The entire plot with Naima and her military father really tugged at me, though. I was raised a military brat, with my dad going on various tours when I was younger. Reading some of Naima's sections of the book was genuinely painful, and made me have to set my Kindle down for a bit. Again, Candace Ganger's writing style had a lot to do with that, and I really admire it.

Overall, this wasn't a bad book whatsoever, and I did enjoy it!

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I love this book, it really help me to heal and deal with so much of my own personal baggage. Candace gave us a great plot and such well develop characters. I will always hold this book close, because of how it change my soul. yes i would recommend this always

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Great Mental Health book which is my favourite kind as i can relate too it.I enjoyed the dual perspectives as we really get to know each character. It also had the right balance of light hearted and serious moments.

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I feel this book will tug at the heartstrings of everyone who reads it. It might be a hard read for some because of the issues it deals with or for others because of the way it is written with its dual POV and dipping back and forth in time; but it is regardless a read that will tug at your heartstrings.

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I recommend this book & I feel that Six Goodbyes We Never Said would be a comfort read for those dealing with grief & those who are at a battle with their mental health.

Since I myself deal with the battle of mental issues, I was able to understand the emotions Naima Rodriguez was dealing with.

I was given a copy for an honest review. I would definitely recommend. My first read from this author Candace Ganger.

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For me, the issue with this book was a matter of it's writing style. 

I was really excited to dive into a book with diverse representation, not only of a POC but also the mental health representation. But once I started the book I soon realized it would not be for me. 


The author tries really hard to have artsy and poetic sounding prose and it was just so confusing to follow. I didn't like the multiple POVs, Namia was mildly interesting but so angry and hurtful to those around her.  Dew was honestly just boring.   I just felt so detached from both of the characters while reading, which is the opposite of what one wants to feel like when reading a story like this.

In the end I gave up about 50 pages in and gave this book 1 star.

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Mental health cannot be stressed enough. This was a beautiful book that is close to my heart. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. <3

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Unfortunately I did not finish the book. Halfway through I was still not able to connect with the characters and their stories.

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This book was okay but nothing special I thought the execution could have been done a bit better though

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I think the format of the eARC made this really hard for me to get into. It was a bit difficult to follow but I would love to try and read this one if I see it at my library.

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Good book! Not my normal genre but I enjoyed it!
Thanks to Candance Ganger, Wednesday books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

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Naima Rodriguez doesn’t want your patronizing sympathy as she grieves her father, her hero—a fallen Marine. She’ll hate you forever if you ask her to open up and remember him “as he was,” though that’s all her loving family wants her to do in order to manage her complex OCD and GAD. She’d rather everyone back the-eff off while she separates her Lucky Charms marshmallows into six, always six, Ziploc bags, while she avoids friends and people and living the life her father so desperately wanted for her.

Dew respectfully requests a little more time to process the sudden loss of his parents. It's causing an avalanche of secret anxieties, so he counts on his trusty voice recorder to convey the things he can’t otherwise say aloud. He could really use a friend to navigate a life swimming with pain and loss and all the lovely moments in between. And then he meets Naima and everything’s changed—just not in the way he, or she, expects. Candace Ganger's Six Goodbyes We Never Said is no love story. If you ask Naima, it’s not even a like story. But it is a story about love and fear and how sometimes you need a little help to be brave enough to say goodbye..

I really liked the style this book was written in. Altough the plot wasn't the most strongest one, it is a nice read about two teens who went and go through hard times after the loss of their parents, and have difficult adoptive family situations. It did took a little too long though for Naima and Dew to connect in the book, and I wonder why the author didn't let this happen earlier, they do meet somewhere in the beginning of the book, but as Naima is pushing everyone around her away, they go their own way again to later meet again, and this is where the story actually feels to really take of, where it earlier strands a little in repeating struggles within their home lives and in Drew's work at a coffee bar and the people around them
This it is definately not a book if you are in for something fun and light, but a more serious young adult novel, so if you are looking for something like that, this would be the right pick.

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Thank you netgalley and publisher for the early copy.

I could not connect with the writing style and decided to put it down.

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I wanted to like this one, it just wasn't for me. I related very little to the characters, and found them annoying at times. Especially Naima. I'm thinking I just wasn't in the right mind set for this one, but I do feel it is an important read due to the presentation of many mental health and sexuality topics.

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