This was a huge cringe mess for me, unfortunately. The friendship drama was so over the top and unbelievable.

I try to find redeeming qualities in all of the books I read, but unfortunately there is little to like about Abby Sher's novel Miss You Love You Hate You Bye. If the title, with its lack of punctuation, feels like one long run-on sentence to you, then be prepared because his book reads much the same way. Focusing on the friendship between two high school girls amidst the separation of one of the girl's parents and the way this traumatic news manifests in her life, Miss You Love You Hate You Bye has a lot of potential. Sadly, its execution is downright awful. The characters are shallow and unlikeable, and Sher writes as if she is on speed, rushing readers from one topic to the next without developing any of the plot points. And speaking of the plot, it is outlandish and ridiculous. This book touches on some rather serious topics, but does not give any of them the gravity that they are due. Not only can this have grave consequences for the book's intended young consumers, but it also makes for an unenjoyable reading experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I had already purchased this title for my library's YA collection before I got a chance to read it because it seemed like such a strong title! Cats, mental health, friendship! All things I love...but it kind of fell short for me. I think maybe there was something lacking in the character development. I'm not sure, but this one missed the mark, at least for me. I usually love YA novels dealing with mental health issues, as it is something I feel strongly about. It's not that this one inaccurately portrayed mental illness, but I wanted more I guess. I did like the focus on Hank and how it is like being the friend of someone who is sick. This is something I haven't seen as much in YA lit.

This was a gut wrenching look at a friendship that slowly unravels as one friend becomes more manic and anorexic. Told mainly from one point of view with some letters at the end of each chapter, it gave a lot of insight into a difficult friendship. It didn't wrap up neatly, which served the story well.

It's so refreshing to find a YA book that focuses on a strong female friendship verse a relationship. Miss You Love You Hate You has a great base friendship at the heart of the story. Hannah (Hank) and Zoe have been friends for as along as they can remember but one summer changes everything. Zoe's life is turned upside down and Hank is along for the ride. Together they test the limits of their friendship and how far you''ll go to help a friend. It's a beautiful story that deals with really tough topics. My biggest complaint is this story is told almost entirely from Hanks POV, I would've love to read more from Zoe's POV. She was pretty unlikeable at times and I think it would have helped to know what she was thinking. Overall, I really enjoyed it!

I love books that center around female friendships. There's something that hits so close to home for me when it comes to these kinds of books, so of course I enjoyed this. This was very hard hitting, as well, watching as one of our main characters developed and struggled with her eating disorder. It was tough to read at times, but the heart of the book was lovely,

There was a LOT going on in this book. The female friendship is complicated and I think teens might be able to relate to the complexities; and the reader knows Zoe is going through something hard. But Hank feels so bland and her inability to take action in the beginning of the novel is frustrating. I liked the redemption when she finally gets help- but there seems to be a lot that's never addressed (the kiss? The drugs? The manic episodes? The music video/ music career? A fun read but a little complicated.