It wasn't anything like I had expected it to be. I loved the writing and the characters were strong. I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

4.5 stars. This was not at all what I was expecting it to be. This is an emotional story respectfully depicting mental illness in a very honest and open way. The relationships between the different characters are diverse and well thought out. I loved Levi, of course, but I also had a soft spot for Chris. He was tortured and broken, misguided but truly tried to do what he thought was best. All of the characters were very realistic with their own faults and strengths, and their own problems and demons. How To Live Without You is one that will stay with me for quite some time.

I no longer have an interest in reviewing this title but would like to thank the publisher and author for the opportunity, it is now far past the publication and archive date. I have awarded 3 stars to keep this review neutral.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

How To Live Without You is about Emmy, the main character, and her relationship with her sister Rose. Her life is turned upside down when her sister disappears. The book was fast-paced and kept my attention. I liked how this book explored mental health and the representation it had in it. As a first-time readers, I'll definitely be looking for more books by Sarah Everett in the future!

What a great read. I loved the mystery and intrigue behind Rose’s disappearance and the struggle for Emmie without her sister. The exploration of loss was excellent and I really enjoyed this from start to finish.

I also loved the friendship between Emmie and Levi. It was so nice seeing them reconnect and overcome the misunderstandings that had led to the communication breakdown that had affected many of the characters relationships. It’s not often explored in the books I’ve read, and i really appreciated reading about how this can be overcome by being explored and fixed with that proper communication and breaking down those misconceptions.

All in all, i really enjoyed this. I actually don’t think it’s totally YA either, it fits from both YA and Adult for me.

How to Live Without You deals with some very heavy subjects in a very tactful and appropriate way. Makes reading the book and believing and investing the characters very easy. It's a book you will remember reading.

Headlines:
Coming of age with a punch
Sisters
Emotive, challenging and rich
Mental illness

I know from reading and loving Sarah Everett's previous release to expect my heart in my mouth, difficult subject matter and beautiful writing; I got all those things. This contemporary YA was a tough read for sure but it dealt with issues in depth and with authenticity and respect. I do advise checking out the content warnings for this book which I've put at the end of this review, but please be aware they have some spoiler elements. Also do make sure you go all the way to the author's note at the end.

This book was about sisters, broken families, mental illness and lies. It dealt with trust issues, friendships, first experiences and betrayal. There was much to this read but not too much. Get ready to hand over your heart to Emmie and Rose, Levi and their dad. Those were my favourite characters. I was left rather conflicted by Chris in all the ways but especially after the later reveals.

How To Live Without You is the kind of read that builds and builds, so that when at about 3/4 of the way through, some reveals started coming, I was half expecting some of it but other parts shocked the heck out of me. I literally didn't put this book down much over the 24 hours it consumed me.

I am becoming a staunch fan of the authentic writing that Sarah Everett delivers on and the themes she frames around her characters.

Thank you Clarion Books for the eARC.

**Content Warnings** depression, suicidal ideation.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this before release. This was a great heart warming story. Great writing.

4.25+ stars

This was a very good book. It’s well-written, and the characters and plot are authentic and intriguing, but it was a lot heavier than I expected it to be. It deals with some of the darker sides to mental health and close family relationships, and I would say it’s somewhere on the borderline between young adult and new adult fiction. I also appreciated the inclusion of the author’s note and mental health suppers/resources at the end. I did enjoy most of the book and will definitely consider purchasing a physical copy in the future.

Some books are not easy to get into but well worth it when you do. This book definitely fits into that category for me. I found Emmy to be incredibly frustrating and immature at the very beginning. Considering her book smarts she certainly didn’t seem to have developed the maturity someone with smarts might do. But thankfully throughout the story she developed and grew strongly enough that I didn’t dislike her as much by the end. Rose was complex, too. I feel like it went the opposite way round with her. I loved her at first but by the end I was less enamoured. Maybe that’s just how the story went. The point was that at the start she was this shining star, this leader who did things without apology and got what she wanted. But as we learnt more about her, it’s only natural that that shine wears off and the real her, the nitty gritty Rose, shows up.

The storyline itself was a little puzzling in the beginning. I didn’t quite know what the book was, where it was going, what to expect. The middle portion certainly brought the storyline to the forefront and the concept of a sort of scavenger hunt really appealed. It had its amazing moments and its really frustrating moments. But as a whole the concept was quite fun and enjoyable, even though the story itself wasn’t just fun and enjoyable (as in the characters living that way). This book brought about such a real portrayal of mental health and suicide that isn’t seen much in fiction. It wasn’t sensationalised, and it didn’t include language that is outdated and problematic. It avoided the detail that so often is mentioned when it comes to talking about suicide, and the author dealt with the subject matter with more sensitivity than most tend to. I’m glad I persevered with this one because it really did become a book I enjoyed a lot. In some ways I feel it would have even been okay if certain loose ends hadn’t been tied up the way they were. After all, not all unanswered questions need answering, even if at first it feels like they 100% definitely do.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper360 and Sarah Everett got this advanced digital copy!

This coming-of-age story of Emmy trying to find her sister, who may be missing or who may just have taken off, is such a lovely written yet heart-wrenching story. It deals with grief, family, growing up, love and friendship. A huge part of this book addresses mental health and it's discussed it in a very frank and honest way.

The characters really make this story though. The whole cast are written with such depth and a huge amount of feeling. It adds an aspect of rawness and vulnerability which I didn't expect at all. It's not all dark and intense though! There are parts that will have you smiling and chuckling, and as endings go, I found this one to be very sweet and full of hope.

* Please research any trigger warnings before reading *

How To Live Without You is an emotional read about Emmy, the main character, and her relationship with her sister Rose. Emmy's life is turned upside down when Rose goes missing and she is left to pick up the pieces

This was a quick-paced read that I didn't want to put down! I think this is a really important book for everyone to read as it explores the effects that mental health issues can have on the person struggling, as well as the whole family. This was the first time I have read a book by Sarah Everett but I will definitely be looking for more!

TW: depression, suicide

This book is dark, heart-wrenching, and deals with grief and second chances. Since it’s in the YA category, it reminded me of Paper Towns, Looking For Alaska, and Thirteen Reasons Why.

Watching Emmy try to reconcile the sister she grew up with and the Rose she didn’t know was painful. It was clear that this book wasn’t going to be about finding Rose as much as Emmy finding herself. Personally, this book really struck a chord since my sister and I have been estranged for the last few years. It made me think a lot about our relationship and how the only thing you can control is yourself.

I was pleasantly surprised by the focus on mental health and its impact on those who experience depression, as well as the impact on close family and friends. In her Author’s Note, Everett explains, “[D]epression is under-studied, under-diagnosed, and under-treated in many marginalized communities. Black kids, especially, often suffer in silence because there is a stigma around therapy and medication and having an invisible illness. I think the best way to change that is to have honest and hard conversations, to end the silence.”

All in all, a very emotional read. Also, how could you not love this cover??

Thanks to NetGalley and Clarion Books for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This needed a trigger warning on it. I was enjoying it until the references to suicide and them just wanted to sit and sob.

Sarah Everett's How to Live Without You is an excellent book, but I struggled to relate to the characters. After a slow start, I found it to be a wonderful novel as it progressed. It was a great read, even though it wasn't for me!

I thought this was a great book that told such a touching story within itself. Emmy is confronted with secrets and lies once her sister Rose disappears. She takes the decision to step into her sisters life, reconnects with her childhood best friend and goes through a tough time.

its a hard story to read but written excellently.

How To Live Without You is a truly moving coming of age story touching on grief, love, hope, and family in a very real way. It took me a second to get into this one. I didn't connect with Emmy yet in the first chapter, but once the book got going I grew more and more invested. This story really shows the complicated nature of relationships – when we learn we don't know people as well as we think we do, when we fall in and out of touch with people, when we lose ourselves in the personas we want to put on for other people. And for Emmy, she also now has to figure out who she truly is when the relationships that have defined her begin to change in drastic ways. I think that's something a lot of people can relate to at so many different points in their lives. This story has its heavy, heart-wrenching moments. I love that it shows a raw, complicated side of grief as well as the struggle of figuring out how to move on, even when there are still questions left unanswered.

It starts with two sisters and their close bond. One day one of the sisters disappear without a trace leaving the youngest one set out to find her. Along the way she learns more about her sister then she ever knew before and does she even know this person.
Interesting story and at certain points felt like it dragged on but the second half moved quicker.