teen fiction (dealing with extreme grief, guilt, anxiety, panic attacks)
This one takes a little longer to get into, but grief takes time to stew.. it feels like Zentner has experience or has done some significant research into these topics. Recommended. ( )

This. Book. Wrecked. Me.
No reading in public.
Cried my contacts out.
Had to take a few days in between readings at the beginning.
I thought I loved [b:The Serpent King|22752127|The Serpent King|Jeff Zentner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1435673762s/22752127.jpg|42298618][b:The Serpent King|22752127|The Serpent King|Jeff Zentner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1435673762s/22752127.jpg|42298618][b:The Serpent King|22752127|The Serpent King|Jeff Zentner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1435673762s/22752127.jpg|42298618][b:The Serpent King|22752127|The Serpent King|Jeff Zentner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1435673762s/22752127.jpg|42298618] but this is an amazing "sophomore" effort.
Definite for Gateway consideration.
( )

This book killed me emotionally... I loved it.

“Where are you guys? Text me back.”

Carver Briggs never got a reply to his text, which he had sent to his best friend Mars. Mars had been driving home from the movies with their other best friends, Eli and Blake. The police found a half-written response to Carver on Mars’ phone after his car rear-ended a stopped truck, killing the three boys.

Now Carver not only has to spend senior year without this best friends, but with the guilt that has been eating at him. And it’s not like anyone has made it easier for him… Eli’s twin sister is turning the school against him and Mars’s dad, who is a powerful judge, is trying to get a criminal investigation opened up against Carver to blame him for the death of Mars.

The thing is, Carver blames himself too.

He does have allies though, including Blake’s grandmother, Nana Betsy. One day, she proposes the idea of a Goodbye Day to remember Blake by sharing their favorite stories of him and giving him a proper goodbye. After this, Carver begins to reach out to the other families to have “goodbye days” with them as well.

I’m a mess even writing this review… that’s how badly Goodbye Days tore me up. I can honestly say that this is one of my top reads of the year and right now this book is at the top of my favorites list. I highly, highly, highly recommend it! ( )

Goodbye Days is a book recommended to me by one of my former students and then appeared on the March Book Madness YA bracket! I had to read this one! Carver and his friends are in high school and as Carver reflects throughout the book, we see more of the light-hearted fun they had together. The fun has stopped for Carver and his friends after the accident.

Carver was waiting for his friends and texted, but his friend opted to text back while driving. A semi and...Carver’s three friends are gone. Carver is struggling with guilt, loss, and now panic attacks, as his world is changed forever. One father wants Carver charged and thrown in prison for his part in his son’s death.

Carver tries a Goodbye Day to help families heal, but who does it help more? Will Carver have a future? A must read! ( )

This book made me so angry! Not at it, but for the characters. Very good read, definitely connected with the characters. Also pretty heavy stuff so I'd be hesitant to recommend it to younger teens. ( )