It's a bit difficult to date books with such intense subject matter sometimes. I loved the premise though, and thought it was told in a very compassionate and realistic way. How trauma affects people, and how stories or small misunderstandings can spread out of control and take on a life of their own, especially after death. ( )

I had the privilege of listening to Kody Keplinger while at YALSA. She was a part of the Disability in YA panel and she talked a lot about this book. I was intrigued...I got a free autographed copy....and read the book in a night.

It's the story of how lives are effected by a school shooting. It's the story of truth and justice and how one small action can have a large ripple affect. There are characters who yes have disabilities but they are not defined by them. There is another character who is asexual....yet thankfully that is not a huge premise of the book. It's more about finding healing. I can resonate with that.

There is a faith angle to it, one that I believe the author didn't even intend. Christians don't have to look a certain way to believe in Him. Or even have faith that there is a God. It's a refreshing reminder. ( )

Complicated feelings. I didn't realize this was a Cassie Bernall of Columbine retelling & that felt sort of unoriginal. Also, I didn't like the characters or the way this book felt almost scared to say anything at all. I'd probably give it 2.5 stars if I'm being honest. ( )

I quite enjoyed the intro to this and thought maybe I'd been quick to judge Keplinger on her previous books, but then it kind of... flopped. It didn't deliver what it promised.

SO. ASEXUAL MAIN CHARACTER. YAY. But. I think this was actually the most disappointing aspect, because it felt...forced. It affects one relationship for like five minutes and then everything is quite hunky dory, and she doesn't seem to struggle other than that. Lee talks a little bit about her fear of entering relationships as a result, but... I don't know. I just think that it could have done so much better in representing the experience. Like, how did she even know she was ace in 8th grade? I'm sorry, but that's so rare. That's so, so, so rare. Just ask r/asexuality. And based on the way that Lee was forming romantic attachments, I just don't buy at all that she could have known. Because I was her in eighth grade, and that's not what happened. (heh heh heh) It's far more nuanced and complicated and seeing that completely erased really just kind of sickened me.

Mainly, I'm not a fan of the resolution to the plot. There's all this buildup but I think Keplinger missed the actual conflict. So the book makes it out into the world. But what happens after? Where's the actual tension? How does the world react? What changes? It felt like a cop-out to me. The writing wasn't particularly great either; there's a lot of repetition and ohmygoth Lee says the same five things at least three times each and it gets old. I did very much like Miles's character though, so there's that?

I was going to three star this one, but eh, I just feel like big topics should be done REALLY well and it kind of devalues them when they're not. ( )

I loved this book. It was emotional and gripping, and I would recommend it to any YA fan. ( )