Before I Let Go
Books | Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Death, Grief, Bereavement
3.5
(2.7K)
Marieke Nijkamp
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp (This Is Where It Ends) comes Before I Let Go, an emotional thriller about a suspicious death, a friend desperate for answers, and their small town's sinister secrets. Best friends Corey and Kyra were inseparable in their tiny snow-covered town of Lost Creek, Alaska. But as Kyra starts to struggle with her bipolar disorder, Corey's family moves away. Worried about what might happen in her absence, Corey makes Kyra promise that she'll stay strong during the long, dark winter.Then, just days before Corey is to visit, Kyra dies. Corey is devastated—and confused, because Kyra said she wouldn't hurt herself. The entire Lost community speaks in hushed tones, saying Kyra's death was meant to be. And they push Corey away like she's a stranger.The further Corey investigates—and the more questions she asks—the greater her suspicion grows. Lost is keeping secrets—chilling secrets. Can she piece together the truth about Kyra's death and survive her visit?Perfect for readers looking for:Mystery books for teensBipolar teen charactersAsexual charactersPraise for Before I Let Go:A New York Times Bestseller!2019 ALA Rainbow List2018 Teen Choice Book of the Year Nominee"With exceptional handling of everything from mental illness to guilt and a riveting, magic realist narrative, this well wrought, haunting novel will stick with readers long after the final page."—Booklist *STARRED REVIEW*"Compulsive readability... Intriguingly spooky"—Kirkus Reviews"This sophomore novel from Nijkamp will haunt readers... The honest reflection of mental illness, suicide, friendship, and being an outsider provides ample topics for book discussion."—School Library Journal"[A] reflective examination on love and returning home... Nijkamp has an uncommon talent for drawing readers deep into the psyches of her characters."—Publishers WeeklyAlso by Marieke Nijkamp:This Is Where It EndsEven If We Break
Young Adult
Thriller
Mystery
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More Details:
Author
Marieke Nijkamp
Pages
368
Publisher
Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published Date
2018-01-02
ISBN
1492642290 9781492642299
Ratings
Google: 5
Community ReviewsSee all
"So good. I honestly read it because all I saw were bad reviews. It is super intense and can be confusing but I read this months ago and I'm still thinking about it."
Cheyann Maldonado
"boring, couldn't go past a few pages"
Becca McCrary
"It was pretty good but it did leave a bit too many open-ended questions in my opinion. If interpreting a book in your own way as a reader is what you’re into this is definitely a must-read, I usually just like a more definitive storyline. love this author though!!"
AJ
"Wow, this.....this was a Huge disappointment, I'm not gonna lie. I've read 1 other of this author's books, This Is Where It Ends, and that was Fantastic!!! I had loved her writing in that one a Lot!!! But this? The writing was boring. Corey, the main character, was so 2 dimensional. I couldn't bring myself to care for her at all. She was a horrible friend who essentially abandoned her best friend when she needed her most. The ending completely sucked. Also, it felt like the author was going more for shock value than actually getting you to care for her characters at all. It gets an extra star purely for diversity, but even then it wasn't much. All in all, this book was depressing and not even Remotely interesting. It basically a story about how a young girl who needed help was abandoned by her best friend and then killed by her town."
Rook
"Their town sucks but overall this book is amazing"
Kamryn Rhinehart
"Story had a good plot idea but the execution wasn’t ideal. The same wording and ideas were dragged out across the whole story. There were too many gaps in the plot and while the story had many chances to become more, it didn’t. Would not read again."
Enidan
"It’s a such a good read, you’ll get caught up in the world.Definitely worth the read."
Ioshua Mendez
"Such a strong emotional book that won’t make you wanna put it down. The mystery pulls you in and the emotions make you stay till the end. Finished it in less than 2 days. "
KM
"A beautifully written, albeit heavy, young adult fiction novel about the struggles of bipolar depression, and the wounds death leaves behind "
Hannah Blue
"Before I decided to give "Before I Let Go" a shot, I did some research, really itching to read something depressing. It was compared to Thirteen Reasons Why which is a big reason I decided to read it but I was disappointed. This book was more fantasy than it was reality, making it much different than Thirteen Reasons Why. It was definitely not depressing but it still tugged at your heart. It was more sad than depressing. Don't get me wrong, it was a great story, definitely relatable, just not what I was looking for."
Constance Lowry