The Last Time We Say Goodbye

by Cynthia Hand

Overview

In the tradition of Thirteen Reasons Why and All the Bright Places, The Last Time We Say Goodbye is a deeply affecting novel that will change the way you look at life and death.

From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand comes a stunning, heart-wrenching novel of love and loss, which ALA Booklist called "both shatteringly painful and bright with life and hope" in a starred review.

Since her brother, Tyler, committed suicide, Lex has been trying to keep her grief locked away, and to forget about what happened that night. But as she starts putting her life, her family, and her friendships back together, Lex is haunted by a secret she hasn't told anyone—a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062318497
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/10/2015
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
Lexile:	HL680L (what's this?)
File size:	984 KB
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for teens, including the Unearthly trilogy, The Afterlife of Holly Chase, The Last Time We Say Goodbye, and My Lady Jane and My Plain Jane (with fellow authors Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows). She currently resides in Boise, Idaho, with her husband, who loves typewriters as much as she does, two cats, two kids, one crazy dog, and a mountain of books. Visit her online at www.cynthiahandbooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

Even if you think you have a high tolerance for gut-wrenching fiction, the tragedy may knock you flat. Still, reading The Last Time We Say Goodbye feels like exploring a forest after it's been decimated by wildfire. You will see new shoots sprouting where you least expect them…Hand spin[s] heartbreak into [a mystery] that remain[s] realistically, uncomfortably unsolved. Readers requiring total resolution may want to steer clear. But braver souls, teenagers and adults alike, will be rewarded…The payoff may not be particularly sweet…but it is hard-earned and life affirming, which is infinitely more rewarding.

The New York Times Book Review - Elisabeth Egan

A quietly powerful, emotionally complex novel that will echo with readers long after it is finished. Both shatteringly painful and bright with life and hope.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Reading The Last Time We Say Goodbye feels like exploring a forest after it’s been decimated by wildfire. You will see new shoots sprouting where you least expect them.” — New York Times Book Review

“Evocative and insightful.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Raw, emotional, and gripping. An excellent and thoughtful exploration of grief.” — School Library Journal

“Dealing with teen suicide is tough, and this novel tackles it well, with dignity, sensitivity, and poignant regard. Irresistibly engaging.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

From the Publisher

Dealing with teen suicide is tough, and this novel tackles it well, with dignity, sensitivity, and poignant regard. Irresistibly engaging.

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

Reading The Last Time We Say Goodbye feels like exploring a forest after it’s been decimated by wildfire. You will see new shoots sprouting where you least expect them.

New York Times Book Review

A quietly powerful, emotionally complex novel that will echo with readers long after it is finished. Both shatteringly painful and bright with life and hope.

Booklist (starred review)

2014-11-04
After her younger brother's suicide, ordinarily rational Alexis starts seeing her younger brother's ghost.Seven weeks after Ty shot himself with a hunting rifle, Alexis' mom announces she's seen him in the house. Alexis, a math student with aspirations of attending MIT, is skeptical but soon sees visions of her own. Alexis watches Ty die in recurring dreams, reluctantly relives firsts and lasts in a journal suggested by her therapist, and tries to stay strong for her mom, who is drinking to cope and certain that her own life is over. Alexis herself hasn't cried since her brother's death. Instead, moments of intense emotion open what Alexis powerfully describes as a "hole in my chest." The hauntings here are more emotional than paranormal, and Alexis' journey primarily entails reconnecting with estranged friends and family and slowly moving on. The characters involved are many—a childhood friend-turned-occultist stoner, Alexis' emotionally absent father and Ty's last girlfriend, to name a few—but each storyline is distinctly important and carefully woven in. Details of Ty's last days, Alexis' sense of guilt and the incident itself are revealed slowly and are often unexpected but always believable. Evocative and insightful. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews