The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia hand. Grab your tissues!

Synopsis

There’s death all around us.
We just don’t pay attention.
Until we do.

The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn’t look at her like she might break down at any moment.

Now she’s just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that’s all she’ll ever be.

As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there’s a secret she hasn’t told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

Lex’s brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn’t have to be real to keep you from moving on.

Mini Audiobook Review

5 stars for the story and 5 stars for the narration (with the ever amazing Julia Whelan)

I was in a funk and had no idea what to listen to. When I searched books with Julia Whelan as narrator (she is a favorite with Saskia Maarleveld, Rebecca Soler and Brittany Presley) I stumbled upon this older book from Cynthia Hand.

A girl loses her brother and learns how to cope with that loss to hopefully heal and get her life on track. That sounded like something I would love and oh, was I right!

Cynthia Hand wrote a moving, heartbreaking, delicate and thoughtful piece of art here!

I lived in Lexie’s shoes for everything she went through. I was there for her numbness and depression, when she rejected her friends, isolating herself. I experienced the same disbelief tainted with some joy when she was seeing her brother’s ghost. Month after month of counseling, talking with her brother’s friends and ex-girlfriend, Lexie will learn forgiveness and acceptance.  

I was completely immersed in that story from the very first words and listened to that audio in one day!

I cried, often (have tissues at the ready). I feared for Lexie and her grieving mom who said her life was finished. I cried  for her sweet ex-boyfriend  who wore his heart on a plate.

Everything rang true. No falsehood. No free drama. Just a grieving path to follow and tons of feelings to experience.

Thanks for reading.

Sophie