The Last Time We Say Goodbye audiobook

One of the most beautiful parts of the Unearthly trilogy was seeing how Cynthia Hand wrote about grief. Reading this novel is an incredibly painful experience, particularly if suicide has touched your life in a significant way, but I wouldn't trade this book, with all its blurry, unfinished truths and messy, gut-wrenching feeling, for a thousand more showy, "clever" stories on the same topic. A simple, emotional tribute to those who leave us all too soon. And a small reassurance to the rest of us that we're not alone in our sorrow. 4.5 stars

I enjoyed this book! The characters were very fleshed out and I especially liked Lex and the way her mind worked in the aftermath of this tragedy. It didn't linger on the pain, yet it was a reminder of how deeply death can affect a family. And despite how I generally liked how this book panned out, it was just a bit too generic for me. Every suicide book has turned into a "this person left clues behind when he/she died!" and it kind of glamorized the death a bit, which I find distasteful. Other than that, and other than how the evolution of the characters was pretty predictable, it was still an enjoyable read that had me shed a tear or two in the privacy of my darkened room at 1:30 AM.

Wonderfully written and absolutely touching! Do you know the feeling you get while and after you hold your breath for long? How time seems to stop for a while, how your heart beats faster and faster, how sharp everything becomes after the fuzziness washes over?This is how this book feels like.And it is wonderful, and dangerously heartbreaking.There is nothing in this world quite like the feeling of true happiness, or deep sadness, or shattering grief. There is nothing like the words that can really get to you, or the stories that you feel like wanting to take them into your arms, hugging them breathless and never wanting to let them go.There is nothing quite like reading a book that makes you laugh - a true, deep laugh from the very center of your being.. Or the ones that can shatter you into thousands of pieces, leaving you with a mind full of what ifs.“The Last Time We Say Goodbye” is a sad book. A beautiful, wonderful story about grief, about the pain of losing someone dear, about all the things you could have done to keep your loved ones safe. And I hate sad books. I really do. They can make my eyes leak this stupid warm, salty water, running down my face. And if not, they still make my heart ache.But there’s beauty in them too, isn’t it?In the fact that without being ‘hopeless’ you wouldn’t ever know what ‘hopeful’ feels like. In the fact that words have the power to create – to create emotions, to create new worlds and make you into new people. Words have the power to shut down the world around you or to make you really see it. Words can be as powerful as regrets.So, you know.. Sad books are not for sad people. But maybe they are, because there is so much beauty in this world, so much love, so much everything, that people should NEVER be this sad. I knew Cynthia can write about grief with a passion, I loved Hallowed the best because of that, but I think I might not do grief that well these days. I hate death, I hate feeling scared of it, I hate the people that have died in my life and have left me with this hollow in my heart that I can’t seem to be able to fill even years later.But the truth is that this story is wonderful, it is filled with sorrow but it also has moments of happiness, of cuteness. It is bitter-sweet in a way that breaks your heart and some times puts it back together.This is not a story about death, as much as one about forgiveness – Alexis (or Lex) needs to forgive her father for walking away, her mother for being so weak, her ex-boyfriend for giving her everything, her friends for feeling her despair, her brother for being so selfishly depressed, herself for not being there to save him. And she feels like she needs forgiveness to… For all the words left unspoken, for all the things that she could have done, for all the life her brother could have lived, for all the tears that have dried up.The cover-art is perfect, the tagline hits a soft spot, the title is spot on, the story inside is beautiful. I think that every detail is perfect. Even perfectly sad. All in one this book here is absolutely great, not only for fans of Cynthia Hand, but for everyone who likes to read emotional stories. * ARC received from the publisher for review.** Full review can be found at: Reading After Midnight.____________________________________________Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin' | Blog (RO)____________________________________________

Tem um caroço na minha garganta. Quero deitar no chão abraçado com esse livro e ficar ali.Amei essa leitura, acho que ficou claro, né? Me surpreendi com a rapidez e o dinamismo do livro, mas o que mais me deixou preso e encantando foi a percepção e a vulnerabilidade da autora. O domínio das palavras. A sinceridade e a sua verdade crua. Eu estou apaixonado pelos personagens, eu estive de luto com eles, eu cresci junto a eles ao longo da jornada, eu vivi cada palavra. É um livro lindo.A temática de suicídio e todo processo de luto e cura foi abordado aqui de uma forma muito real, emocionante e valorosa. Não foi escrito pra te entreter e emocionar, foi escrito pra gritar essas palavras na sua cara. É uma leitura indispensável.Sendo um pouco técnico, só tenho a dizer que amei a narrativa, a sucessão dos acontecimentos, a relação dos personagens, a ambientação... tudo. É um livro muito gostoso de ler, apesar de te deixar com uma dor no coração ao acabar. Alguns chamam de sensibilidade, eu chamo de arte.

A lot of crying was involved. That actually might be an understatement. You know what else made me want to cry an ocean? Celine's review. And you all should check it out because it's wonderful and she summarises the beauty of this book so perfectly: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... It may only be January but I'm so incredibly sure that this is making my Top 10 books of 2015. It tore me apart, this book, with it's perfect blend of numbing words and tangible pain. I know I'm buying myself a hardback of this when it finally releases just so I can cuddle with it and bookmark all my favourite bits. (Though let's be honest, that would just be bookmarking every page.)

WOW JUST WOW!!!! I don't even know what to say, this book was so beautiful. My heart has officially been shredded to pieces again. The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand was one of those heart tugging stories that I just couldn't put down. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. If you do decide to read this amazing story, which I highly recommend you do, please check for TW's because there is suicide, blood, and grief. Even though these characters weren't real, this story truly resonates with mental health in today's world. I appreciate the author's note at the end and how she talked about that she lost her own brother. I had a lump in my throat the entire time. Even people who always seem like their always happy, with smiles on their faces may also be the ones who are struggling, please, please, please check in on your friends and family from time to time, you never know what someone else is going through. "I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers". Lexie lost her brother, Tyler to suicide. Lexie always had a happy family, friends that she adored that didn't look at her like she might breakdown at any given moment, a boyfriend she loved, but that was before everything went downhill. Lexie always thought her brother, Ty was a happy person, until one day he decided he had to end his life because he wasn't happy anymore. Ty had three best friends, a family he loved, a girlfriend that he never wanted to hurt. When Lexie and Ty were in their preteen years, they learned that their father was having an affair and that he was moving out. After that, Ty felt like maybe he should pay his father back for destroying his life. Even though this story wasn't real, the characters weren't real it still broke my heart. Lexie and Tyler were always glued to the hip ever since Tyler was brought into this world. I can't exactly remember, but I think Ty and Lex were only two years apart. Now Lexie is just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's she will ever be. Lex has drifted away from all her friends, she broke up with her boyfriend on the night her brother killed himself, but Steven, Lex's boyfriend never knew the reason why she actually broke up with him. Ever since their parents divorce, Lex stepped up and was the other parent that Ty needed, she taught him how to drive, they basically did everything together. Lex's mom puts her with a therapist and he orders Lex to write everything down in a journal. As Lexie 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 yet, a text Tyler sent her that could have changed everything. Lexie isn't the only one whose grieving, their parents, Tyler's best friends, his ex-girlfriend. Basically the whole school. Please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book, but read at your own caution because it does get heavy at times. I wish this book had a playlist filled with sad songs because that would just make you feel the pain even more. I can't believe I waited so long to pick up this book, but i'm glad I finally did because it was just phenomenal. I apologize in advance if this review seems messy, i'm just trying to get my thoughts together without having a full blown breakdown again. Do you ever feel like you are holding your breath for a really long time, trying to hold back the tears? Well, this is what it felt like reading this book. It was so beautiful, but yet so heart breaking. I'm going to end this review right here because I don't want to spoil the story. I need some time to gather my thoughts before I read yet another devastating book.

As someone who went through a series of losses this year, I could not have read this book at a better time. One close friend hurt me in particular, and I spent so much time thinking that maybe if I had been a little better, he would have stayed. Maybe if I had said one more kind word, or if I had changed something about myself, he would not have abused me the way he did. But Cynthia Hand's story reminded me that instead of blaming ourselves for things outside of our control, we should strive to treat ourselves and those around us with kindness and compassion, no matter how much we hurt.The Last Time We Say Goodbye revolves around Lex, a high school senior whose brother died by suicide. Before Ty killed himself, Lex felt happy: she had a goofy boyfriend, dreams of attending MIT, and a good group of friends. But Ty's death changes everything - Lex breaks up with Steven, her mother takes up drinking, and her already dysfunctional relationship with her father takes even more of a nosedive. When she starts to see Ty's ghost, Lex realizes that she needs to put all the pieces of her grief together, or she might drown in her sorrow otherwise.Lex's intelligent and honest voice sucked me into The Last Time We Say Goodbye right away. On the outside, she still has some aspects of her life together, but on the inside, she feels relentless pain. Lex's descriptions of the gaping hole in her chest, the anger she possesses toward her family, and her regrets over what could have been, all pierced me and lodged themselves into my heart. Her renewed friendships with Sadie, her relationships with Damian and Steven, and her family situation all received a sophisticated amount of development. By the end of the book, I had splayed myself across a public couch at my college, mesmerized by Hand's prose and torn apart by its ability to evoke emotion.Hand treats mental illness with the care it deserves. Instead of fetishizing a sensitive topic, she centers the story on Lex's grief and her recovery process. Ty remains a shadowy yet fitting part of the book, and Hand humanizes him alongside the rest of the characters. Lex and the people she interacts with come across as three-dimensional and unified in the pain they share over Ty's death.Overall, a stellar book about the loss of a loved one. Hand delivers her story in a simple and quiet way, and the strength of her prose shines. Recommended to fans of YA realistic fiction, or to those interested in a bittersweet story with themes of grief and hope. And remember: if you need help, please reach out. People care about you. I care about you.

Termino esse livro de uma forma que eu não imaginava estar. Chorando.Assim, eu já sabia que era um YA contemporâneo sobre uma menina que teve um irmão que acabou de se suicidar, então eu já sabia que seria triste. No início eu estava até um pouco impaciente, porque a grande maioria de livros YA contemporâneo giram sempre em torno de uma tragédia e de como o personagem principal tira grandes conclusões sobre a vida.Isso acontece nesse livro? Sim. Mas...A cada página que ia se passando a autora descrevia a história de uma forma TÃO realista. Tão relacionavel. E realmente, quando terminei o livro não foi surpresa ler que a autora passou por essa mesma situação que ela escreveu. O livro é de uma delicadeza absurda. E foi me conquistando aos poucos. Ao ponto de eu terminar pensando que esse é um dos melhores YAs que eu li na vida. Que escrita incrível.100% recomendado, gente. Não pensem 2 vezes e leiam.

The Last Time We Say Goodbye is the story of a girl who's been left behind. Her family is broken, her heart is broken, and her life will now never be the same. After her brother dies, Lex is now defined as this tragic girl with a dead brother; someone to pity, or to avoid completely which is not uncommon in these scenarios - people are simply uncomfortable towards death. If this wasn't enough for Lex to deal with, there's these nightmares that make her relive it all nightly…As you can expect, this novel is full of emotional turmoil. It's dark and depressing, yet very powerful. Important, even. We're dealing with death, grief, depression, denial, and everything in between, and these emotions are all very real and unflinching. Lex was given a journal to help with her grief, so we get to feel through her own words exactly what she's going through - the anger, the sorrow, the borderline overwhelming hurt - as well as exactly how much she loved her brother with her stories of their past together. Even knowing the eventual outcome, I loved getting a glimpse at these simpler times when she was carefree and happy. It allowed us to understand the bond she had with her brother, and it made us see who she was before this tragedy. The topic of suicide is heavy throughout the novel, and incredibly well-handled. I found it to be a very realistic portrayal of depression - in both herself and her brother. Especially when it comes to the guilt that comes hand in hand with tragic events like these. You always blame yourself for not being there, for not helping, for not seeing what is now so clear. If only… Except it's never that simple. Seeing Lex go through the blaming and the guilt and all the other stages of grief made this all the more authentic. It's heartbreaking, but it's a tunnel she's slowly climbing out of. Through her journal entries, we start to unravel the events that happened on the night of. So we can finally see why she feels so guilty - why she blames herself so much. These "past" entries are bittersweet because it's full of love and romance and sweet moments, but you know it's leading up to something terrible. For this reason, it makes you want to keep at arm's length to save your own heart. Like, you should know better than to get too attached to the way things were, you know, especially in the romance department. But there's still a lot of room for hope. Hope that she will eventually stop blaming herself, that she will give herself a chance to try and be happy again, no matter how impossible that seems right now.Dark books like these do tend to be a hit or miss for some. It requires you to become emotionally invested, which is not always easy knowing from the start that it will bring tears and heartache. If this is your thing, however - if you like to inflict pain upon yourself like I do - this one is very well-written with some deep characterization. It's a raw look at a family coping with death.--An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

4,5 ★

So heartbreaking. Be prepared to cry. And cry. And then cry some more.Lexie's brother, Ty, committed suicide at age 16. A popular, basketball star, with tons of friends and yet decided to end it in only his junior year of high school. And she feels horrible guilt. Why did he do it? And why didn't she see the signs? Why didn't she talk to him? Why couldn't she help him? Should she blame her dad for leaving them? His ex-girlfriend? Life doesn't have simple answers though.Lexie pushes her friends away. Like you would expect she is having a really hard time dealing with her grief. Her therapist told her to write a journal so there is a mixture of journal entries and her recalling her past with her brother. Lexie also tries to figure out if there was a specific reason why he decided to end his life that day. She connects with his old friends and girlfriend. Dealing with a death in the family affects everyone differently. There is no right way to help a friend or daughter or girlfriend out of it. Some of her thoughts and reactions are definitely ones I was familiar with and other ones were not. Lexie reconnected with a neighbor that helped her through it but then it was sad because her best friend was trying so hard to help. But sometimes you just need the unexpected. I loved Lexie's boyfriend Steven. He was the cutest, sweetest, math nerd. Such a good guy! Lexie needed time though and pushed him away too. I loved that he really never gave up on her though. And as mean to him as she was he would come when she needed him. The flashbacks to their past were so sweet, adorable, and romantic! I really wanted them to find their way back to each other.While I normally don't read sad books I took a chance on this one because I loved the Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand and I'm glad I did. It was really moving. At the end the author shares that her own brother committed suicide at age 17 while she was age 20. The book is fiction but I definitely think those real feelings of loss came through in her writing and made this a really touching, realistic, important, and worthy read. "Happy six months. Which is precisely 183 days." You consulted your watch. "Which is 4,392 hours. Which is 263,520 minutes. Which have been some of the best minutes of my life. So far."God, you were so sexy.Irresistible.*I borrowed an ARC and this does not affect my review*

We start off with Lex who is dealing with the death of her brother Tyler who committed suicide. She's struggling to get her life back.. Before it happened. This is a journey that will test her and will reveal the truths to what happened on that fateful night. A story about loss, love and having the ability to move on from something that will forever change you.Lex's struggles and heartache and even hallucinations of Tyler were heart wrenching to read. I could easily slip into her mindset and stay there throughout the whole book. Though she's different than others I have read because she loves mathematics. (I wished there were more characters with brainy girl characters TBH.) She's super responsible paying her way for school and how her brain sees patterns and unlocks puzzles, I was fascinated. The logical part of her brain explains away her Tyler hallucinations but I couldn't help but be a little freaked out myself because I could see everything so easily in my imagination. What really gutted me were the flashbacks of just her and Tyler. They're so close and to have that happen to him and her not being able to relate.. It really hurt my heart.Cynthia Hand does a wonderful job of creating these characters with such vivid back-story and personalities. It wouldn't have been the same if we didn't know the history and how they were. Her writing flows so well and the emotions that will be running high when you read about it? We'll make sure to get a tissue handy. Last but not least, I'm never going to look at Post-Its the same way again.. This book ruined me for it.. *cries*

New Year's Readathon 2.0 - Read a standaloneIf you're going to read this book, you better grab a box of tissues. I shed some tears and my emotions are all over it. It's such a beautiful, captivating and heartbreaking story. I'm instantly hooked with it. Lexie's younger brother, Tyler, took his own life. His untimely death hit her so hard and had a difficult time of moving on. She was depressed, shuts out everyone around her, and there are times she feels and sees Ty's presence. She starts seeing a therapist and encouraged her to write journal entries wherein she shared about Ty and all his moments. My heart breaks over it. Lexie's emotions and love for her brother felt so raw and real. Despite of committing a selfish act. She couldn't forget the night he died. If she could turned back the time, could it change his fate? As the story progressed, she slowly opens up to those people who mattered to her. She copes after what happened and reconnects with her friends and family. I actually love her friends for their patience and understanding about Lexie. As well as her boyfriend, Steven. He's just adorable.Overall, I highly recommend this book. What an emotional ride. Cynthia Hand's writing style is definitely a thumbs up.