By Jeff Zentner (author)
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Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award
In a Nutshell: Loss, friendship and the light of re-finding your way | An exceptional novel about grief, guilt and finding solace in celebrating loved ones’ lives.
I adored the author’s haunting southern gothic-spiced debut ( The Serpent King ), and the same exquisite storytelling shines through here from the opening pages, when seventeen-year-old Carver reveals that his three best friends, Mars, Blake and Eli, were killed in a car crash as the driver, Mars, replied to Carver’s text.
Collectively, they were the “Sauce Crew” , four creative teenagers with exciting futures on their near horizons, but now three lives have been cut short, and it feels to Carver as if his life is over too. He’s shattered by grief, and then a criminal investigation into the accident exacerbates his turmoil.
But there’s hope to be had from the special memorial days suggested by Blake’s adorable, wise Nana Betsy.
The characterisation is masterful, blending painterly personal detail with broader strokes that lay universalities bare, and the writing expresses emotional rawness - the choke of Carver's panic attacks, the blinding thunderstorm of his nightmares - with a powerful punch. Jeff Zentner is the real deal. ~ Joanne Owen
What would you do if you could spend one last day with someone you lost? From the award winning author of The Serpent King comes an acclaimed story of grief, guilt and the chance to say goodbye. And don't miss the author's highly anticipated new book, In the Wild Light!"Gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately life-affirming." -Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything.
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What would you do if you could spend one last day with someone you lost? From the award winning author of The Serpent King comes an acclaimed story of grief, guilt and the chance to say goodbye. And don't miss the author's highly anticipated new book, In the Wild Light! "Gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately life-affirming." -Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything.
Where are you guys? Text me back. That's the last message Carver Briggs will ever send his three best friends, Mars, Eli, and Blake. He never thought that it would lead to their death.
Now Carver can't stop blaming himself for the accident and even worse, a powerful judge is pressuring the district attorney to open up a criminal investigation.
Luckily, Carver has some unexpected allies: Eli's girlfriend, the only person to stand by him at school; Dr. Mendez, his new therapist; and Blake's grandmother, who asks Carver to spend a "goodbye day" together to share their memories and say a proper farewell.
Soon the other families are asking for their own goodbye day with Carver-but he's unsure of their motives. Will they all be able to make peace with their losses, or will these goodbye days bring Carver one step closer to a complete breakdown or-even worse-prison? "Hold on to your heart: this book will wreck you, fix you, and most definitely change you." -Becky Albertalli, Morris Award-winning author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
One of the most stunningly heartfelt, lump-in-your-throat novels I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Hold on to your heart: this book will wreck you, fix you, and most definitely change you Becky Albertalli
Written in his lyrical and clear-eyed style, Jeff Zentner's Goodbye Days is a gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately life-affirming meditation on grief and forgiveness Nicola Yoon
From the opening line, Zentner expertly channels Carver's distinctive voice as a 17-year-old writer turned funeral expert Publishers Weekly
An absorbing effort with emotional and psychological integrity Booklist, starred review
Tender, honest, moving, and lyrical. His characters live and breathe. Ahh, lucky me. Lucky us. Zentner is the real thing Benjamin Alire Saenz
Jeff Zentner was a singer-songwriter and guitarist who released five albums and appeared on recordings with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, and Debbie Harry. He is now an appellate attorney for the State of Tennessee and lives in Nashville with his wife and son. He wrote The Serpent King in a month, writing on his mobile phone on his commute and at night, weekends and lunchtimes between court cases.
Photo credit: Steve Cross
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What would you do if you could spend one last day with someone you lost? From the award winning author of The Serpent King comes an acclaimed story of grief, guilt and the chance to say goodbye. Where are you guys?
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Goodbye Days and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
Goodbye Days features in the following genres: Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Recommendations, Featured Books for 13+ readers, Romance / Relationship Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, PSHE: Bereavement and Grief, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), PSHE: Siblings, PSHE: Family Issues, Recommended Children's eBooks, Featured Books for Young Adults
Paperback, Hardback. Not Available.
Goodbye Days was written by Jeff Zentner and published by Ember an imprint of Random House Children's Books
Goodbye Days has 432 pages
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