akiram_eros's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
faithsmom's review against another edition
3.0
Started out pretty interesting but lost it's steam about halfway through. There was no real explanation for why the town changed other than "she's a prophet" which was never fully explored.
leslieebean's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
belen_lily's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
mykenzi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Suicide
Minor: Mental illness, Abandonment, and Grief
ashleighbeanxo's review against another edition
5.0
Before I Let Go follows Corey, a teenager who grew up in a small town called Lost Creek with her best friend Kyra. Lost Creek is the type of place where everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows each other's business. Unfortunately for Kyra, she has Bipolar Disorder and she often experiences 'manic episodes' which have left the town to determine she's an outsider and a complete social pariah in her town. After her mom gets a new job outside of the town, Corey and her family move away from Lost Creek, but news of Kyra's death, only 7 months after the move, brings her back to the town. The townspeople say her death was a tragic suicide, and talk of how they came to embrace the troubled girl in the months leading to her death. They say her death was meant to be, and don't take too kindly to Corey intruding and trying to find out the truth about her dead friend. What really happened to Kyra??
I loved this book. It deals with some heavy subjects such as suicide, mental health issues and sexuality, and I think it provides some very important commentary on how mental health issues are portrayed in small towns. I hated the townspeople, especially Kyra's parents. I was just as mad as Corey that all those people who basically ignored Kyra for years would openly pretend to grieve for her, but then say her death was prophesied and meant to be. No, she was a teenage girl who happened to have a mental health condition which essentially left her a pariah. Even to her own parents. Overall, it was a beautiful book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I loved this book. It deals with some heavy subjects such as suicide, mental health issues and sexuality, and I think it provides some very important commentary on how mental health issues are portrayed in small towns. I hated the townspeople, especially Kyra's parents. I was just as mad as Corey that all those people who basically ignored Kyra for years would openly pretend to grieve for her, but then say her death was prophesied and meant to be. No, she was a teenage girl who happened to have a mental health condition which essentially left her a pariah. Even to her own parents. Overall, it was a beautiful book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
justjude's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
lisaluvsliterature's review against another edition
3.0
Unfortunately, unlike with the first book by this author, This is Where it Ends, I wasn't blown away by this one. While there were definitely some important topics in it, mental health, bullying, a gay teen couple, an asexual teen, not sure about how well it really touched on those. I felt like this one hovered too much on trying to have a supernatural aspect, but in the end, it just wasn't enough for me. It just wavered too much between that and the mental health/other issues. It didn't really spend enough time to make it a great book for any of the things it could have been.
At times I was a little unsure about who a certain person was, or how they had related earlier in the story. I guess I was just left wanting more. There were some parts that definitely were scary or creepy. And there were some emotional parts that made me cry a bit. But it just didn't all fit together well for me.
I will continue to look for future books by this author, but I will hope for one more like the first book.
At times I was a little unsure about who a certain person was, or how they had related earlier in the story. I guess I was just left wanting more. There were some parts that definitely were scary or creepy. And there were some emotional parts that made me cry a bit. But it just didn't all fit together well for me.
I will continue to look for future books by this author, but I will hope for one more like the first book.
merlin_reads's review against another edition
2.0
So this is my second book by Nijkamp and I find that I just cannot get into them. I think it's probably a case of 'it's not you, it's me' because I do see other people who rave about them. So definitely check it out for yourself if the premise sounds interesting.
Before I Let Go is a story about friendship, grief, and mental illness. In the remote town of Lost Creek, Alaska, Corey and Kyra were the best of friends. As the girls got older, Kyra started to change and have these episodes where she just wasn't herself. After being diagnosed bi-polar, the town shunned Kyra, calling her a freak and an outsider. When Corey moved away, she promised to always be there for Kyra but she never expected that dreaded phone call - the one that informed her that her best friend was dead.
Having had with family members who suffered from bi-polar disorder, this book hit a little close to home for me. I could not wrap my head around how the town treated Kyra and the things they forced her to do. When Corey comes back to Lost Creek she starts to learn more about Kyra's apparent suicide and everything just raises more questions and also reveals just how dark the people of this town are.
I've never lived in a town as small as Lost Creek so I can't connect to the small town vibe they kept referring to, but I honestly believe that a majority of small towns are not like this one. There was a very heavy cultish vibe to the residents and none of it was healthy. The way they treated this poor girl and ultimately led her to the end just was sickening.
I honestly don't know how I feel about this book other than it doesn't sit right with me and I was angry through the entire thing. Again, to each their own, and if you choose to pick this up I really hope you have a different experience than I do.
Before I Let Go is a story about friendship, grief, and mental illness. In the remote town of Lost Creek, Alaska, Corey and Kyra were the best of friends. As the girls got older, Kyra started to change and have these episodes where she just wasn't herself. After being diagnosed bi-polar, the town shunned Kyra, calling her a freak and an outsider. When Corey moved away, she promised to always be there for Kyra but she never expected that dreaded phone call - the one that informed her that her best friend was dead.
Having had with family members who suffered from bi-polar disorder, this book hit a little close to home for me. I could not wrap my head around how the town treated Kyra and the things they forced her to do. When Corey comes back to Lost Creek she starts to learn more about Kyra's apparent suicide and everything just raises more questions and also reveals just how dark the people of this town are.
I've never lived in a town as small as Lost Creek so I can't connect to the small town vibe they kept referring to, but I honestly believe that a majority of small towns are not like this one. There was a very heavy cultish vibe to the residents and none of it was healthy. The way they treated this poor girl and ultimately led her to the end just was sickening.
I honestly don't know how I feel about this book other than it doesn't sit right with me and I was angry through the entire thing. Again, to each their own, and if you choose to pick this up I really hope you have a different experience than I do.