Reviews with content warning for Child death - Four for the Road

I don't really know how to review this book, because I felt so many different things throughout the story. At times, the story seemed hopeful. At other times, this book was really hard to read.

Throughout a lot of this story, I was scared the main character was going to hurt himself or someone else. That made parts of this hard to read, but also really hard to put down. I was invested in the story, but maybe a little too much. I will also say that the "twist" wasn't really a twist. However, it was so important to the story that it was important to include.

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libscote's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would. Asher knows exactly how long ago his mother died as the victim of a drunk driver, and he still hasn't recovered. He starts going to various grief groups, and befriends three other people who seem to struggle like he does: Henry, an elderly man who misses his wife Evelyn greatly, Will, a boy who lost his younger brother to cancer, and Sloane, who lost her father to cancer as well. They find a connection to each other in their grief, which leads to a road trip to Memphis, Tennessee. Each has their own reason for going, which they aren't sharing with the others. Asher's is revenge--will he get it?

I know some have said they had issues with how repetitive Asher gets--I was okay with that. It felt like the ramblings of someone who is focused on their trauma and can't get out of their own way to me, or the way my anxiety spirals go. Parts of the road trip were a little unbelievable to me, but I haven't experienced grief in that way yet, so it could be something I am missing out on.

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audreylee's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"Life is a miserable black hole and we're only here for the cookies". Thus starts Asher's experience with grief groups following the death of his mother in a drunk-driving accident. Asher is focused on revenge, not healing. He wants justice for his mom. Her murderer went free on a technicality and Asher can't move past the accident as long as "Jack Daniels" is free. As he forms attachments in the groups he attends and tries to protect his little sister from a myriad of dangers, he begins to feel empathy and appreciate community. Will these new connections be enough to turn him away from revenge? This feels like a very realistic portrayal of teen grief. The relationships are lovely and at times frustrating and you can feel the weight of grief and worry Asher's dad carries around every day.

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tiredcath's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Oh my god, I was completely enthralled in this novel.

After a drunk driver kills his mother, Asher sets himself on a self-destructive path of revenge.

I cannot express how sincerely good this book is, how much it touched me, made me feel. The characters are honest, brutally honest. Kids dealing with death, an elderly man trying to live with a version of normalcy. Asher is a unique protagonist, where you're almost rooting for him to do the wrong thing because you feel his pain, you feel the guilt and confusion, and mostly, the frustration with death. Reilly does an incredible job at balancing the tragedy of grief, humor, and an adolescent reaction to a life they can't control.

The writing style isn't for everyone. it's repetitive (meaningful so) and like an endless stream of consciousness flowing from Asher's mind to the page. Dialogue is also somewhat structured oddly, but once you're invested you don't notice it anymore. I personally really appreciated the way the characters interacted and the way the plot slowly unfolded in front of you.

Didn't expect to love this as much as I did. There's so much heart, so much pain, and love between the characters. Asher, Solane and Will, Henry and Evelyn. Their stories are important. Their healing is important.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

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