Raquel's character goes through a lot of growth. From the shadow behind Sash'a sunshine, the quiet reserved Raquel learns to speak up for herself, finds courage to face difficult tasks and fight for those she believes in and loves. The first half of the novel she is pushed along by Sasha, and Sasha's last wish, but the second half sees a shift in dynamic. Raquel becomes her own person, relying less on others, defining herself outside of Sasha's friendship. A poignant look at how we must forge our own paths, while still honouring the memories of those we love. The novel also takes a deep look into the failing childcare system in America. Elijah has faced group homes, criminals, and prejudice from those who believe themselves above him. He has lived without parent's, without family, without stability, and because of this he feels worthless and unloved. Throughout the novel, Elijah must learn to trust, to hope and to dream of a better future for himself. He must rely on others, where he has only ever had himself in the past. It is eye opening and terribly sad to think that there are children right now facing the same difficulties, or worse, that Elijah had to experience. The relationship that blossoms between Raquel and Elijah is such an honest read. Although, I may have mentioned before, I have an aversion to characters that only seem to mention good looks as the reason behind their feeling for someone (cough, cough Raquel), but I did enjoy that she mocked herself at the end for doing just this (so points to acknowledging this). A beautiful book about loss, survivor's guilt, what it means to be family, and the resilience of love, faith and hope. Highly recommend checking it out if you enjoy contemporary, young adult novels. I was given a copy of this novel by KCP Loft in exchange for an honest review.
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