LoveReading Says
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.
Reviewed by Joanne OwenJoanne Owen’s lifelong love of reading and writing began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, and very much wished that witches (and Mrs Pepperpot) were real.
More reviews by Joanne Owen About Goodbye Days
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.
Read the full description
Find This Book In
Goodbye Days Synopsis
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
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9780553524093 |
| Publication date: |
13th March 2018 |
| Author: |
Jeff Zentner |
| Publisher: |
Ember an imprint of Random House Children's Books |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
432 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Young Adult Fiction
|
| Other Genres: |
|
Jeff Zentner Press Reviews
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
Heartbreaking and life-affirming - Teen Vogue
Haunting, complex, heartbreaking -- Imogen Russell Williams - Metro
A fantastic novel with vividly realised characters - a story about friendship, loss and the importance of letting people see who you really are - INIS
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
I cried, I gasped, and I laughed throughout this book. You feel yourself break and heal alongside Carver. This is one that will stick with you long after you read it. - Layla, Waterstones Bromley bookseller
Zentner skillfully depicts his protagonist's inner turmoil and the beginnings of his recovery in an organic, frequently raw narrative. - Horn Book
The characterisation is masterful ... Jeff Zentner is the real deal - LoveReading
About Jeff Zentner
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
More About Jeff Zentner
