
A parent would reach for this book when their teenager is feeling isolated by significant grief, specifically the loss of a sibling or a close peer. This story follows Savannah and Cael, two seventeen year olds struggling to navigate the world after losing brothers and sisters. Through a therapeutic travel program, they explore how to move forward without leaving their loved ones behind. It is a deeply emotional, realistic exploration of mourning that validates feelings of anger and numbness. While the book contains romantic elements, its primary focus is on the long, non-linear journey toward healing. It is best suited for mature teens who are ready for a heavy but ultimately hopeful look at resilience and the power of shared vulnerability.
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Sign in to write a reviewOccasional strong language consistent with realistic young adult fiction.
The deaths of siblings occur prior to the book but are discussed in vivid, emotional detail.
The book deals directly with the death of siblings. The approach is secular and psychological, focusing on therapeutic techniques like journaling and group processing. The resolution is realistic and hopeful: it does not suggest that grief disappears, but rather that one can learn to carry it while finding joy.
A high schooler who feels 'stuck' in their mourning process or who feels like their peers don't understand the magnitude of their loss. It is perfect for a teen who finds comfort in intense, emotional contemporary fiction.
Parents should be aware that the book deals with deep depression and the raw reality of loss. Previewing the descriptions of the siblings' deaths may be helpful if the teen is currently in an acute stage of trauma. A parent might notice their teen withdrawing from activities they once loved (like Cael with hockey) or becoming obsessively focused on a lost loved one's belongings (like Savannah with her sister's journal).
Younger teens (14) will likely focus on the romantic connection between the leads, while older teens (17 to 18) will better appreciate the nuances of the 'liminal space' between childhood and adulthood while carrying adult-sized grief.
Unlike many YA books where grief is a subplot, this book treats the internal landscape of mourning as the primary setting, using the physical travel as a metaphor for the internal movement required to heal.
Three years after her sister Poppy's death, Savannah Litchfield is still frozen in grief. When she joins a specialized travel program for grieving teens, she meets Cael Woods, a former hockey star who is fueled by anger following the death of his brother. As they travel to various international locations, they use journaling and shared experiences to confront their trauma and find a way to live again.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.