Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

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Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner was one of those books that I couldn't put down once I picked it up and started reading it. I've been so busy and swamped with things lately that I haven't had much time to read. Insert sad Manda Panda face, here. However, once I did have a few moments to sit down and read, I flew through the pages of this book like a brisk, steady wind through the trees. 

Carver Briggs, killed his three best friends. Indirectly, mind you, but the guilt he feels for his indirect hand in their deaths consumes him. It was a simple text message that did it. "Where are you guys? Text me back." Soon after, his three best friends are involved in a fatal car accident.

Carver can't stop blaming himself for the accident, and it doesn't help that his friend Mars's father, the town judge, and sister blame him 100% for what happened. Even going the extent of trying to have him convicted in the deaths. Meanwhile, school has started and he finds himself with a few new alies in Eli's girlfriend, his new therapist,  and Blake's grandmother, who asks Carver (a aspiring writer) to write Blake's last day.. They call it a "Goodbye Day". A day they can share memories and say their goodbyes. Soon, other family members follow suit on the Goodbye Days, but Carver is unsure of their real motives. 

This book really pulls at your heart strings right from the get-go. The guilt Carver feels sends him into panic attacks and the way Jeff Zentner writes those attacks are spot on. It puts into words what it's like to go through something this heavy and not know how to properly deal with it. I found myself physically reacting to this book with real emotions. I actually cried during certain parts, and felt my chest tighten during others. 

Goodbye Days is a touching story that I will recommend forever. 

*Disclosure: This product was received in exchange for an honest, unbiased, review. The reviews and or opinions on this blog are 100% my own. No monitory compensation was received and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising.