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I adored Zentner’s debut The Serpent King. It was easily one of my top picks of 2016. It packed a wallop of emotions and frankly I wasn’t expecting it. It was like a sleeper book; sent to me in my OwlCrate subscription and patiently waiting to attack. It only made sense to pick up Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner as soon as I could. It was waiting for me at the library when we got back from vacation.

Goodbye Days basically is a public safety announcement about texting and driving. Everyone knows that its a “bad habit” but there are still a ton of people who do it. Zentner takes an in depth look at what a texting and driving fatality looks and feels like. He makes it a reality and not just something that happens to other people. Goodbye Days made you feel what a unexpected and senseless loss does to a community. It is heart breaking and devastating. As a thirty two year old woman, I never want to look at my phone again while texting and driving.

[bctt tweet=”I can’t tell you how many tiny deaths my heart experienced with Goodbye Days.”]

I can’t tell you how many tiny deaths my heart experienced with Carver. Carver has a lot to work through with the death of his three best friends. It also shows that the world doesn’t stop to let you have your time to grieve. He still has to deal with real life. I enjoyed the fact that Carver’s family was an active part of the story. I loved that Zentner was able to bring Carver’s friends back to life through Carver’s flashbacks. It made them relateable and not just victims of their own folly. It’s easy to sit in your recliner at home and judge the things that you hear in a 30 second soundbite. It is another thing altogether to get to spend time with the individuals and mourn their deaths with their families.

The Serpent King had a pivotal moment that brought on all the feels. Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner is like one long bittersweet goodbye. I would absolutely recommend it to fans of contemporary young adult. Or you know just people in general.