After an unfortunate biking incident that caused Ashlyn's passing, her best friend and boyfriend had a very hard time coping with all that had happened. Cloudy was her best friend for as long as she can remember. They cheered together and did absolutely everything together. Ashlyn was Kyle’s first girlfriend and he was absolutely in love with her. When she was gone, they’ve felt as though they’ve also lost a piece of themselves. After finding out that three of the recipients that were given Ashlyn's donated organs have been keeping contact with her mother, Cloudy decided to plan a road trip to find these three recipients. Though she tried to keep out of Kyle’s way, especially after what happened between them last year, she ends up talking him into coming with her in the hopes that they both find some closure.
This book was incredible. I absolutely loved the characters and I feel as though the authors did such a wonderful job giving each individual their own voice. Each chapter goes back and forth with Cloudy’s point of view and Kyle’s but it doesn’t cause any confusion since their personality is written so differently. You could clearly tell who was who. Even the secondary characters had their own unique voice and I think that’s a wonderful trait to have as a writer. Even the progression of the story was at a good pace. I was worried that after meeting the first recipient, they would already start to feel better but it’s not the case. They gradually heal and feel closure throughout the book in such a natural and realistic way. Cat had mentioned that even Ashlyn was such a presence throughout the whole story even though we knew of her passing from the beginning. The way the characters spoke of her made her feel as though she was there the whole time and getting to know her, we were able to find closure along with Cloudy and Kyle. In a sense, even the title has a double meaning to it. Not only do they plan this trip in order to find their way back to Ashlyn, but this trip allows them to find their way back to who they once were.
I don’t even know where to start with the imagery in this book. Everything was painted so well in my mind with each description. We felt as though we were physically along for the ride. B even mentioned that, with so many places mentioned, it felt somewhat like a brochure but it was so well described and picturesque that we would all be down to go on a road trip ourselves.
The small details make the story too. The authors have added the actual emails from the recipients so that we could read them before they go visit them. It was such a nice touch and made them such a bigger part of the story. We were able to see what they went through and how life is much better now. It made the story feel that much more real.
Sorry for such a long review guys, we just had so much to say about this wonderful read. We all highly recommend you add this to your TBR list!
I give this beautiful book a 4.5 out of 5 rating. I’m so glad I bought this book.
Cat gives it a 4 and B gives it a 4.5. He felt as though the plot was a little too predictable but if it wasn’t, it would have easily been a 5.
This one is absolutely lovely guys. I hope you guys get a chance to read it!