The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand is a story that deals with grief over the loss of a sibling. This story follows Lexie Riggs after her little brother Tyler commits suicide. This novel goes into great detail about how Lexie feels and how she copes with guilt after Tyler’s death, but it also includes how others around her react and go on with their lives after finding out what happened.

When Tyler committed suicide, it was a huge shock to everyone who knew him because he was popular and was seemingly happy. Shortly after his death, Lexie is forced to see a therapist by her parents. Her therapist then recommends that she write in a diary as a way to help her express how she feels. In the diary, she talks about her parents' divorce, her childhood, and her most precious moments with Tyler. On the final page of the diary, she talks about Tyler’s death and why she feels so much guilt, which comes as a shock to all who read it.

This novel truly made me cry when I read it because I truly felt like it spoke so well about grief and guilt, which can happen when someone suddenly passes away. I was even more heartbroken when I found out that the author’s younger brother also committed suicide when he was a junior in high school. I would recommend this book to everyone since I believe that it speaks very accurately of how one feels after someone commits suicide and how it affects people around them.

Review by: Sheila L.

Sheila is a virtual volunteer at Sylmar Branch Library. She is a 12th grader at Sylmar Charter High School.

—Dana Eklund, Sylmar Branch Library