Review Detail

ANOTHER FIRST CHANCE is a speculative Young Adult novel that explores grief and love after tragedy. It’s tagged as a romance almost everywhere, but that’s not quite accurate. There are hints to a romance, but it is not a main focus of this book. One of the main characters, River, is still dealing with the accident that left his best friend dead. After a couple of mistakes, he is convinced to join a trial for individuals that are “struggling socially”. Among the participants is his ex-best friend who he has not talked to since the accident. His grief, and other emotions, come to the forefront during this trial. River is forced to confront his emotions while also figuring out the interesting developments occurring during the trial.


What I Loved:
The characters in this book were well-written and complex. The main characters were obviously given much more time to feel fully developed and realistic, but the side characters were not left out. Robbie Couch wrote characters that felt realistic and three-dimensional, even if you never got their point-of-view. That can be a struggle for some authors but, when handled correctly, it helps a story truly flourish.

The emotions in this book were honest, even to a somewhat upsetting point at times. The author did not pull any punches. If a character was upset, you felt it. If they were guilty, you felt it. The author clearly wanted readers to feel the way the main characters were feeling and he succeeded with vivid descriptions.

Tensions between the characters also felt very well-established and built-up. This is hard to explain without spoilers, and I definitely think this book is better read without spoilers, but it is true. The connections between River and his classmates and friends and ex-friends. It all rings true. Robbie Couch ensured that none of the character relationships felt shoe-horned in. Each character had a history with one of the main characters and the relationships (as they were/are) were given time to build. It was gradual when possible.

What Left Me Wanting More:
Readers may find that the writing style in this book can feel a bit flat at times. It can go from a racing story that has you excitedly turning the pages, to droning on about something that you may not care as much about. It wasn’t a bad writing style, I wish to stress that, but it may not be to everyone’s taste. My feelings on it are complicated, but I did find that my enjoyment of it overrode any frustrations I had while reading.

Final Verdict:
This is a book filled to the brim with grief. But it is also a book filled to the brim with people finding ways to manage and heal from that grief. Robbie Couch managed to write a beautiful book that encapsulates those emotions. It can be a tough read at times, but it might just be worth it. The characters in this book aren’t perfect, but they are real. They are regular humans that have made mistakes and have regrets.

In ANOTHER FIRST CHANCE, Robbie Couch wrote a realistic world with flawed, messy humans dealing with complicated emotions.