For This Life Only

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4.7 (1)

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Author(s)

Stacey Kade

Publisher

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre(s)

Age Range

14+

Release Date

August 30, 2016

ISBN

1481432486

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A young man struggles to move forward after the death of his twin brother in this gripping, coming-of-age tale about loss, redemption, love, and the moment you begin to see the world differently. Three minutes. Jacob Palmer died for three life-changing minutes. And when he woke up, nothing was the same. Elijah, his twin brother, is dead, and his family is broken. Jace’s planned future is crushed, along with his pitching arm. Everyone keeps telling him that Eli’s in a better place, but Jace isn’t so sure. Because in those three minutes, there was nothing. Overwhelmed by guilt and doubt, Jace struggles to adjust to this new version of the world, one without his brother, one without the certainties he once relied on. And then Thera comes into his life. She’s the last girl he should be turning to for help. But she’s also the first person to truly see him.

Editor reviews

4 reviews

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.0(2)

Characters

4.0(2)

Writing Style

5.0(2)

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A great tale about grief and loss

September 14, 2016

Overall rating

4.7

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I really enjoyed this book. I was having quite the long day inside the lab, when I decided to pick this book up so I was able to read it in one sitting, while doing some lab works. And it was more than enough to keep the boredom away.

This book's portrayal of grief is so amazing, I could feel every emotion. Jace and Eli are twins, who got into an accident, which got Eli dead. Jace's life changed from that point, and he started to question everything in his life, especially things about his brother.

I really like the voice of Jace in the story. It's raw and full of emotions, which makes it very realistic for someone who just lost his other half. I love his relationship with Eli and their little sister, Sarah. He also has a great character development and I really enjoyed seeing his character grow. He used to be with the jocks, being sporty and all but that changed after the accident, which led him to meet Thera.

I also like Thera's character. She's very interesting and I enjoyed her story as well. It's quite nice to read a story that doesn't focus much on the romance, although I have to admit that the chemistry between Thera and Jace is really good.

Friendships in this book was portrayed really good too. Even with Jace falling out with some of his friends, it's quite reassuring that he was able to reconcile with them. There was also a heavy religious theme surrounding this book, which was depicted pretty well and it added depth to the story and to Jace's character, and his family relationship.

This was my first Stacey Kade book and I'm really impressed with her writing style. Overall, this book is one of the best books I've read this year and I can't wait to read more from her.

Good Points

excellent writing style, great character developments

Inah Peralta, Staff Reviewer Top 100 Reviewer 53 reviews

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Thought Provoking

August 15, 2016

Overall rating

4.0

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I confess I read this book in one day. For This Life Only is thought provoking and an engaging story. It was great to finally see a story told through a male's point of view in all its vulnerability and doubt.

Jace is realistic and relatable. To experience loss so early in life is difficult. He must deal with the loss of his twin Elijah, his twin brother. Jace was always being compared to Eli and at times resented how perfect his brother was in the eyes of his parents, the church community, and the town. While Jace doesn't remember much about what happened, he does remember Eli acting strange. But was it all in his head?

Jace's character is realistic and relatable. It pulls at your heart to witness his guilt and his doubts about what happens once we leave this world. Being the minister's son adds more pressure on Jace and his strength as a character is in how he copes with all the pressures of being a teen, with losing his brother, and dealing with internal and external pressures from his father.

For This Life Only deals with some hard questions about death and loss. Stacey Kade does a wonderful job mixing in a little romance and mystery into the equation and it adds to the overall story. When it comes to Jace's father and the church, it includes the difficulty teens of faith can experience while they are growing up without being preachy or overbearing. This is a realistic portrayal of teens dealing with loss, love, and faith.

Good Points

Male POV
Engaging
Incredible writing style

Joanne Mumley, Twitter Manager Top 50 Reviewer 217 reviews

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User reviews

1 review

Overall rating

4.7

Plot

5.0(1)

Characters

4.0(1)

Writing Style

5.0(1)

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Book to be treasured

April 17, 2017

Overall rating

4.7

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Happy Easter Sunday! well, it's Monday already, but oh well! I'm so happy about this book!

let me dive in before I review. Stacey Kade has been one of my fave authors. she has done so many things that make a fangirl cry. but anyway, I sent her a paper craft that was a replica of the book cover of FOR THIS LIFE ONLY and a fan letter too. i was so relieved she liked it. she even showed it to social media which i wasn't expecting. she mentioned that she'll write back. but instead, she sent me a signed copy of her book for free! and I was crying for joy! she is just amazing!

ok! sorry, going back to the review. i've been looking forward to reading this but I haven't had a lot of time because I had other books that needs to be finished. So Lenten season came rolling in and I thought that this would be perfect to read for Holy Week. I always thought that this book was brave, that Stacey Kade was brave for sharing a book about religion. okay, I know... Christianity is not a diverse religion at all. and it's definitely not a minority. and there is a genre dedicated only to Christian romances and stuff like that. but this book is so much more. it's brave because it actually shares something about having a religion and actually live it fully.

I love the fact that doubt played a role in this book. I myself doubted it, but this book is not even so much about Christianity it's about being able to choose freely and being free from what life has shoved in you when you are born. this book also talks about family, friendship, and relationships. but it definitely talks about self-worth and whether to believe in yourself to choose what is right and wrong.

if you have self-doubt this book is definitely something I would hand to you.

I love the fact that this book offered so much more than the book description. After seeing where the book was headed, I was flipping through the pages like crazy and just made me want more!

and truthfully, that's the only thing I wanted: more. it felt it was cut short, it's partially open-ended, but it has a concrete ending.

I love the book. but there are two things I love most about it. One, is Jace's growth in the whole situation. And two, is Jace and Thera's love story! I swear! augh! they are crazy adorable! Thera seemed to be like Jace's manic pixie dream girl, but as you delve deeper into the story, she's not. She just understands Jace and it just grew more. I also love the fact the Thera is a badass and yeay feminist! haha!

crazy amazing book. i will treasure this book
not just because it was signed and the story how I got it is extraordinary, but also because it's a different view of how life is. and that view just spoke volumes to me.

p.s. i love the teenie tiny bit of a nod to The Ghost and the Goth trilogy.

Good Points

~ that book cover though ?
~ the plot is something you haven't seen in YA before (I meant the religion part)
~ talks about self-worth and doubt
~ so much more to offer than what the book description says
~ very special to me specifically