Review Detail

Clare and Aidan are about to leave for college on separate sides of the country. They’re packed, they’re prepared, and all that’s left to do on this last night before they leave is to decide if they should break up or try long distance. Set over the last twelve hours before they leave, Clare and Aidan retrace the steps of their relationship in hopes that an answer will come to them. The closer it gets to morning, the closer they are to goodbye.

I absolutely love Jennifer E Smith’s books so I was really excited for a new one to come out. Out of all the ones I’ve read by her, this one turned out to be my favourite. There was something very relatable about these characters and their situation.

The book was broken up into different section using the stops Clare and Aidan made along their journey, each place having some sort of meaning to them and their relationship. I liked both Clare and Aidan as characters and it was sad since they really did seem to fit well together but following their dreams to the school they wanted meant being apart, either breaking up or long distance. Clare was very level-headed and logical, making lists and seeing the pros versus the cons of the situation. Aidan was more go-with-the-flow, why not try it type of person. I liked that I could see both their points of the argument and that they both had moments of doubt no matter which way they were leaning.

As much as I enjoyed the bittersweet journey from Clare and Aidan, my favourite thing about the book, what really rang true for me, was the excitement and the fear of growing up and taking that next step into adulthood. The pain of leaving people you’ve been friends with for years, of knowing that you can talk on the phone or video chat every day but it won’t be the same as having them next door. The anguish of feeling like you’re being left behind because everyone else is leaving.

This book was a quick read, under 275 pages, and there were moments of laughter, moments of tears, moments that make you want to hug your friends because they’re awesome. It was about saying goodbye but also about taking that next step after high school. It was definitely a book I related to and I hope others will as well.