Two days before Corey is to visit, Kyra is found floating underneath the ice.
While everyone in Lost Creek deems Kyra’s death a suicide, Corey knows something is wrong. With every hour, her suspicion grows. The town is keeping secrets—chilling secrets. But piecing together the truth about what happened to Kyra may prove as difficult as lighting the sky in an Alaskan winter… (Pub Date: Jan 2, 2018)
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Like many interested in this books, I've been wanting to read this because of This Is Where It Ends. But I have come across something quite different.
Corey hears of her best friend's death with surprise. Kyra, who has suffered for a long time for being bipolar, had promised she'd wait until Corey could visit her. Just a few days until then, she wouldn't have broken it after enduring the secluded Alaskan town of Lost Creek by herself for over half a year. Back in her hometown, Corey learns Lost doesn't treat outsiders well, for she is now an outsider herself.
I had to think longer than usual before deciding how to rate this book. I ended it doubtful even whether I liked what I read. That's why Id say it's a 2.5 rounded up. It's not a simple read. It floats from genre from genre as Corey investigates more about Kyra's passing, but it takes too long to define what it is. I know many books that succeeded in this lack of definition but Before I Let Go was a disappointment.
You will feel a little creeped out because the setting is "claustrophobic", as Corey herself calls. You will feel intrigued, because there are too many things that don't fit the official story surrounding Kyra's last months alive. You will feel frustrated, because Corey can only look back, which won't change that Kyra is gone. You will feel many things, and that will make you keep going. That's what made me. It was a book that made me believe things would get somewhere that would make it brilliant.
Unfortunately, it builds too much tension for a development that I'd call absurd. Many times I would question everything about it so absurd it was getting. But that's what the story is, it's absurd. And again, unfortunately, they don't recognize it. I actually like those stories that are simply so unbelievable anything can happen. Before I Let Go still takes itself seriously, making the climax too lukewarm. I guess Nijkamp has this flaw when developing her plot, because I also thought This Is Where It Ends turned a bit too lukewarm for the plot it had, only the characters there and whole setting saved it for me. Before I Let Go can't count much on either.
But what bothered me the most was Kyra's bipolarity. The way she developed this part made me too uncomfortable. I can't spoil things for you going into details but I don't approve her approach and would rather if she had taken time to differentiate things better.
What I did like here:
Nijkamp brings again diverse characters to the main roles.
I've never been to Alaska to know how accurate, but her description made me feel there.
While I didn't like how she developed Kyra being bipolar, but I thought it was fitting how she described her isolation from the community and Corey's feeling toward the issue.
The setting is dark, the development was messy and a little dramatic but the book can be read in a day thanks to Nijkamp's style. If you're still in doubt, you can try it without wasting too much time.
Nijikamp proved she can vary her plots a lot, this has very little in common with This Is Where It Ends. It's not every author of contemporary YA who goes that extra mile.
The cover is spectacularly beautiful.
This book reminded me of The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle, which I enjoyed more because of a better use of the absurd. Still, I'd say it's the best reference to anyone wondering whether to read Before I Let Go. I still plan to follow Nijkamp and look forward to her next novel.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
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