Review: What You Left Behind

What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I give this book 2 stars. I was hoping to like this book more than I did. Ryden is struggling with his senior year, work, and a new baby. His girlfriend Meg got pregnant while battling cancer and has passed away. So Ryden is also dealing with her death. I was really excited about readying a YA book with a male narrator, especially from the perspective of a teen dad. The main character felt a bit forced to me. While he had a lot on his plate he didn't seem to have many redeeming qualities which made it hard for me to care about him. I really liked the development of the side characters. The author did a really great job with the characters rotating around Ryden. I would have liked to see a bit more of their struggle and interactions. The plot was ok. I felt that as the book built to a climax then when we got there it took a complete turn. Usually that is not a problem but I felt a bit lost after reaching the climax. The story does deal with some important teen issues and the author deals with some of them in an authentic way. I would have loved to see an epilogue at the end. But even without the epilogue I did enjoy then ending and thought the author wrapped up the story well. This book just came out August 1st. *I received an e-ARC of Snow Prints from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

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