Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp is a YA Contemporary and Mystery story of a girl’s struggle in discovering her best friend’s alleged suicide and her mental health story.

“Best friends Corey and Kyra were inseparable in their snow-covered town of Lost Creek, Alaska. When Corey moves away, she makes Kyra promise to stay strong during the long, dark winter, and wait for her return.

Just days before Corey is to return home to visit, Kyra dies. Corey is devastated―and confused. The entire Lost community speaks in hushed tones about the town’s lost daughter, saying her death was meant to be. And they push Corey away like she’s a stranger.

Corey knows something is wrong. With every hour, her suspicion grows. Lost is keeping secrets―chilling secrets. But piecing together the truth about what happened to her best friend may prove as difficult as lighting the sky in an Alaskan winter…“

This story does have a trigger warning for suicide.

I really loved getting into this story. We follow the main character as she attempts to uncover her best friend’s suicide, but the small, secluded town of Lost begins to push her away, labeled as an ‘Outsider.’

The setting was my favorite part about this story. Even though there is a lot going on in the background, I really enjoyed how the creepy town meshed with the mysterious suicide. I also enjoyed the mental health inclusion which I think does a descent job in explaining how bipolar can be seen from the outside.

My only issue was the ending. I feel like justice should have been deemed on a particular character that surprised even me. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. At first, I thought there was going to be more paranormal, creepy moments in this book, but it wasn’t that way at all. I would recommend this book if you like mental health reads and a good mystery in an Alaskan town.

Published: 2 January 2018

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary / Mystery

Pages: 358

How I Read It: eARC

*Disclaimer: I requested a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All of my reviews contain my honest opinions and area not influenced in any way.*

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