The Ethan I Was Before

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 9, 2017

Review

A gorgeous middle grade novel that deals with loss. Ethan and Kacey are best friends, the kind of easy friends that don't remember NOT being friends, the kind that intuitively and completely connect. There is a tragic accident leaving Ethan grieving, living in two pieces, the Ethan he is now - broken, overwhelmed by memories and sadness - and the Ethan he was before the accident. Blaming himself, sure he can see Kacey one more time and fix her as she lays in a coma, Ethan's parents move him to Georgia for a change of scenery in the hope of helping him heal and forgive himself. Details of the accident flash in and out of the narrative. When Ethan meets Coralee, he is drawn to her affable, charismatic personality, but he wonders if he deserves another friend. Fantastic characters propel the plot as Ethan navigates a new school, family tension, and heart-wrenching, suffocating sadness into the reality of a future with no Kacey. With a dramatic climax that offers Ethan a chance at redemption, this book is a well-written debut that will linger in the reader's heart long after the last page.

Overall Book Score: excellent