History Is All You Left Me

I don't even know how to go about reviewing this book. So, prepare for rambling. As anyone who follows my blog or reviews probably knows by now, Adam Silvera is one of my favorite authors, and this book is an excellent example of why he holds that place at the top for me. I felt so many emotions while reading this book, and I didn't want to put it down. There is just something about the way Silvera writes that oozes emotion. I was in tears not long after starting the book, and it just got even more emotional from there. For the first half of this book, it felt like the raw essence of depression and grief had bled all over the pages and somehow been transformed into words. The juxtaposition of the grief-filled chapters with the alternating chapters highlighting the history of the young love between the main character and the boy who died was genius writing. It was such a punch to the gut every time the focus returned to the funeral/grief reminding me that the vibrant young boy from the chapters on their history was laying in the coffin.While I was largely overwhelmed by grief during the first half of the book, my emotions changed drastically as the book progressed. As more information about the characters came to light, the strongest emotions I felt were frustration and pity. The exploration of Griffin's anxiety, OCD, and guilt was super messy in a relatable, realistic way. He made so many horrible decisions, and the information about him and many of the other characters that came to light completely changed my opinions of them. The experience of reading this book felt like slowly falling further and further into madness while at the same time getting a sense of how out of touch with reality some of the earlier, seemingly straightforward content, was likely to be. By the end, I can't say I really liked many of the characters, if any, but I walked away impressed by Silvera's ability to create compelling descriptions of mental illness and the effect it can have on one's life and one's relationships. His writing was, as always, utterly human with devastatingly flawed characters front and center.The mark of a great book (for me at least) is not being able to stop thinking about it even after I put it down. This one has left me thinking about love, loss, and my own struggles with depression and anxiety. In that way, it has been intensely triggering but in a good way that has been quite cathartic. I doubt this book will be for everyone, but if you've liked some of Silvera's other work and don't mind incredibly messy characters and depressing content, you will probably like this one too. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

I am a huge fan of YA contemporaries that make me feel something, and Adam Silvera certainly never lets me down in that department. His latest novel, History is All You Left Me, (out January 17th!) is no exception.My Review: FIVE STARSIt’s obvious just from reading the description that this book is going to be a tearjerker. What I didn’t expect though, was the intense rollercoaster of other emotions that I experienced while reading it. Suffice it to say, this book will give you ALL THE FEELS and then some.Silvera vacillates brilliantly between Griffin’s grief-stricken journey after his ex-boyfriend Theo dies and the history of their past together. You get to fall in love right along side them, you’ll laugh through all their silly moments, and you will MOST DEFINITELY cry. Theo’s death will of course bring you to tears, but there are other moments in this story that pack just as big of an emotional punch. Keep those tissues close!This book is brilliantly plotted and an absolute joy to read. This is definitely my new favorite YA contemporary, and I wish everyone in the world could be required to read it. We’d all be better people for it.Cover Rating : THREE STARSWhile I love the way this cover reflects the contrast in both the past and present perspectives in this story as well as the inverse emotions that Griffin feels at different points in the plot, it’s just not the prettiest cover ever.Swoon Worthiness: FIVE STARSThe guys in this story are just absolutely ADORABLE. I love all of them: Griffin, Theo, Jackson, and Wade. They are all such fantastic and REAL characters. They all have their flaws, but they’re flawed in ways they make them so much more relatable. Silvera has sprinkled just the BEST swoon worthy moments throughout this entire story, which definitely balances out the heavier emotional moments.Why You Should Read This Book:This book is BREATHTAKING. It includes great representation of both diversity and mental health issues, which is so, so, SO important for young readers and adults alike to experience.Silvera has managed to not only deliver a story with an entertaining plot but also what could best be described as an emotional roundhouse to a reader’s gut. And I do mean that in the best way possible.If you are looking for a book that will give you Every. Single. Feel. Ever…then this is most definitely a book you’ll want to put at the top of your 2017 TBR pile.

Wow, I really enjoyed this book, guys. I will admit that I was kind of disappointed that I didn’t have the same reaction to it that pretty much everyone else had (screaming, gasping, crying, destroying…). There were moments where I was sad (okay, pretty much the entire book I was sad), there were moments where I was joyously happy, and there were moments where the story totally shocked me and took me to a place I never expected. Overall, this book gave me a lot of feelings.This is actually the first book I’ve read where the main character was gay (pretty surprising considering how many diverse books we have now, even if there aren’t nearly enough.), but this is mainly because I am a completely different person than I was last year. I am so much more open-minded about diversity, which is why I ended up really enjoying this book. I loved learning and experiencing the love story between Theo and Griffin, even when we learned some not so great truths. It was still a beautiful love story.I also really enjoyed seeing the friendship between Jackson and Griffin emerge over Theo’s death. While at first I definitely thought it was a bad idea because they used to be arch enemies, I ended up really enjoying their dynamic. They ended up being really good for each other. It was so nice to see their friendship throughout the novel, how they were helping each other with their grief, and how they were helping each other remember the good things about Theo. It was just one of my absolute favorite things about the novel.There is a character that I can’t talk about without spoiling anything, but know that I also really enjoyed this character, even if most of the time they seemed like a side character. At least until the last hundred pages or so. Then stuff gets crazy, and my mind is blown. But anyway, they were a very nice addition to the story, and I am so glad at the end, they ended up being a major character.I also absolutely loved how OCD was represented in this novel. It was so realistic and so authentic. I could relate a lot to the numbers thing that Griffin had because that is something I suffer from as well as how he could only be on a certain side of someone. That’s something else I can relate back so because I suffer from OCD, and this OCD is such a major part of Griffin, and it is represented so well. I loved it. In so many YA novels, OCD is sort of brushed over, but I just loved seeing it actually accurately represented. I also loved how it's not the central plot of the story because this isn’t about mental health or Griffin trying to work through his OCD. It's about love and loss and grief, and just Griffin trying to get through Theo’s death, but the OCD is still a very prominent part of the story, and I absolutely loved that.I just loved Adam Silvera’s writing style as well because this is my first book by him, and it did not disappoint. He just has this poetic writing style that I am in love with. I just love the way in this book he managed to capture how much grief and loss can really overwhelm a person, push them to make some pretty questionable decisions. He really captured these themes realistically, and I was so in love with that.Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, the story line, the writing, and just everything about it. It was so good, and while this was my first novel by Adam Silvera, it won’t be my last. I am anticipating his next book (which comes out later this year!), and can’t wait to see more from him!

I loved reading History is All You Left Me. This is Adam Silvera’s sophomore novel and this book just absolutely blows me away. The story is told beginning from two sides – from the past and the present. The before and after. I knew I was in for a real heartbreaker of a novel when I started tearing up reading the first paragraph on the very first page of this book. This story is told from Griffin Jennings POV, a boy who fell in love with Theo McIntyre, and how he lost him.There’s a three-man squad made up of Theo, Griffin, and Wade in NYC. But when Theo leaves for college in California, and starts seeing another boy, Jackson, Griffin is still very much in love with Theo. A tragic accident takes Theo’s life and this book explores the grief left to his friends and his family, the people who now have to live without him.This book is raw and nothing gets left out. These feel like real teens when I’m reading it. There are many themes in this book that are tough to read. From the ‘History’ parts where you see Griffin’s growing awareness of his OCD slowly taking over his daily functions, to the ‘Today’ chapters where Griffin tries to work out his grief with the only other boy he feels can understand his loss – Jackson.I loved these characters. These are flawed characters. They’re not perfect, but I loved seeing their growth. I loved that there are gay and bisexual boys in this story and that their friends and family are very accepting when they do come out. I loved seeing the way the ‘History’ and the ‘Today’ chapters weave together. The writing is engaging and lets you see through Griffin’s eyes and experience the grieving process with him.This story is emotionally draining, but in a good way, I think. This isn’t a long review. But there’s really not much more to say about this book without spoiling anything. I loved everything about this book and it’s already one of my favorites for 2017.

History is All You Left Me has been outdoing my heart from the beginning. Every chapter is a gut-wrenching punch. I’m all bruised up and I ache all over. Please tape your heart for safety precautions. You’ll need it.The story follows Griffin Jennings, whose ex-boyfriend, Theo dies in a drowning accident. He’s broken and grieving and he turns to the person everyone least expected, Jackson. He’s the guy Theo was dating before he died. They are two guys who should hate each other, but instead they found resemblance that calls them to each own. It was grief. It was Theo.Griffin will resonate with readers. He’s nerdy, incredible, and easy to love. His arc will make you cry and hurt. You’d question his unfailing loyalty and love to Theo. The immortalize picture he painted of him. You’d see his spectacular self, the amazing moments. You’d also see his selfish side, the bad parts. It wasn’t glossed over. I love that. He has so much tale to unload. His compulsion is neatly infused and handled. It was another sucker punch to see him struggled. Silvera delivered it beautifully.I also love the supportive system of the main characters. To see a healthy and positive portrayal of coming out and seeing their parents guide them. Parents giving their gay son the “sex talk.” Life doesn’t get better than that.History is All You Left Me is mostly about pain. The main driving point is overcoming grief after all. But, it’s solely not just about that. There are little joys, too. Silvera stitched the readers with an uplifting conclusion. That’s how you write inclusively. You don’t only include the pain, but the joys too.I smile at him before looking ahead. There’s nothing wrong with someone’s saving my life, I’ve realized, especially when I can’t trust myself to get the job done right. People need people. That’s that.I’m sharing that specific quote in mind with a reason. I often see readers undermining the authentic portrayal of mental illness in YA. Of course, there are plenty that butchered it, but there are also plenty that tackle it in a respectful manner. Let’s give them credit. We forget that mental illness is something you can’t cure. YA stories tend to chronicle how teens learn to live with it in their own terms. And, there’s a lot of characters that help the protagonist reach that certain kind of peace, whether it’s their parents, siblings, inspiring adult figure, friends, or love interest. A person that needs “saving” and gets saved in return isn’t weak. Their pain isn’t less or diminished. Sometimes, you accept help from others and that’s perfectly okay. This book captured that essence that I was talking about. Griffin received a lot of help from people that genuinely care about him. He was reluctant at first, but he saw. I appreciate that.

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera was one of my most anticipated 2017 releases, and I pre-ordered the book because I was so excited about it. Unfortunately, the book was a big disappointment for me, and did not live up to Silvera's debut, More Happy Than Not. The story follows a teenage boy named Griffin, who finds out at the beginning of the book that his ex-boyfriend, Theo, died in a horrific drowning accident. Readers follow Griffin in the present and in the past to learn more about his relationship with Theo, and how he must learn to deal with his grief.I want to mention right off the bat that I can see how many other people are loving this book. My criticisms of the book mainly have to do with my own personal preferences, and not on what Silvera did "wrong" as an author. I hope to explain why History Is All You Left Me did not work for me, but might be a book you want to read.First, the writing style in this book was not my cup of tea. The prose is replete with what I consider cheesy metaphors. I can see how a young adult audience would love the writing style, because as a teenager I would think these metaphors are so deep and thought-provoking. Now, however, I just cringed and rolled my eyes. I would be able to look past the metaphors if they occurred here and there throughout the book, but they are a big part of the story, and keep repeating with new themes again and again.Similarly, I felt like there was too much telling and not showing in the story. As the book begins, readers are told that Griffin and Theo have been friends for years and that they have an incredible end-game love. I never quite felt that emotional connection between the characters, and I think the book's structure was a barrier to this. We jump right into Griffin and Theo's relationship when the love is already there, meaning their love was simply told to me instead of me discovering it.Moreover, I really appreciate that History Is All You Left Me includes mental illness representation in the form of Griffin's OCD. Silvera has stated that Griffin's OCD closely mirrors his own, so I recognize that this representation is not only grounded in reality, but also very personal to the author. However, I didn't like how OCD played a role in the novel. I felt like this mental illness was included to just tick a diversity box in the book, as it is skimmed over and not delved into much at all. I also didn't like how Griffin self-diagnoses himself for the majority of the novel. Plus, near the end of the story, a friend appears to be curing Griffin's OCD simply by making him stop his compulsions. I think we needed more detail on Griffin's OCD in order for it to truly be a main component of the book. Part of me felt like Silvera was nervous about giving away too much of himself in this storyline.My last criticism of the novel is that there are several typos and editing mistakes. I know this is a first edition, but after the first couple of mistakes it is apparent that more editing and copyediting needed to be done before publication.Putting all of the negative aside, I do appreciate the story of History Is All You Left Me. It is relatable to readers in many ways. For example, I thought a lot about being the person in love with someone who keeps you on the back burner. I also really love how Silvera "goes there" with many taboo topics, such as sex, abortion, and drugs. These are issues that real teens face, but often don't make it into young adult books. I am very impressed with how easily Silvera introduces many of these topics, and mentions them as if they are not a big deal.I also really liked the writing structure of this book. As I mentioned above, History Is All You Left Me is written both in the past and in the present. The chapters in the past are written in the first person from Griffin's perspective, and the chapters in the present are written in the second person with Griffin speaking to Theo, his now dead ex-boyfriend. I thought this format was a great idea, as it connected me with Griffin's state of mind at all points in the story. For the most part, this structure was very well done, and there are only a few points where it needed to be strengthened.Finally, my favorite aspect of this novel is the exploration of love, friendship, and change. I think many of us feel like relationships, whether romantic or not, are going to last for our entire lives, but the older we get we realize that is not the case. Relationships end, and that's okay. I really like how Silvera tackled this in History Is All You Left Me.In the end, I am disappointed with History Is All You Left Me, but I can see why many people sing its praises. I do recommend this book if you are a teenager or in your early twenties. Keep in mind this book does contain sex scenes, so I do think the target age for this book is 16 and older. I do hope to read more of Silvera's books in the future, but I will get them from the library first instead of pre-ordering them.*This review originally posted on Goodreads

This book gutted me. But I mean that in a good way. This is some very powerful writing. My heart ached right along with the main character. I found that I had to take breaks from reading this. At the same time, I wanted to keep reading and find out how the story of Griffin, Theo, Wade and Jackson unfolded.Theo and Wade have been friends forever. Griffin joined their “squad” in middle school. In high school Griff and Theo begin dating and fall quickly and intensely in love. The book opens in November 2016 on the day of Theo’s funeral. He got early admission to college in California, leaving Griffin in New York City. Theo died his freshman year. The book is narrated by Griffin and moves back and forth between “history” and “today”; from 2014-2017. The bulk of the book is Griffin’s conversation with dead Theo. Griffin describes his relationship with Theo, his “favorite person.” In the first chapter we learn that Griffin ended the relationship right before Theo went to college so he would not hold him back. Theo started dating Jackson and fell in love, though Griffin hoped this was just temporary. Griffin also enters another relationship. After Theo’s death he makes some self-destructive choices. Much of the book is about Griffin trying to make sense of his relationship with Theo and finding out how to go on after the death of his first love. Griffin also has untreated OCD, which interferes with the past and the present.It is true that some of the best literature is in the Young Adult genre. Adam Silvera hits all the marks. His writing about gay relationships is natural and on-point. Adolescence and young adulthood can be such an angst-ridden time. The author manages to write about intense emotions in a very believable way. The writing is not flowery or treacly as many books about adolescent first love can be. I really cared about these characters and experienced their emotions—the highs and the lows. Congratulations Mr. Silvers! This is some top-notch writing and a beautiful story. I can’t wait to read what you write next.

History is All You Left Me is so heartbreaking. There is no other word to describe it. It follows Griffin as he tries to make sense of the death of his ex-boyfriend Theo. Although they broke up a while ago, Griff always believed in the end they would be together, and the accidental death of Theo comes to him as a shock. As his OCD gets worse and memories keep overwhelming him, Griff sinks deeper into self-destruction mode, and needs to find a way to heal.I read this book because of Noriko’s review and some other positive reviews about it. Thank you guys for the recommendation!Adam Silvera’s writing is so raw on the feelings and so honest. It was so beautiful and emotional, and not too flourished. I have very little experience with OCD, so if anyone knows a reviewer who has it, please send me the link to their review! From my point of view, the representation seemed truthful and unflinching. I loved how the story developed, revealing little by little and keeping me holding my breath as Griffin experiences his grief in such a painful way. The complexity of this story was also something I wasn’t prepared for, and I was quite impressed by it. The unreliability of Griff’s narration added to the story for sure. I didn’t find it was a heavy read, though certainly a powerful one. I am still a bit stunned after finishing this novel, which will certainly stay in my mind for a while.Trigger warnings: Obsessive-compulsive behavior, grief.

History is all you left me (HIAYLM) is a wonderful book. Every chapter was filled with twists and turns, some that could be predicted, others not.I found this book emotionally depressing for the most part, as I really liked the storyline of Griffin and Theo, and found that I could only read a few chapters at a time before I would start crying or just be overcome with grief.However, I pushed through, and I am glad I did because the actual story between Griffin and Theo + the supporting characters was great. HIAYLM shows how individuals can set aside their differences when someone close to them passes away, and the emotions that attach itself to a person.Overall, I believe that this is an amazing book, and readers should read this but just make sure you are 1st in the right headspace (reach out to family/friends if it raises anything that should be spoken about to support networks) & 2nd have a lot of time to read this, so you can take breaks between chapters when it becomes too much.

An immersive story about Griffin's life since he came out to his friend Theo.Although the story can be a bit boring at the beginning it starts getting better and hook you up.It's frequent in Adam Silvera's book the characters with their own life with their own evolution.Anyway, due to the characters and due to the story this book gives you an amazing love story that everyone should read.

It is a sad story but I guess we all knew about that, well written, will make you smile, laugh and cry a little bit but that's what makes it worth every page.

I’m not crying, you are.This book was quite the gut punch. I finished it in two days and am still reeling, unsettled, and sad.Because it was good. Really, really good. It grabbed me by the throat, and there were numerous times i thought I couldn’t go on reading because on about every page my heart broke a little more. I had expected sadness, obviously, since the back blurb was so obvious about the loss of a loved one. I just didn’t expect it to grab me in such a way.Being introduced to a character (in flashbacks) you know is no longer alive in the present to me was a devastating experience. Even when the writing was about happy and fun times, about blooming love, I couldn’t forget the fact that none of it was going to last. And still, 5 stars, because you have to be a damn good writer to evoke all these emotions from me from start to finish.I absolutely loved the characters. Griffin was such an authentic kid, with his quirks, his grief, his confusion, all his hatred towards his ex’s new boyfriend that slowly turned into at least an understanding of why Theo liked him. Not that Griffin was faultless, far from it. And I can’t say I agree with all the things he did, but I can understand why he did them. He was madly in love with a boy who was hardly faultless himself, who had been put on a pedestal by Griffin, a place he was not entirely worthy of but that’s (young) love for you. It was good that Griffin could finally face Theo’s shortcomings over time, which seemed to open a window for him to try to move on.There is a shift in how he perceives Jackson, and Theo, and the world, and himself in all this, very gradually, very organically, and I loved that. I loved the writing, too. Silvera managed to crawl so deeply into Griffin’s skin, in the whole story, that I wonder if he managed to write this dry eyed himself.I’m so happy with the positive portrayal of gay / bisexual teenagers, the fact they do have sex (ya has come a long way, thank the gods), their environment which is a supportive one and not a hostile / gaybashing one (thank the gods once more).I am a sucker for positive endings. Happy ever afters feel forced to me and it was obvious this book could not end with fireworks. I was afraid though that it would end without even a sparkle of hope. I could not have dealt with that. There always has to be hope. I needed that assurance that Griffin, overtime, would be alright. And I believe that he is going to be.

Tutto OK grazie!!!!!