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A Thousand Boy Kisses #2
A Thousand Broken Pieces
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fiction (2024)Three years. Twelve months. A timeless grief. After losing her beloved sister three years ago, Savannah Litchfield has been living half a life. Now seventeen―the age Poppy died―the pain of losing her is worse than ever. When Savannah's therapist suggests a trip around the world to help teens stricken by loss, she reluctantly agrees to it, clutching the unread journal Poppy left her as she goes. Cael Woods is angry. One year after losing his older brother―the person who meant the world to him―his life has spiraled into a heady void of nothing. Once the most promising hockey player in the junior league, Cael can no longer step onto the ice without being paralyzed by memories of his brother. When his parents sign him up for a trip abroad for grieving teens, no part of him wants to go―but he does. As Cael and Savannah embark on a journey of healing, they learn to find solace together, discovering a glimmer of light only the other can bring. And the harder they fall, the more they heal the fractured fragments of their hearts, piece by broken piece.
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 23, 2024
8857 people are currently reading
106708 people want to read
About the author
Tillie Cole
55 books25.6k followersAmazon & USA Today Best Selling Author, Tillie Cole, is a Northern girl through and through. She originates from a place called Teesside on that little but awesomely sunny (okay I exaggerate) Isle called Great Britain. She was brought up surrounded by her English rose mother -- a farmer's daughter, her crazy Scottish father, a savagely sarcastic sister and a multitude of rescue animals and horses.
Being a scary blend of Scottish and English, Tillie embraces both cultures; her English heritage through her love of HP sauce and freshly made Yorkshire Puddings, and her Scottish which is mostly demonstrated by her frighteningly foul-mouthed episodes of pure rage and her much loved dirty jokes.
Having been born and raised as a Teesside Smoggie, Tillie, at age nineteen, moved forty miles north to the 'Toon', Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where she attended Newcastle University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in Religious Studies. She returned two years later to complete a Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching High School Social Studies. Tillie, regards Newcastle to be a home from home and enjoyed the Newcastle Geordie way of life for seven 'proper mint' and 'lush' years.
One summers day, after finishing reading her thousandth book on her much loved and treasured Kindle, Tillie turned to her husband and declared, "D'you know, I have a great idea for a story. I could write a book." Several months later, after repeating the same tired line at the close of another completed story, she was scolded by her husband to shut up talking about writing a novel and "just bloody do it!" For the first time in eleven years, Tillie actually took his advice (he is still trying to get over the shock) and immediately set off on a crazy journey, delving deep into her fertile imagination.
Tillie, ever since, has written from the heart. She combines her passion for anything camp and glittery with her love of humour and dark brooding men (most often muscled and tattooed – they’re her weakness!). She also has a serious side (believe it or not!) and loves to immerse herself in the complex study of World Religions, History and Cultural Studies and creates fantasy stories that enable her to thread serious issues and topics into her writing -- yep, there's more to this girl than profanity and sparkles!
After six years of teaching high school Social Studies and following her Professional Rugby Player husband around Europe, they have finally given up their nomadic way of life and settled in Calgary, Alberta where Tillie spends most of her days (and many a late night) lost in a writing euphoria or pursuing a dazzling career as a barrel-racing, tasselled-chap wearing, Stetson-sporting cowgirl... Ye-haw!
Being a scary blend of Scottish and English, Tillie embraces both cultures; her English heritage through her love of HP sauce and freshly made Yorkshire Puddings, and her Scottish which is mostly demonstrated by her frighteningly foul-mouthed episodes of pure rage and her much loved dirty jokes.
Having been born and raised as a Teesside Smoggie, Tillie, at age nineteen, moved forty miles north to the 'Toon', Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where she attended Newcastle University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in Religious Studies. She returned two years later to complete a Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching High School Social Studies. Tillie, regards Newcastle to be a home from home and enjoyed the Newcastle Geordie way of life for seven 'proper mint' and 'lush' years.
One summers day, after finishing reading her thousandth book on her much loved and treasured Kindle, Tillie turned to her husband and declared, "D'you know, I have a great idea for a story. I could write a book." Several months later, after repeating the same tired line at the close of another completed story, she was scolded by her husband to shut up talking about writing a novel and "just bloody do it!" For the first time in eleven years, Tillie actually took his advice (he is still trying to get over the shock) and immediately set off on a crazy journey, delving deep into her fertile imagination.
Tillie, ever since, has written from the heart. She combines her passion for anything camp and glittery with her love of humour and dark brooding men (most often muscled and tattooed – they’re her weakness!). She also has a serious side (believe it or not!) and loves to immerse herself in the complex study of World Religions, History and Cultural Studies and creates fantasy stories that enable her to thread serious issues and topics into her writing -- yep, there's more to this girl than profanity and sparkles!
After six years of teaching high school Social Studies and following her Professional Rugby Player husband around Europe, they have finally given up their nomadic way of life and settled in Calgary, Alberta where Tillie spends most of her days (and many a late night) lost in a writing euphoria or pursuing a dazzling career as a barrel-racing, tasselled-chap wearing, Stetson-sporting cowgirl... Ye-haw!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,073 reviews
Want to read
August 15, 2023tillie…so you’re just gonna reopen old wounds like that?? fuck, okay. you know i’ll read it tho, rip my heart out again…it’s fine.
Want to read
August 31, 2024OMG!!!😭😭😭 A THOUSAND BOY KISSES HAS A SEQUEL????
July 28, 2024
Well, hot dang! This book is a whirlwind of emotions!
Cael and Savannah are thrown together on a grief trip with a bunch of other teens, each dealing with their own losses. Remember how Savannah lost her sister Poppy in book 1? That alone was a heartbreaker. Now, as Cael and Savannah work through their grief, this book takes us on a rollercoaster of feelings.
The characters are so well-written and each one adds something special to the story. Tillie is an expert at making you cry, so don’t forget the tissues for this one too!
Cael and Savannah are thrown together on a grief trip with a bunch of other teens, each dealing with their own losses. Remember how Savannah lost her sister Poppy in book 1? That alone was a heartbreaker. Now, as Cael and Savannah work through their grief, this book takes us on a rollercoaster of feelings.
The characters are so well-written and each one adds something special to the story. Tillie is an expert at making you cry, so don’t forget the tissues for this one too!
July 30, 2024
This just didn’t rip my heart out like the first one did. And I am sad about that. I felt this book was very depressing and involves a lot of grief, but it just wasn’t the same as the heartbreaking 1st book. If I am being completely honest, I don’t think a 2nd book was really necessary. It is so hard to follow a story that beautiful so expectations will be so high and for me this just didn’t meet them.
I thought it was just so-so. It might be a comforting read if you are someone who has lost a sibling, since both main characters lost theirs. I think the biggest thing for me is that it felt long and repetitive. I actually really enjoyed parts of it. I think it should have been shortened to about half the length only highlighting those good parts and it would have been a better story.
Also I cringed every time he called her “baby”. I don’t know why, but it just did not fit with this story and their personalities.
This wasn’t a horrible read and I know a lot of people will really enjoy it. But for me personally, it just wasn’t anything special. It’s not a book I will think about months from now or even remember.
I thought it was just so-so. It might be a comforting read if you are someone who has lost a sibling, since both main characters lost theirs. I think the biggest thing for me is that it felt long and repetitive. I actually really enjoyed parts of it. I think it should have been shortened to about half the length only highlighting those good parts and it would have been a better story.
Also I cringed every time he called her “baby”. I don’t know why, but it just did not fit with this story and their personalities.
This wasn’t a horrible read and I know a lot of people will really enjoy it. But for me personally, it just wasn’t anything special. It’s not a book I will think about months from now or even remember.
July 26, 2024
THE EPILOGUE
July 24, 2024
MY REVIEW AND OTHERS can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
'𝐀 𝐓H𝐎U𝐒A𝐍D B𝐑O𝐊E𝐍 𝐏I𝐄C𝐄S' Is the second full length gut wrenching romance book within the (A thousand boy kisses) series by author Tillie Cole. Spoken in dual perspectives.' Savannah 💋 Cael
Are you after a tear duct cleansing then have I got the series for you, jump in, grab a box of tissues and take that plunge into a sea of tears!!
I couldn’t even get past the ‘Prologue’ only a few pages in and yep there I was with tears so early on streaming down my face, the first book broke me, the second book destroyed me, but towards the end I found peace. I've loved this series from back to front, both books becoming my all time favorite tear jerkers.
“I’ll…always be…with…you,” Poppy said, and I noticed a sallowness to her skin, heard the terrifying rattle in her breathing deepen and grow more erratic. No…no, no, no… “We will…” Poppy sucked in a faint breath, a fading gasp of air, “meet again…”
Savannah's big sister Poppy died four years ago, but for Savannah it feels like it was only yesterday, she's been in a bubble of grief ever since, life has moved on but she hasn't, and she's expected to start Harvard in the fall but doesn't know if she can make the move with how she's feeling. Her therapist and family push her into attending a five-country trip with like minded teenagers not able to wade through their grief this is the only preventative opportunity they can think of to help her on her path to healing.
And this is where Cael comes into the story, he's also been urged to take this trip in order to find himself and come to terms with his brothers passing. Cael is angry at the world, at his big brother, he hasn't been able to play hockey since the death of his brother. Hockey used to be his life and has been offered a scholarship to Harvard but since he's been unable to pick up a hockey stick he's floundering in his despair.
This book put me through the wringer and spat me out the other side, slightly unhinged but reeling in how beautifully this was written.
I’ve missed this author's words so much, I could’ve done without the tears but she gets a standing ovation for all the feelings this wrung out in me.
Two lost broken souls
Two hearts that healed.
August 12, 2024
“I wanted to hurt. It was the only time I was reminded that I was still alive.”
“I can live in the darkness if you are one of the stars.”
"Because your heart knows I'll protect you. That I'll always keep you safe. That I'll never stop loving you. Because I couldn't love you more if I tried."
“I like to think of her shining down upon me, living among the stars. She shone so brightly in this life, I knew she could only shine brighter in the next."
"This is Rune, Poppy's ..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say anymore. My stomach turned, until Rune said, "I'm Poppy's Rune."
“Nothing would make me leave her ... not even death."
“Love didn't die; it was eternal. It was a tattoo on our souls.”
This book broke my heart and put it back together.
Two people who have lost people they loved finding comfort in each other
No couple could beat the way I feel about Poppy and Rune but god did I love Sav and Cael
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions and I loved it.
I’m so attached to these characters. I read the first book last year and I still think about them all the time and I know I’ll think about this book the same. They all hold a special place in my heart
“I can live in the darkness if you are one of the stars.”
"Because your heart knows I'll protect you. That I'll always keep you safe. That I'll never stop loving you. Because I couldn't love you more if I tried."
“I like to think of her shining down upon me, living among the stars. She shone so brightly in this life, I knew she could only shine brighter in the next."
"This is Rune, Poppy's ..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say anymore. My stomach turned, until Rune said, "I'm Poppy's Rune."
“Nothing would make me leave her ... not even death."
“Love didn't die; it was eternal. It was a tattoo on our souls.”
This book broke my heart and put it back together.
Two people who have lost people they loved finding comfort in each other
No couple could beat the way I feel about Poppy and Rune but god did I love Sav and Cael
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions and I loved it.
I’m so attached to these characters. I read the first book last year and I still think about them all the time and I know I’ll think about this book the same. They all hold a special place in my heart
Want to read
August 27, 2023oh you're shitting me i'm not ready to cry again
September 5, 2024
˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗ 3 stars
chev's note: this book follows savannah, poppy's sister. this review contains minor spoilers , but I will try my best to be less explicit [for the spoilers]. my book besties, please share with me your thoughts in my profile comments, so as not to spoil the book for the others who haven’t read it yet, thank you!!
۫ ꣑ৎ overall thoughts: ۫ I was expecting to cry , like the first book, but it did not strike me as hard as the second I am not heartless, just not feeling it .
──★ ˙ ̟🎀 !!
“Some people are only in our lives for a short time, but the mark they leave on us is a cherished tattoo.”
──★ ˙ ̟🎀 !!
۫ ꣑ৎ grief and coping : this book is about grief, . I want to be vulnerable with you, I felt this. I could relate to this and this was one of the major aspects of the book that I loved. I never told anyone here yet, but I lost my grandad this year. I was taking his phone call a week ago before he left us and that left me at a loss. I am not fully healed yet, but this book came at the right time. Seeing savannah go through the same situation as me, I can empathise with her. Adding to the fact that the author made it so realistic of how different people will have different coping mechanisms, was part that I loved.
──★ ˙ ̟🎀 !!
“If someone judges you for how long it’s taking you to move past a loved one’s death, be happy for them, because it means they’ve never experienced it.”
I felt this.
──★ ˙ ̟🎀 !!
۫ ꣑ৎ roller coaster ride: blame me all you want, but I was looking for this book to be packed with emotions. It was emotional, yes, but different from a thousand boy kisses where it made me an emotional wreck.
༘⋆🌷🫧₊˚ෆ started on 2 September 2024, finished on 5 september
read my first review: a thousand boy kisses
chev's note: this book follows savannah, poppy's sister. this review contains minor spoilers , but I will try my best to be less explicit [for the spoilers]. my book besties, please share with me your thoughts in my profile comments, so as not to spoil the book for the others who haven’t read it yet, thank you!!
۫ ꣑ৎ overall thoughts: ۫ I was expecting to cry , like the first book, but it did not strike me as hard as the second
──★ ˙ ̟🎀 !!
“Some people are only in our lives for a short time, but the mark they leave on us is a cherished tattoo.”
──★ ˙ ̟🎀 !!
۫ ꣑ৎ grief and coping : this book is about grief, . I want to be vulnerable with you, I felt this. I could relate to this and this was one of the major aspects of the book that I loved. I never told anyone here yet, but I lost my grandad this year. I was taking his phone call a week ago before he left us and that left me at a loss. I am not fully healed yet, but this book came at the right time. Seeing savannah go through the same situation as me, I can empathise with her. Adding to the fact that the author made it so realistic of how different people will have different coping mechanisms, was part that I loved.
──★ ˙ ̟🎀 !!
“If someone judges you for how long it’s taking you to move past a loved one’s death, be happy for them, because it means they’ve never experienced it.”
I felt this.
──★ ˙ ̟🎀 !!
۫ ꣑ৎ roller coaster ride: blame me all you want, but I was looking for this book to be packed with emotions. It was emotional, yes, but different from a thousand boy kisses where it made me an emotional wreck.
༘⋆🌷🫧₊˚ෆ started on 2 September 2024, finished on 5 september
read my first review: a thousand boy kisses
August 2, 2024
REVIEW TO COME😭😭😭😭😭!!!!!!!!!
August 10, 2024
4 stars
‘A Thousand Boy Kisses’ was one of those books that ruined me. I loved it, but it broke my heart. When I saw its sequel was out I knew I had to read it. A Thousand Broken Pieces was great. It was emotional and heavy at times, but it left me with an overall hopeful feeling, which I appreciated.
Savannah’s older sister Poppy has been gone for three years. She’s now the same age as Poppy was when she passed. Seventeen. She’s still not coping. Savannah’s parents send her on a trip with a therapy group. It’s specifically for grieving teens. That’s where Savannah meets Cael.
Cael Woods isn’t just grieving; he’s angry. He lost his brother in a terrible way, and things aren’t good for him. His parents send him to the same program as Savannah. These two meet and work on healing together. I loved seeing them open up to one another and start the work. Loss is a hard topic, but knowing someone can relate helps.
A Thousand Broken Pieces was a beautiful YA romance that had heartbreaking moments but ended on a heartfelt note. I enjoyed it very much!
‘A Thousand Boy Kisses’ was one of those books that ruined me. I loved it, but it broke my heart. When I saw its sequel was out I knew I had to read it. A Thousand Broken Pieces was great. It was emotional and heavy at times, but it left me with an overall hopeful feeling, which I appreciated.
Savannah’s older sister Poppy has been gone for three years. She’s now the same age as Poppy was when she passed. Seventeen. She’s still not coping. Savannah’s parents send her on a trip with a therapy group. It’s specifically for grieving teens. That’s where Savannah meets Cael.
Cael Woods isn’t just grieving; he’s angry. He lost his brother in a terrible way, and things aren’t good for him. His parents send him to the same program as Savannah. These two meet and work on healing together. I loved seeing them open up to one another and start the work. Loss is a hard topic, but knowing someone can relate helps.
A Thousand Broken Pieces was a beautiful YA romance that had heartbreaking moments but ended on a heartfelt note. I enjoyed it very much!
Audio book source:
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Katie Schorr & PJ Ochlan
Narration Rating: 3 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 14h 37m
August 12, 2024
♾️🌟
This book broke my in every way
I never cried so much in my life but was soooo beutiful
I think this its my new fav book🥹
This book broke my in every way
I never cried so much in my life but was soooo beutiful
I think this its my new fav book🥹
mf-romance-to-read
August 9, 2023OMFG!! 🤯
That's what Tillie's been writing when I was not so patiently waiting for the new Hangmen, then???!!!
OMG. Ofc I immediately hit the pre-order button. I'm expecting it to crush me like "A Thousand Boy Kisses" did. Grab the tissues, folks... OMG. I'm impatient af right now!!
And... can someone please update the beautiful cover to this??? Please? Thanks!
That's what Tillie's been writing when I was not so patiently waiting for the new Hangmen, then???!!!
OMG. Ofc I immediately hit the pre-order button. I'm expecting it to crush me like "A Thousand Boy Kisses" did. Grab the tissues, folks... OMG. I'm impatient af right now!!
And... can someone please update the beautiful cover to this??? Please? Thanks!
![Profile Image for skylar ₊˚⊹♡ [busy].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1736976908i%2F177807314._UY200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 24, 2025
‧₊˚ 𝟒 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 ☁️⋅♡
▶︎•၊၊||၊|။ now playing — kintsugi by lana del rey
⋆｡˚౨ৎ and i just can't stop cryin' cause all of the ways / when you see someone dyin', you see all your days / flash in front of you / and you think about who would be with you
hey so tillie cole can you PLEASE STOP making me cry hello??? um wtf. this book was like a stab in the gut with a little pat on the back after. like you just left me bleeding out but alright i guess you go girl. the whole story and how she wrote grief's journey would've been five stars, but there were certain things about the writing that i didn't really like!! but other than that, this was a great book. it'll never beat a thousand boy kisses though 🙂↕️ (i miss poppy and rune SO BAD OHEUIFHQEUFH)
⤿ what i didn't like. while this had good quotes and overall good writing about grief and the journey the characters went on, there were some things that icked me out SO BAD. like i'm so sorry but i don't really like the pet name "baby." i'm not trying to be whiny it's just my opinion so yeah!! i think poppy and rune used it but it hit different with them so i'll give them a pass. and new drinking game invented!! take a shot every time they mention savannah's petite figure and cael's towering frame. except maybe don't because then you'll get alcohol poisoning! ok all jokes it was just a bit annoying.
౨ৎ (🩺) sav. i liked her!! she was sweet and i liked that she was quiet in contrast to poppy (even though i LOVED poppy's energy ofc). it was so sad to read her pov because i miss poppy too!! i read a whole book with her and honestly it kinda hit me so i can't even imagine being in sav's position as her sister. THE LETTERS KILLED ME and all the memories!! tbh i'm so glad we got a book for her because of how the first one ended. like you could just tell how broken she was. i hope ida is next!!
⊹ "i have loved every moment of growing up beside you. my sister. my best friend. you are a part of me, just as i am a part of you. that can never be extinguished. that can never die. i must go now. i am becoming too tired. but remember, i love you more than all the stars in the sky.”
౨ৎ (🏒) cael. omggg his journey was the hardest of all. i can't even imagine losing someone like that and tbh reading this has made me grateful for my sibling!! but even with so much trauma he was still so sweet to sav and i love that. his anger turning to sadness throughout it was so hard to read but it had to happen honestly. but if i said i liked rune better what then 🙊 I'M JOKING (mostly)
⊹ “sometimes, people don’t let their loved ones know how much they are hurting because they don’t want to bring them pain too.”
౨ৎ (💌) savcael. THEM. their story is so sweet because it's truly so easy to connect with someone when you share grief. seeing them be each other's crutches and motivation to get better was so nice!! it was a bit instalove-y (which is another thing i didn't really like about the book) but i could deal with it because they were the perfect match for what they were going through.
⊹ “she was teaching me more on this trip than anyone ever had. she was teaching me that happiness didn’t have to be big gestures and life-changing moments. it could be just this. witnessing someone seeing snow for the first time. hearing someone laugh, true and honest.”
⤿ bottom line is that this was such a good book for what it was supposed to be! definitely check trigger warnings before reading this book because it's really heavy. but i'd recommend if you're ready for it!! it's making me wanna reread a thousand boy kisses sooo bad though (still the better book and i'll never stop talking about it)
ᝰ.ᐟ “death is the best lesson in life. death teaches us to live, for the short amount of time we are here. death teaches us to live with all our heart and soul, day by day, minute by treasured minute.”
▶︎•၊၊||၊|။ now playing — kintsugi by lana del rey
⋆｡˚౨ৎ and i just can't stop cryin' cause all of the ways / when you see someone dyin', you see all your days / flash in front of you / and you think about who would be with you
hey so tillie cole can you PLEASE STOP making me cry hello??? um wtf. this book was like a stab in the gut with a little pat on the back after. like you just left me bleeding out but alright i guess you go girl. the whole story and how she wrote grief's journey would've been five stars, but there were certain things about the writing that i didn't really like!! but other than that, this was a great book. it'll never beat a thousand boy kisses though 🙂↕️ (i miss poppy and rune SO BAD OHEUIFHQEUFH)
⤿ what i didn't like. while this had good quotes and overall good writing about grief and the journey the characters went on, there were some things that icked me out SO BAD. like i'm so sorry but i don't really like the pet name "baby." i'm not trying to be whiny it's just my opinion so yeah!! i think poppy and rune used it but it hit different with them so i'll give them a pass. and new drinking game invented!! take a shot every time they mention savannah's petite figure and cael's towering frame. except maybe don't because then you'll get alcohol poisoning! ok all jokes it was just a bit annoying.
౨ৎ (🩺) sav. i liked her!! she was sweet and i liked that she was quiet in contrast to poppy (even though i LOVED poppy's energy ofc). it was so sad to read her pov because i miss poppy too!! i read a whole book with her and honestly it kinda hit me so i can't even imagine being in sav's position as her sister. THE LETTERS KILLED ME and all the memories!! tbh i'm so glad we got a book for her because of how the first one ended. like you could just tell how broken she was. i hope ida is next!!
⊹ "i have loved every moment of growing up beside you. my sister. my best friend. you are a part of me, just as i am a part of you. that can never be extinguished. that can never die. i must go now. i am becoming too tired. but remember, i love you more than all the stars in the sky.”
౨ৎ (🏒) cael. omggg his journey was the hardest of all. i can't even imagine losing someone like that and tbh reading this has made me grateful for my sibling!! but even with so much trauma he was still so sweet to sav and i love that. his anger turning to sadness throughout it was so hard to read but it had to happen honestly. but if i said i liked rune better what then 🙊 I'M JOKING (mostly)
⊹ “sometimes, people don’t let their loved ones know how much they are hurting because they don’t want to bring them pain too.”
౨ৎ (💌) savcael. THEM. their story is so sweet because it's truly so easy to connect with someone when you share grief. seeing them be each other's crutches and motivation to get better was so nice!! it was a bit instalove-y (which is another thing i didn't really like about the book) but i could deal with it because they were the perfect match for what they were going through.
⊹ “she was teaching me more on this trip than anyone ever had. she was teaching me that happiness didn’t have to be big gestures and life-changing moments. it could be just this. witnessing someone seeing snow for the first time. hearing someone laugh, true and honest.”
⤿ bottom line is that this was such a good book for what it was supposed to be! definitely check trigger warnings before reading this book because it's really heavy. but i'd recommend if you're ready for it!! it's making me wanna reread a thousand boy kisses sooo bad though (still the better book and i'll never stop talking about it)
July 23, 2024
I was expecting this to just break my heart like the first one did. But it just didn’t. It was soooo boring to me. I pushed through even tho I wanted to DNF from about page 100. Ugh. I would have much rather read a book how Rune is now after losing Poppy. Not Savannah. She wasn’t even a main character in the first one…but what about Rune! Yes we got a glimpse but it was only that a glimpse. I still need closure with Rune! This just fell flat and was 😴
April 23, 2025
Not as heavy as the first book, but still a harder read on grief 💔
July 28, 2024
4.5 ⭐
This book broke and healed my heart at the same time, and I'm really, really glad that I read it. Dealing with grief and trying to cope with it will always be a difficult journey to partake in, and people will always have different ways to handle it.
I think this book did its best to show how some people deal with loss and the struggle it takes for them to accept the fact that someone they loved is no longer around.
Cael (18) and Savannah (17) may have had different reactions to dealing with their loss, but the sad truth that they've lost an important person that had been a huge part of their lives became their common ground. They both had their walls and weren't interested in letting anyone in. But they were able to see past the grief, sadness, anger, and pain that had been buried deep inside them for the longest time and were able to make something good out of their sorrow.
I loved how they helped each other navigate the reality of their sibling's death. They did their very best to be there for each other, despite the fact that at times it was hard for them to face their own heartache. Their unwavering support for one another had been a huge help that made the grieving and healing process so worthwhile in the end. It was definitely heartbreaking, but they managed to push through and deal with it with a lot of understanding, openness, and love. It was admirable to see them try their hardest to help themselves—not just for personal gain but also because they wanted to be whole for each other. And I just looooved how they loved one another so deeply and how openly they communicated their feelings to one another. 🥹
It's really something that they found— a once in a lifetime, forever type kind of love— in the midst of their grieving, but I honestly felt they found one another at the right time just when they needed it the most. 💖
Anyhoo, this is really good. It was overwhelming—in a good way. I could probably say more good things about it, but I'm so wiped out from all the emotions I felt while reading this. And all throughout, I felt that I'd been with them on their journey to healing, and I'm happy to just be on board every step of the way. This has been one of the good stories that I've come across so far this year, and I can honestly say it's worth the tears I shed. 🥹💖
Book info:
- Dealing with grief
- Loss of loved one
- Mention of cancer
- Su*cide (recounted)
- Coming of age
- Young adult
- Strangers to friends to lovers
- New found friendship
- Soul mates 🥹
- No cheating, OPD
- Dual V (but FTB, which I'm really thankful for, for some reason 🫣)
- Separation (months, Cael needed more help after the trip, so he entered a residential program that deals with grief)
- HFN (8 yrs later, engaged)
This book broke and healed my heart at the same time, and I'm really, really glad that I read it. Dealing with grief and trying to cope with it will always be a difficult journey to partake in, and people will always have different ways to handle it.
I think this book did its best to show how some people deal with loss and the struggle it takes for them to accept the fact that someone they loved is no longer around.
Cael (18) and Savannah (17) may have had different reactions to dealing with their loss, but the sad truth that they've lost an important person that had been a huge part of their lives became their common ground. They both had their walls and weren't interested in letting anyone in. But they were able to see past the grief, sadness, anger, and pain that had been buried deep inside them for the longest time and were able to make something good out of their sorrow.
I loved how they helped each other navigate the reality of their sibling's death. They did their very best to be there for each other, despite the fact that at times it was hard for them to face their own heartache. Their unwavering support for one another had been a huge help that made the grieving and healing process so worthwhile in the end. It was definitely heartbreaking, but they managed to push through and deal with it with a lot of understanding, openness, and love. It was admirable to see them try their hardest to help themselves—not just for personal gain but also because they wanted to be whole for each other. And I just looooved how they loved one another so deeply and how openly they communicated their feelings to one another. 🥹
It's really something that they found— a once in a lifetime, forever type kind of love— in the midst of their grieving, but I honestly felt they found one another at the right time just when they needed it the most. 💖
Anyhoo, this is really good. It was overwhelming—in a good way. I could probably say more good things about it, but I'm so wiped out from all the emotions I felt while reading this. And all throughout, I felt that I'd been with them on their journey to healing, and I'm happy to just be on board every step of the way. This has been one of the good stories that I've come across so far this year, and I can honestly say it's worth the tears I shed. 🥹💖
Book info:
- Dealing with grief
- Loss of loved one
- Mention of cancer
- Su*cide (recounted)
- Coming of age
- Young adult
- Strangers to friends to lovers
- New found friendship
- Soul mates 🥹
- No cheating, OPD
- Dual V (but FTB, which I'm really thankful for, for some reason 🫣)
- Separation (months, Cael needed more help after the trip, so he entered a residential program that deals with grief)
- HFN (8 yrs later, engaged)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2024
I loved A Thousand Boy Kisses so SO much, and wanted to love this just as much but sadly this one fell flat for me.
I didn’t feel nearly as many emotions as I felt while reading A Thousandth Boy Kisses, if any at all, to be honest. I couldn’t relate to the characters. Found them annoying AF! Sorry, but I’m not sorry! 🤭 to me they were just teenagers acting like teenagers when they don’t know how to handle life and their emotions, too much drama! I also understand this is YA so maybe I am not the right audience to this one.
Even though I didn’t love this, I think this will be a favorite to too many readers and fans of the previous book, so don’t let my review sway you from giving it a go. You may have a different experience.
Tropes: friends to lovers; death/grief; dual pov.
I didn’t feel nearly as many emotions as I felt while reading A Thousandth Boy Kisses, if any at all, to be honest. I couldn’t relate to the characters. Found them annoying AF! Sorry, but I’m not sorry! 🤭 to me they were just teenagers acting like teenagers when they don’t know how to handle life and their emotions, too much drama! I also understand this is YA so maybe I am not the right audience to this one.
Even though I didn’t love this, I think this will be a favorite to too many readers and fans of the previous book, so don’t let my review sway you from giving it a go. You may have a different experience.
Tropes: friends to lovers; death/grief; dual pov.
Read
August 30, 2023have i recovered from the first book? no. am i still reading this the day it’s released? YES
August 22, 2024
« 𝒋𝒆 𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒖𝒆́𝒓𝒊𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆. 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒔 𝒋’𝒂𝒗𝒂𝒊𝒔 𝒅’𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒆 𝒈𝒖𝒆́𝒓𝒊𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒊. »
c’était d’une extrême beauté-
dans ce 2e volet, nous retrouvons Savannah, qui 4 ans après la mort de sa grande soeur Poppy n’arrive toujours pas à retrouver goût à la vie. elle part donc en voyage thérapeutique découvrir 5 pays et y vivre les 5 étapes du deuil, le tout avec 5 autres jeunes détruits comme elle.
c’était absolument poignant, on y parle de perte, de deuil, de résilience, de reconstruction, de manque, de l’absence, de la souffrance, de dépression aussi.
le voyage est plein de sens et extrêmement symbolique, c’était, une fois de plus d’une grande beauté.
cette histoire m’a pris au tripes. il y a longtemps que j’avais pas autant pleuré (et en continu) en lisant un livre. ça m’a profondément touché, pleins de mots très justes se trouvent dans ce livre. des mots que l’on a parfois besoin d’entendre et qui font du bien.
mon coeur sera toujours en mille morceaux, mais n’oublions jamais qu’une fois réparé, ce qui est cassé peut être encore plus beau qu’avant. 💔
— "perdre un être cher est la chose la plus déchirante que l’on puisse endurer. mais vivre pour eux, les aimer même après leur départ, c’est aussi guérir. parce qu’ils sont toujours à nos côtés, souhaitant notre bonheur et une vie si remplie qu’il n’y aura pas de place pour les regrets lorsque notre heure arrivera."
c’était d’une extrême beauté-
dans ce 2e volet, nous retrouvons Savannah, qui 4 ans après la mort de sa grande soeur Poppy n’arrive toujours pas à retrouver goût à la vie. elle part donc en voyage thérapeutique découvrir 5 pays et y vivre les 5 étapes du deuil, le tout avec 5 autres jeunes détruits comme elle.
c’était absolument poignant, on y parle de perte, de deuil, de résilience, de reconstruction, de manque, de l’absence, de la souffrance, de dépression aussi.
le voyage est plein de sens et extrêmement symbolique, c’était, une fois de plus d’une grande beauté.
cette histoire m’a pris au tripes. il y a longtemps que j’avais pas autant pleuré (et en continu) en lisant un livre. ça m’a profondément touché, pleins de mots très justes se trouvent dans ce livre. des mots que l’on a parfois besoin d’entendre et qui font du bien.
mon coeur sera toujours en mille morceaux, mais n’oublions jamais qu’une fois réparé, ce qui est cassé peut être encore plus beau qu’avant. 💔
— "perdre un être cher est la chose la plus déchirante que l’on puisse endurer. mais vivre pour eux, les aimer même après leur départ, c’est aussi guérir. parce qu’ils sont toujours à nos côtés, souhaitant notre bonheur et une vie si remplie qu’il n’y aura pas de place pour les regrets lorsque notre heure arrivera."
December 15, 2024
⚠️Préparez vos mouchoirs!!!⚠️
🖋️"J'arriverai à vivre dans l'obscurité si tu es une étoile."
Comme plusieurs d'entre vous, j'ai eu un coup de coeur pour "Mille baisers pour un garçon", qui avait été une lecture tellement touchante et émouvante. J'avais donc très hâte de me plonger dans cette suite.
Si le premier tome m'avait brisé le coeur, celui-ci a fini de l'achever! J'ai tellement pleuré certains passages que je ne voyais plus clair.
🖋️"Le deuil, c'est avancer sur un champ de mines sans protection ni guide."
On suit donc Savannah, la soeur de Poppy, qui vit difficilement le deuil de sa soeur. Le temps passe mais la douleur ne s'estompe malheureusement pas.
Elle accepte de prendre part à un voyage autour du monde pour adolescents endeuillés. Ce voyage lui permettra de rencontrer Cael, qui vit le départ de son frère dans la colère, la rancoeur et la culpabilité.
Ensemble, ils chemineront mutuellement à travers leurs deuils respectifs, à leur rythme et réapprendront que la vie peut être belle et qu'ils ont droit au bonheur.
Gros gros coup de coeur malgré toutes les larmes sans fin que ce roman m'a fait verser. Si vous avez aimé le premier tome, ça n'en sera pas différent pour celui-ci... je pense même que je l'ai préféré!
🖋️"La vie est un voyage étrange, fait de hauts et de bas, de chagrins et de pertes. Mais elle est aussi faite de joie, d'étoiles et de soleil.
Et d'amour.
L'amour par-dessus tout."
🖋️"J'arriverai à vivre dans l'obscurité si tu es une étoile."
Comme plusieurs d'entre vous, j'ai eu un coup de coeur pour "Mille baisers pour un garçon", qui avait été une lecture tellement touchante et émouvante. J'avais donc très hâte de me plonger dans cette suite.
Si le premier tome m'avait brisé le coeur, celui-ci a fini de l'achever! J'ai tellement pleuré certains passages que je ne voyais plus clair.
🖋️"Le deuil, c'est avancer sur un champ de mines sans protection ni guide."
On suit donc Savannah, la soeur de Poppy, qui vit difficilement le deuil de sa soeur. Le temps passe mais la douleur ne s'estompe malheureusement pas.
Elle accepte de prendre part à un voyage autour du monde pour adolescents endeuillés. Ce voyage lui permettra de rencontrer Cael, qui vit le départ de son frère dans la colère, la rancoeur et la culpabilité.
Ensemble, ils chemineront mutuellement à travers leurs deuils respectifs, à leur rythme et réapprendront que la vie peut être belle et qu'ils ont droit au bonheur.
Gros gros coup de coeur malgré toutes les larmes sans fin que ce roman m'a fait verser. Si vous avez aimé le premier tome, ça n'en sera pas différent pour celui-ci... je pense même que je l'ai préféré!
🖋️"La vie est un voyage étrange, fait de hauts et de bas, de chagrins et de pertes. Mais elle est aussi faite de joie, d'étoiles et de soleil.
Et d'amour.
L'amour par-dessus tout."
Read
August 9, 2023i am already crying seeing the name. I don't think I can handle my heart this time on 🥹
November 17, 2024
A THOUSAND BROKEN PIECES (A THOUSAND BOY KISSES #2)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WARNING: if you haven’t read a thousand boy kisses, go do that rn because you shouldn’t be looking at this book without reading that first (it will be worth it, trust me)
please hold me by julia alexa now playing
“and if i had one dream for you, savannah, it would be for you to find your rune”
peaches 💕
“i walked as lonely as a cloud…”
“a loved ones death wasn’t a one time thing that you had to endure. it was an endless cycle. a cruel groundhog day that burned away at your heart and soul until there was nothing but scorched flesh where they once had been”
poppy’s letters 💔
THIS STORY OF RECOVERING FROM
A LOVED ONES DEATH WILL RIP OUT YOUR HEART AND THEN GIVE IT A COMFORTING HUG
cael and savannah are just two broken people learning to love. they both lost their older siblings, the person they looked up to all their lives and it’s amazing to read how they help each other through that grief that had consumed them. i’ve never lost anyone important to me (fortunately) but the way that grief is described in this story is just so real. you can feel the emotion spilling off the pages.
❄️CAEL WOODS❄️
—the person i am by julia alexa, bootleg boy now playing
“she was teaching me more on this trip than anyone ever had. she was teaching me that happiness didn’t have to be big gestures and life changing moments. it could be just this. witnessing someone seeing snow rot the first time. hearing someone laugh, true and honest. i didn’t know something so simple could hit me so hard. since cillian, nothing, not one single thing had brought me happiness.
until her”
the loss of his beloved brother, the person who was always there for him, always cheered him on broke him and it’s so heartbreaking to read about the pain he feels now that cillian is gone. i love how much savannah helps him overcome the anger and forgive his brother
new book boyfriend 🤭
“despite how different we were on the surface, underneath it all, we were kindred souls”
“i’ll never feel better”, he confessed, and his voice sounded as splintered as shattered glass. his expression was guarded, and i wondered what it had cost him to reveal that to me”
☀️SAVANNAH LITCHFIELD☀️
—knife under my pillow by maggie lindemann now playing
“i was simply broken”
“if it helped cael in this moment, helped him release himself from the heavy shackles of grief, i would plunge myself into the arctic sea just to help him heal”
the northern lights scene 😭
when her sister poppy died, savannah lost herself. she held onto her grief for four years, not even opening the letters poppy left her, until finally the grief trip and cael (ofc 🤭) helped her move on. i felt so sorry for her during her panic attacks and i couldn’t ever imagine what it would do to me if i lost my sister.
🌸POPPY AND CILLIAN⛸️
—forever young by alphaville now playing
“keep your heart open and let love in when it should present itself”
-poppy litchfield
✨“i still stared at the stars and missed her”✨
“sometimes people don’t let their loved ones know how much they are hurting because they don’t want to bring them pain too”
because both these people played such a large part of the story, even if they weren’t actually in it, they get an honourable mention. poppy’s death was so sad and it’s heartbreaking to see how much it affected the people in her life but i know that she was a happy person and loved life to the fullest. i am officially emotionally attached to another fictional character. and what cillian did made cael lose all hope and his vision of the future, and while it will never be the same, and cillian probably just needed someone there, it’s so sad to know that he chose to not only give up on his dreams, but his brother’s too. however i understand him and feel so bad for him so like cael, i have forgiven him too 💔
savannah’s letter to poppy. page 143
✨“poppy,
i think i felt you tonight. for the first time since you passed, i felt you beside me. please say that it was you.
please say that ribbon of cherry blossom pink that broke through the green was you. please tell me that you are with me on this journey.
please say that you are happy and alive, in some miraculous way. because poppy… i need that. i need you to be somewhere living. YOU were too big and too bright not to be living. please tell me you were one of the stars i saw sparking in the sky tonight, so that i can look upon you when i need you. when i want my big sister to stay with me, for as long as you can.
i can live in the darkness if you are one of the stars”✨
RUNE
aw my baby 😭 i’m so happy he’s with poppy now though
“you’re the best thing to happen to me in the longest time, peaches”
i loved poppy and rune’s sweet and wholesome story but savannah and cael’s story of healing was incredible. it was different and i loved it!
⛸️💌✈️🏔️🌌✨❄️💔📖💋🏥🌸🏒
preread
i couldn’t resist. i think this is going to rip out my heart 💔
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WARNING: if you haven’t read a thousand boy kisses, go do that rn because you shouldn’t be looking at this book without reading that first (it will be worth it, trust me)
please hold me by julia alexa now playing
“and if i had one dream for you, savannah, it would be for you to find your rune”
peaches 💕
“i walked as lonely as a cloud…”
“a loved ones death wasn’t a one time thing that you had to endure. it was an endless cycle. a cruel groundhog day that burned away at your heart and soul until there was nothing but scorched flesh where they once had been”
poppy’s letters 💔
THIS STORY OF RECOVERING FROM
A LOVED ONES DEATH WILL RIP OUT YOUR HEART AND THEN GIVE IT A COMFORTING HUG
cael and savannah are just two broken people learning to love. they both lost their older siblings, the person they looked up to all their lives and it’s amazing to read how they help each other through that grief that had consumed them. i’ve never lost anyone important to me (fortunately) but the way that grief is described in this story is just so real. you can feel the emotion spilling off the pages.
❄️CAEL WOODS❄️
—the person i am by julia alexa, bootleg boy now playing
“she was teaching me more on this trip than anyone ever had. she was teaching me that happiness didn’t have to be big gestures and life changing moments. it could be just this. witnessing someone seeing snow rot the first time. hearing someone laugh, true and honest. i didn’t know something so simple could hit me so hard. since cillian, nothing, not one single thing had brought me happiness.
until her”
the loss of his beloved brother, the person who was always there for him, always cheered him on broke him and it’s so heartbreaking to read about the pain he feels now that cillian is gone. i love how much savannah helps him overcome the anger and forgive his brother
new book boyfriend 🤭
“despite how different we were on the surface, underneath it all, we were kindred souls”
“i’ll never feel better”, he confessed, and his voice sounded as splintered as shattered glass. his expression was guarded, and i wondered what it had cost him to reveal that to me”
☀️SAVANNAH LITCHFIELD☀️
—knife under my pillow by maggie lindemann now playing
“i was simply broken”
“if it helped cael in this moment, helped him release himself from the heavy shackles of grief, i would plunge myself into the arctic sea just to help him heal”
the northern lights scene 😭
when her sister poppy died, savannah lost herself. she held onto her grief for four years, not even opening the letters poppy left her, until finally the grief trip and cael (ofc 🤭) helped her move on. i felt so sorry for her during her panic attacks and i couldn’t ever imagine what it would do to me if i lost my sister.
🌸POPPY AND CILLIAN⛸️
—forever young by alphaville now playing
“keep your heart open and let love in when it should present itself”
-poppy litchfield
✨“i still stared at the stars and missed her”✨
“sometimes people don’t let their loved ones know how much they are hurting because they don’t want to bring them pain too”
because both these people played such a large part of the story, even if they weren’t actually in it, they get an honourable mention. poppy’s death was so sad and it’s heartbreaking to see how much it affected the people in her life but i know that she was a happy person and loved life to the fullest. i am officially emotionally attached to another fictional character. and what cillian did made cael lose all hope and his vision of the future, and while it will never be the same, and cillian probably just needed someone there, it’s so sad to know that he chose to not only give up on his dreams, but his brother’s too. however i understand him and feel so bad for him so like cael, i have forgiven him too 💔
savannah’s letter to poppy. page 143
✨“poppy,
i think i felt you tonight. for the first time since you passed, i felt you beside me. please say that it was you.
please say that ribbon of cherry blossom pink that broke through the green was you. please tell me that you are with me on this journey.
please say that you are happy and alive, in some miraculous way. because poppy… i need that. i need you to be somewhere living. YOU were too big and too bright not to be living. please tell me you were one of the stars i saw sparking in the sky tonight, so that i can look upon you when i need you. when i want my big sister to stay with me, for as long as you can.
i can live in the darkness if you are one of the stars”✨
RUNE
aw my baby 😭 i’m so happy he’s with poppy now though
“you’re the best thing to happen to me in the longest time, peaches”
i loved poppy and rune’s sweet and wholesome story but savannah and cael’s story of healing was incredible. it was different and i loved it!
⛸️💌✈️🏔️🌌✨❄️💔📖💋🏥🌸🏒
preread
i couldn’t resist. i think this is going to rip out my heart 💔
March 17, 2025
4⭐️
i LOVED this book. savannah finding “her rune” was the cutest thing ever. cael and sav are so cute and their chemistry throughout the book is so good. only downside is i feel like the end was rushed and i was practically crying the entire time
i LOVED this book. savannah finding “her rune” was the cutest thing ever. cael and sav are so cute and their chemistry throughout the book is so good. only downside is i feel like the end was rushed and i was practically crying the entire time
September 3, 2025
Rewriting this review!
ᯓ★𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝-
Time to continue the series. I put off reading this because I was kind of sad and also slightly disappointed in the last book but here I am. I’m crossing fingers it’s good and has the perfect heartbreak I need.
ᯓ★𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝-
Time to continue the series. I put off reading this because I was kind of sad and also slightly disappointed in the last book but here I am. I’m crossing fingers it’s good and has the perfect heartbreak I need.
August 3, 2024
I’m a sap, but I can’t help just loving these stereotypical girl-y Tillie Cole books. Petitioning for Ida to get a book too. Haha!
August 29, 2024
this was so long for a book with no plot
April 11, 2025
3.5 Sterne
Das war wirklich sehr sweet! Ich persönlich hätte dieses "Sequel" nicht gebraucht und mir auch gewünscht, dass ich es direkt nach "A Thousand Boy Kisses" damals gelesen hätte, weil es definitiv eher für jüngere Leser geeignet ist, aber Tillie Cole's Schreibstil ist nichtsdestotrotz verspielt, melancholisch und geht mit der Thematik Trauer wundervoll um. Einzig und allein unrealistisch ist es, dass hier jugendliche Figuren hier an einem Trauerprogramm teilnehmen und weltweit 5 Länder bereisen - das Geld hätte ich auch gerne mal!
Das war wirklich sehr sweet! Ich persönlich hätte dieses "Sequel" nicht gebraucht und mir auch gewünscht, dass ich es direkt nach "A Thousand Boy Kisses" damals gelesen hätte, weil es definitiv eher für jüngere Leser geeignet ist, aber Tillie Cole's Schreibstil ist nichtsdestotrotz verspielt, melancholisch und geht mit der Thematik Trauer wundervoll um. Einzig und allein unrealistisch ist es, dass hier jugendliche Figuren hier an einem Trauerprogramm teilnehmen und weltweit 5 Länder bereisen - das Geld hätte ich auch gerne mal!
August 7, 2024
Right. This was an absolute abomination of a book. I don't know how this atrocity even got past an editor (seems as though it bypassed that stage). The only redeeming part of this book was that it was a buddy read with the lovely Chloe McDade, with whom I got to rant about this piece of garbage, as I will proceed to do here.
This book was supposed to be a commentary on grief and love, I assume, for it did not achieve that. There are so very many things wrong with it I don't even know where to begin. I suppose the characters are a good place to start.
Savannah: The most one-dimensional 'PETITE' 'PINT SIZED' blonde character ever. Her personality traits include (and are limited to), being introverted, being Poppy's sister, her grief, being Cael's lover and being petite - in that order. Carl isn't much better. He too is defined by his grief, the death of his brother, being an aggressive, brooding twat and a 'hockey-player-that-never-was' and loving Savannah - also in that order.
Together, they are the most boring, and plain and quite elementary characters/couple ever, and there is absolutely nothing to root for, because it is so predictable.
Now for the plot. Let me just preface by saying that this book is YA, therefore the target audience are children. The issue I have with this is that Cole seems to make a caricature of grief (despite stating that she too has endured it), and whilst doing so, she also proposes that the solution for this is to find 'the love of your life'. First of all, entirely wrong message. Grief is something you, and only you can face alone, (with the support of others ofc) and the relationship Carl and Savannah develop is not only terribly unrealistic ('I don't feel anything for 4 years, but I meet you and we create the beautiful blossoming relationship within which we both thrive, but only when we are together') but also incredibly unhealthy. Why, might you ask? CO-DEPENDENCY?! I don't know what experience the author herself has gone through to come to such a conclusion, and also believe that said conclusion should be transcribed into a little book for young adults, but my god this is so unhealthy. And this paired with the most bland, boring characters in the history of literature (of which this book is not), creates something that not only makes me lose brain cells but also distorts what grief is and the healthy ways to cope with it. The book has the skeleton of correct philosophy's, but it is a skeleton only - non-functioning and bare. The couple are defined by this grief, maybe that was the point initially, which is fair enough - grief is all-encompassing - but afterwards they became defined by each other which may seem sweet but is actually very unhealthy. And I also felt that the author was desperately trying to re-create Rune and Poppy's relationship. Beyond the grief parts, it is terrible to compare you relationship to someone else's let alone your dead sister's. And I think it's completely indelicate that Poppy's one dying wish for Savannah is for her to find 'her Rune'. I'm sorry but if one of my siblings died, I would not wish for them to find a love that was JUST LIKE mine? Bit ridiculous and if I'm honest, seems a bit out of character for how Poppy was portrayed in the previous book.
Ok and now onto this grief holiday trip they all took. Who, in their right mind, would think 'oh, well I've got a bunch of grieving teenagers who have all experience varying degrees of trauma, ranging from school-shootings to holding their dead brothers in their arms. I've got a fabulous idea, lets take them all to see more dead bodies being carried by their grieving families!'. I understand that Cole was trying to share different cultures' ways of grieving and mourning, but this was incredibly tasteless and uncouth, and completely triggering. Need I say more.
Secondly, their little visit to the Philippines was completely 'white saviour complex' and borderline neo-colonialist. Taking these grieving children to go visit more grieving children, but these ones have lost everything, and viewing that as some kind of consolation? You've got to be joking. And the fact that this is large scale devastation, and Carl makes himself feel all fulfilled and accomplished because he taught a boy who had lost his brother AND his home to play hockey? Again, completely tactless. Though, credit where credit is due, Savannah's interaction with the girl Tala, was lovely and I did shed a few tears then.
Overall, this was such a joke of a book and I hate dnf'ing books so I read this one to the very end (though skimmed the last few chapters, because I could tell you what happened before I even read it). As with most sequels, a desperate attempt to make more money, will not be recommending to anyone, especially not anyone experiencing any form of grief or any children. Complete and utter disappointment, but I suppose you can expect as much from an author that romanticises the KKK (see her other books).
This book was supposed to be a commentary on grief and love, I assume, for it did not achieve that. There are so very many things wrong with it I don't even know where to begin. I suppose the characters are a good place to start.
Savannah: The most one-dimensional 'PETITE' 'PINT SIZED' blonde character ever. Her personality traits include (and are limited to), being introverted, being Poppy's sister, her grief, being Cael's lover and being petite - in that order. Carl isn't much better. He too is defined by his grief, the death of his brother, being an aggressive, brooding twat and a 'hockey-player-that-never-was' and loving Savannah - also in that order.
Together, they are the most boring, and plain and quite elementary characters/couple ever, and there is absolutely nothing to root for, because it is so predictable.
Now for the plot. Let me just preface by saying that this book is YA, therefore the target audience are children. The issue I have with this is that Cole seems to make a caricature of grief (despite stating that she too has endured it), and whilst doing so, she also proposes that the solution for this is to find 'the love of your life'. First of all, entirely wrong message. Grief is something you, and only you can face alone, (with the support of others ofc) and the relationship Carl and Savannah develop is not only terribly unrealistic ('I don't feel anything for 4 years, but I meet you and we create the beautiful blossoming relationship within which we both thrive, but only when we are together') but also incredibly unhealthy. Why, might you ask? CO-DEPENDENCY?! I don't know what experience the author herself has gone through to come to such a conclusion, and also believe that said conclusion should be transcribed into a little book for young adults, but my god this is so unhealthy. And this paired with the most bland, boring characters in the history of literature (of which this book is not), creates something that not only makes me lose brain cells but also distorts what grief is and the healthy ways to cope with it. The book has the skeleton of correct philosophy's, but it is a skeleton only - non-functioning and bare. The couple are defined by this grief, maybe that was the point initially, which is fair enough - grief is all-encompassing - but afterwards they became defined by each other which may seem sweet but is actually very unhealthy. And I also felt that the author was desperately trying to re-create Rune and Poppy's relationship. Beyond the grief parts, it is terrible to compare you relationship to someone else's let alone your dead sister's. And I think it's completely indelicate that Poppy's one dying wish for Savannah is for her to find 'her Rune'. I'm sorry but if one of my siblings died, I would not wish for them to find a love that was JUST LIKE mine? Bit ridiculous and if I'm honest, seems a bit out of character for how Poppy was portrayed in the previous book.
Ok and now onto this grief holiday trip they all took. Who, in their right mind, would think 'oh, well I've got a bunch of grieving teenagers who have all experience varying degrees of trauma, ranging from school-shootings to holding their dead brothers in their arms. I've got a fabulous idea, lets take them all to see more dead bodies being carried by their grieving families!'. I understand that Cole was trying to share different cultures' ways of grieving and mourning, but this was incredibly tasteless and uncouth, and completely triggering. Need I say more.
Secondly, their little visit to the Philippines was completely 'white saviour complex' and borderline neo-colonialist. Taking these grieving children to go visit more grieving children, but these ones have lost everything, and viewing that as some kind of consolation? You've got to be joking. And the fact that this is large scale devastation, and Carl makes himself feel all fulfilled and accomplished because he taught a boy who had lost his brother AND his home to play hockey? Again, completely tactless. Though, credit where credit is due, Savannah's interaction with the girl Tala, was lovely and I did shed a few tears then.
Overall, this was such a joke of a book and I hate dnf'ing books so I read this one to the very end (though skimmed the last few chapters, because I could tell you what happened before I even read it). As with most sequels, a desperate attempt to make more money, will not be recommending to anyone, especially not anyone experiencing any form of grief or any children. Complete and utter disappointment, but I suppose you can expect as much from an author that romanticises the KKK (see her other books).
August 18, 2024
i don't want to talk a this...
it hit a REALLY hard nerve ngl
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
it hit a REALLY hard nerve ngl
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
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