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If We Say Goodbye
It’s been three months since my brother’s car accident, and I’ve chosen to ignore the world around me. It’s easier than being reminded that he’s gone. For the most part, everyone leaves me alone, but there’s one person that can’t seem to take a hint—Caleb—my next door neighbor. I do my best to avoid him and his vain attempts at cheering me up, but he refuses to accept my new life goal of becoming a recluse.
Just when I think things can’t get any worse, my school calls to let me know that my absences have taken a toll on my grades. If I don’t go back, I’ll have to redo my senior year. The problem is I won’t drive anymore, and I can’t take the bus because it drives right by the scene of the accident. So despite the fact that Caleb gets on my nerves, I ask him to drive me to school. In return he has one request—that I go on five dates with him before the end of the semester.
Will being stuck with someone who’s determined to see me laugh again help me heal? Or will I end up finding a way to push him away too?
Just when I think things can’t get any worse, my school calls to let me know that my absences have taken a toll on my grades. If I don’t go back, I’ll have to redo my senior year. The problem is I won’t drive anymore, and I can’t take the bus because it drives right by the scene of the accident. So despite the fact that Caleb gets on my nerves, I ask him to drive me to school. In return he has one request—that I go on five dates with him before the end of the semester.
Will being stuck with someone who’s determined to see me laugh again help me heal? Or will I end up finding a way to push him away too?
Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 403 reviews
August 18, 2023
As soon as I started this book I couldn't put it down. I was scared that I would find the storyline cringe or something like that and that it would feel unnatural but that wasn't the case at all. The book is extremely well written and feels very realistic and relatable. I love that it is shown how different the characters delt with their grief. Normally I don't like the grumpy x sunshine trope that much, because it often feels over the top and it annoys me when the "grumpy character" is too reluctant to everything , but Becca is the perfect amount of grumpy for me and there is major character development throughout the book. Even though the pace of the book is fast, it doesn't feel rushed. Also, I love Jordy with my whole heart, he's such a sweet kid.
August 26, 2023
In Jasmine Little's debut novel, she tackles grief, love and friendship. There was a lot to love about this book. Little does a great job of showing the different ways people handle grief and how no one way is the correct way. While the story focuses on the main romance (between MC Becca and boy next door Caleb), it also focuses on the MC's relationship with her parents and her friendships as well. I personally really liked Sadie, the MC's former best friend who had been dating her brother before he passed. I also really like Jordy, Caleb's little brother. Little did a good job showing the audience people's personalities without letting Becca's rather negative POV get in the way. It was also great getting to see Becca's healing journey and to see her connect with her parents more.
Truthfully, I felt like the romance was a little rushed in some ways because I felt like Becca suddenly liked Caleb out of nowhere. The book is written in first person which means we should probably have some insight on how she feels. However, it's like a switch is flipped and suddenly she's professing her love. A little bit more of a build up would have felt more natural to me. There's one moment where she says she feels addicted to his presence since it's better than being lonely (or something to that effect) but I wish there was more dialogue on why she likes him. She doesn't really ever mention finding him that attractive besides calling him "conventionally attractive" in the beginning or that she even likes his personality that much. To me, the romance between these two fell on the back burner to the other really special parts of this story like the conversations about grief and Becca's friendship with Sadie and even with Jordy. Caleb and Jordy's mom was unnecessarily rude to Becca, a child, throughout the book but Becca was also extremely abrasive the entire book. I know she was grieving but her lack of respect for adults made me physically cringe like when she told Caleb's mom to "try to stop her."
Anyway, I really enjoyed this book overall! I don't find myself caring that much about the central relationship but I did end up caring for both of the characters separately. Becca's a lot to handle at times, but by the end, it seems like she's learned a thing or two about how to handle her grief and how to treat people. I do think the author should have circled back and had Becca try therapy at the end of the book since there was soooo much dialogue about therapy throughout the book and how Becca thought it was only for "broken" people. This ideology of hers is left unresolved on the pages of the book but I'd like to think that Becca would be ready to try it since she seems ready to talk about her feelings at the end. Might have been a good touch though to state specifically.
Truthfully, I felt like the romance was a little rushed in some ways because I felt like Becca suddenly liked Caleb out of nowhere. The book is written in first person which means we should probably have some insight on how she feels. However, it's like a switch is flipped and suddenly she's professing her love. A little bit more of a build up would have felt more natural to me. There's one moment where she says she feels addicted to his presence since it's better than being lonely (or something to that effect) but I wish there was more dialogue on why she likes him. She doesn't really ever mention finding him that attractive besides calling him "conventionally attractive" in the beginning or that she even likes his personality that much. To me, the romance between these two fell on the back burner to the other really special parts of this story like the conversations about grief and Becca's friendship with Sadie and even with Jordy. Caleb and Jordy's mom was unnecessarily rude to Becca, a child, throughout the book but Becca was also extremely abrasive the entire book. I know she was grieving but her lack of respect for adults made me physically cringe like when she told Caleb's mom to "try to stop her."
Anyway, I really enjoyed this book overall! I don't find myself caring that much about the central relationship but I did end up caring for both of the characters separately. Becca's a lot to handle at times, but by the end, it seems like she's learned a thing or two about how to handle her grief and how to treat people. I do think the author should have circled back and had Becca try therapy at the end of the book since there was soooo much dialogue about therapy throughout the book and how Becca thought it was only for "broken" people. This ideology of hers is left unresolved on the pages of the book but I'd like to think that Becca would be ready to try it since she seems ready to talk about her feelings at the end. Might have been a good touch though to state specifically.
January 2, 2024
✩‧₊ 2.25 stars ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
･ ｡ﾟ☆:If We Say Goodbye *.☽ .*:☆ﾟ
☾⋆⁺₊🎧✩°｡ 0:58 ──♡───── 3:47 ☾⋆⁺₊🎧✩°｡
🎶 How can we not talk about family when family's all that we got?Everything I went through, you were standing there by my side 🎶
Caleb Park (H) has always liked Bec, but she never noticed and didn’t need to talk to him; if anything, he would try to speak to her and bring her school assignments. When she needs a ride for the school year, he offers her an offer she might be unable to refuse. Bec Jacobs (h) doesn’t think of Caleb that way, but she needs to graduate, so the five dates seem like the easiest way to do that.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: THOUGHTS*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───
Now, this is understandable. Her brother has died, and she doesn’t want to talk to anyone; she is shutting her loved ones out, and her relationship with them is hanging by a thread because she feels responsible for the death of her brother. Becca’s mom has grieved differently and is constantly working. Meanwhile, Becca’s dad has turned to alcohol to deal with the loss of his son; all this means Becca is alone with her grief, and she is in a state of self-hatred and on the verge of a breakdown. She has missed school for quite some time, so she is to the point of having to repeat a year, and she has lost communication with her best friend. She has virtually no one in her life, and she doesn’t know how to process that her brother is gone. I felt for Becca the entire book because she was spiraling, but she wasn’t ready to talk about what happened and was not open to counseling or therapy, so she was bottling up her feelings.
Caleb lost his father, so he understands grief, and he doesn't treat Becca differently because of what she is dealing with since she was a safe person for him when he lost his father. He attempted to be friendly and help her through her grief, but I didn't like that he took advantage of Becca's need for a school ride to pursue her romantically in exchange for this favor. I don't understand why Caleb used it as a request and would get upset if she wasn't open to getting to know him while on a date. Remember, Becca never expresses romantic interest in Caleb from the start. They negotiated five dates in exchange for Caleb taking her to school for the rest of the year, but why couldn't he have done that as a friend? If he wanted to be there for her during the loss of her brother, why did he see this as an opportunity for her to notice him instead of keeping it platonic and letting things happen on his own? I didn't think it was right, especially because LOVE or a ROMANTIC INTEREST should have been the last thing on her mind. Her focus was graduating high school so she could move to New York, but when the time came, she was "in love" and decided to stay home. She changed her entire plan, and that was never her goal. It's quite upsetting that she changed her life goals in the book's final chapter because she couldn't fathom leaving Caleb. I think this was a trauma bond and not healthy at all.
Becca didn’t treat him right most of the time, but she wanted to push everyone away. She didn’t believe she was worthy of people loving her or wanting to be her friend; she just wanted to be alone. While this doesn’t justify her treatment of Caleb, it just makes sense that the last thing she wants is people pushing her to talk about her emotions when she feels like she wants to disappear. Caleb didn’t want her to be alone with her thoughts, and he pushed until she was ready to open up to him, but he also made it known that she could talk to him if needed.
This didn’t sit right with me the entire time. If a friend’s sibling died and I had a crush on them, I wouldn’t think to negotiate a DATE in exchange for giving them a ride. I guess this was his idea of treating her normally and not like a girl who was grieving, but this was a red flag for me. He should have started as a friend, talked with her, and offered to give her a ride without wanting something in return.
FOR A RIDE TO SCHOOL. He was upset that she didn’t want to talk to him on the date, but (1) She never said she liked you romantically. (2) Why are you taking back the offer because she didn’t care to answer your questions? He is SO - I didn’t like that she had to beg for a second chance because this girl never liked him, and he was hoping for her to change her mind. It’s insane.
EXACTLY. Am I the only person who sees something wrong with this? This book should not have focused on the romance. There wasn’t any need for romance in this at all. It could have been a book of friendship with Caleb and Becca figuring out how to deal with the aftermath of her brother. I am not happy with the execution of the romance.
He didn’t want to be just friends; that is the issue. She wasn’t open to the dates; she wasn’t letting him in or talking to him about her problems, so he told her to figure it out. I GASPED. This was so toxic, and this was the moment I knew that I didn’t like this relationship, nor would I root for them to end up together. It felt like this was a form of manipulation by someone vulnerable, forcing them into something because she NEEDED to graduate, and he knew that. He didn’t want to help her if she wasn’t willing to look at him differently. Yes, she treated him poorly, but he KNOWS that wasn’t the issue. If it were, he wouldn’t have mentioned the dates at all. He just threw that in there to guilt her.
TRAUMA BOND? I don’t want to use improper terminology BUT it feels like the description of this relationship, and they bonded because he defended her when she didn’t want to talk to her mother, and she seemed right that he was the person who was always there for her. He was the main person who didn’t treat her differently; he liked being around her despite her dark cloud. I don’t think she would have EVER wanted him romantically otherwise. Caleb liked her, but I don’t think she ever liked HIM.
NEEDS. NOT WANTS. Her choice of words was intentional, and she attached herself to Caleb because he was the one person she felt she could talk to, so those emotions could come off as love. I don’t think it was love; I think it was appreciation of someone who was there, and she didn’t have anyone else.
RED FLAG. Hello, what? They just started dating not too long ago, and now this boy is running out of the hospital with a concussion because he doesn’t understand why she ended things, and he wants her to know he LOVES her. NOPE. The romance escalated way too quickly, and I think it was one-sided at one point. If someone liked the other MORE in the relationship, it was Caleb. Then, when it came down to the formal, he ignored her completely because he was petty and was mad that she had broken up with him. He was never her FRIEND for the right reason. I don’t think he was a friend at all. He was there for her because he wanted something out of it.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: OVERALL *.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───
I liked the concept of the book and the topic of grief, but I don’t think it was handled appropriately in terms of the romance. I like that Becca reconnected with Sadie, her best friend, and bonded with Jordy, Caleb’s younger brother. However, those were the only redeemable aspects of the book. I didn’t like Caleb or his attitude toward handing out favors, and he came on too strong; it was not sitting right with me. However, don’t let this deter you from reading the book. You might feel differently upon reading it; this was just MY take.
･ ｡ﾟ☆:If We Say Goodbye *.☽ .*:☆ﾟ
☾⋆⁺₊🎧✩°｡ 0:58 ──♡───── 3:47 ☾⋆⁺₊🎧✩°｡
🎶 How can we not talk about family when family's all that we got?Everything I went through, you were standing there by my side 🎶
Caleb Park (H) has always liked Bec, but she never noticed and didn’t need to talk to him; if anything, he would try to speak to her and bring her school assignments. When she needs a ride for the school year, he offers her an offer she might be unable to refuse. Bec Jacobs (h) doesn’t think of Caleb that way, but she needs to graduate, so the five dates seem like the easiest way to do that.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: THOUGHTS*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───
Small talk is the epitome of social torture, and I will do just about anything to avoid it.
Now, this is understandable. Her brother has died, and she doesn’t want to talk to anyone; she is shutting her loved ones out, and her relationship with them is hanging by a thread because she feels responsible for the death of her brother. Becca’s mom has grieved differently and is constantly working. Meanwhile, Becca’s dad has turned to alcohol to deal with the loss of his son; all this means Becca is alone with her grief, and she is in a state of self-hatred and on the verge of a breakdown. She has missed school for quite some time, so she is to the point of having to repeat a year, and she has lost communication with her best friend. She has virtually no one in her life, and she doesn’t know how to process that her brother is gone. I felt for Becca the entire book because she was spiraling, but she wasn’t ready to talk about what happened and was not open to counseling or therapy, so she was bottling up her feelings.
“How are you today?”
He doesn’t let go. “Bright and cheery, as always, I see,” he says.
“Wait,” he says with a smirk. “Aren’t you headed out? You’re clearly dressed for town.”
“Ha-ha.” I yank harder, successfully tugging the papers out of his hand.
Caleb lost his father, so he understands grief, and he doesn't treat Becca differently because of what she is dealing with since she was a safe person for him when he lost his father. He attempted to be friendly and help her through her grief, but I didn't like that he took advantage of Becca's need for a school ride to pursue her romantically in exchange for this favor. I don't understand why Caleb used it as a request and would get upset if she wasn't open to getting to know him while on a date. Remember, Becca never expresses romantic interest in Caleb from the start. They negotiated five dates in exchange for Caleb taking her to school for the rest of the year, but why couldn't he have done that as a friend? If he wanted to be there for her during the loss of her brother, why did he see this as an opportunity for her to notice him instead of keeping it platonic and letting things happen on his own? I didn't think it was right, especially because LOVE or a ROMANTIC INTEREST should have been the last thing on her mind. Her focus was graduating high school so she could move to New York, but when the time came, she was "in love" and decided to stay home. She changed her entire plan, and that was never her goal. It's quite upsetting that she changed her life goals in the book's final chapter because she couldn't fathom leaving Caleb. I think this was a trauma bond and not healthy at all.
Caleb stands next to me with an umbrella over my head. Rain soaks his bangs. “Are you okay?”
“Go away.”
I grab it and toss it to the side. “I told you to go!” I scramble to my feet and lift the garbage can.
Becca didn’t treat him right most of the time, but she wanted to push everyone away. She didn’t believe she was worthy of people loving her or wanting to be her friend; she just wanted to be alone. While this doesn’t justify her treatment of Caleb, it just makes sense that the last thing she wants is people pushing her to talk about her emotions when she feels like she wants to disappear. Caleb didn’t want her to be alone with her thoughts, and he pushed until she was ready to open up to him, but he also made it known that she could talk to him if needed.
“Because, if you agree to go out with me a couple of times, I’ll drive you to school for the rest of the year. Even if you decide that you hate me after that.”
This didn’t sit right with me the entire time. If a friend’s sibling died and I had a crush on them, I wouldn’t think to negotiate a DATE in exchange for giving them a ride. I guess this was his idea of treating her normally and not like a girl who was grieving, but this was a red flag for me. He should have started as a friend, talked with her, and offered to give her a ride without wanting something in return.
“Please. Give me one more chance,” I say.
He sighs, eyes narrowing. His stare cuts through me. “Should I?”
I cower under his gaze, focusing on my hands. “I’ll answer whatever you want.”
FOR A RIDE TO SCHOOL. He was upset that she didn’t want to talk to him on the date, but (1) She never said she liked you romantically. (2) Why are you taking back the offer because she didn’t care to answer your questions? He is SO - I didn’t like that she had to beg for a second chance because this girl never liked him, and he was hoping for her to change her mind. It’s insane.
“I wanted to be that person for you. I wanted to be the one person that didn’t treat you differently after everything that happened.”
“And you thought getting me to sign a contract saying I’d go out with you is your way of not treating me differently?”
EXACTLY. Am I the only person who sees something wrong with this? This book should not have focused on the romance. There wasn’t any need for romance in this at all. It could have been a book of friendship with Caleb and Becca figuring out how to deal with the aftermath of her brother. I am not happy with the execution of the romance.
“I know you weren’t interested in me, but I really thought we could be friends.” His gaze falters. “I’m done being treated like garbage. I’ll drive you back home, but . . . this is the last time.”
My jaw drops. “What do you mean this is the last time? How am I supposed to get to school?”
He shrugs as he starts to drive away. “I’m sure you’ll find another way. Download an app; pay a driver. At least that way, you don’t have to go on any more ridiculous dates.”
He didn’t want to be just friends; that is the issue. She wasn’t open to the dates; she wasn’t letting him in or talking to him about her problems, so he told her to figure it out. I GASPED. This was so toxic, and this was the moment I knew that I didn’t like this relationship, nor would I root for them to end up together. It felt like this was a form of manipulation by someone vulnerable, forcing them into something because she NEEDED to graduate, and he knew that. He didn’t want to help her if she wasn’t willing to look at him differently. Yes, she treated him poorly, but he KNOWS that wasn’t the issue. If it were, he wouldn’t have mentioned the dates at all. He just threw that in there to guilt her.
“I thought you didn’t like it when people touch you,” he whispers.
“You,” I say, taking his hand and slowly guiding it to my face, “aren’t people.”
“Why are you still holding back?” I whisper.
He pauses. “Because I’m afraid you’ll regret this.”
TRAUMA BOND? I don’t want to use improper terminology BUT it feels like the description of this relationship, and they bonded because he defended her when she didn’t want to talk to her mother, and she seemed right that he was the person who was always there for her. He was the main person who didn’t treat her differently; he liked being around her despite her dark cloud. I don’t think she would have EVER wanted him romantically otherwise. Caleb liked her, but I don’t think she ever liked HIM.
“Bec,” he says, breathing in slowly. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. “What changed?”
“I don’t really know. But the other day, when I was upset, you were the one I ran to. I need you, Caleb.”
NEEDS. NOT WANTS. Her choice of words was intentional, and she attached herself to Caleb because he was the one person she felt she could talk to, so those emotions could come off as love. I don’t think it was love; I think it was appreciation of someone who was there, and she didn’t have anyone else.
His dark eyes drink me in. “I just need you to know I love you. You make me feel whole. You are all I think about every second of every day. But . . . I love you enough to let you go if that’s really what you want.” He tucks my bangs behind my ear. “So tell me, is that really what you want?”
RED FLAG. Hello, what? They just started dating not too long ago, and now this boy is running out of the hospital with a concussion because he doesn’t understand why she ended things, and he wants her to know he LOVES her. NOPE. The romance escalated way too quickly, and I think it was one-sided at one point. If someone liked the other MORE in the relationship, it was Caleb. Then, when it came down to the formal, he ignored her completely because he was petty and was mad that she had broken up with him. He was never her FRIEND for the right reason. I don’t think he was a friend at all. He was there for her because he wanted something out of it.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: OVERALL *.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───
I liked the concept of the book and the topic of grief, but I don’t think it was handled appropriately in terms of the romance. I like that Becca reconnected with Sadie, her best friend, and bonded with Jordy, Caleb’s younger brother. However, those were the only redeemable aspects of the book. I didn’t like Caleb or his attitude toward handing out favors, and he came on too strong; it was not sitting right with me. However, don’t let this deter you from reading the book. You might feel differently upon reading it; this was just MY take.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2024
Literary equivalent of stepping on Lego
April 27, 2024
4 🌟
on tiktok, this book was advertised as a romance, but it's so much more than that. it tackles so many different *important* topics like loss, trauma, anxiety, etc...
the characters were also very well built and fit perfectly into this storyline.
the only issue i had was when becca finally admitted her feelings for caleb. i felt as though there could have been more build-up leading to said admission - especially when she has explicitly stated that she hates feelings and talking about them.
on tiktok, this book was advertised as a romance, but it's so much more than that. it tackles so many different *important* topics like loss, trauma, anxiety, etc...
the characters were also very well built and fit perfectly into this storyline.
the only issue i had was when becca finally admitted her feelings for caleb. i felt as though there could have been more build-up leading to said admission - especially when she has explicitly stated that she hates feelings and talking about them.
January 17, 2024
What an accurate depiction of grief. I couldn’t put it down and at multiple moments, I wanted to cry. In a world where we are expected to pick back up where we left off to continue moving, the hardships of grief are often overlooked. This book did a great job at showing the different methods of grieving and how to rely on those around us.
April 6, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ i feel like becca’s parents grieving story thing was a little odd and all of a sudden her dad was an alcoholic… but besides that i loved everything!! caleb is so sweet and i love how he was there for her while she was grieving even when she was trying to push him away they are so cute together
February 3, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
NEW FAVOURITE BOOK COMFORT READ I LOVED IT
best bits👇🏻
💕 AUTISTIC REPRESENTATIONNNNN!!!! 🥹 i felt so seen reading the sensory descriptions and relating to the headphones 24/7 due to noises and all of those things. i love it!
💕 family struggles and both positive and negative relationships shown
💕feel-good scenes and shows really positive approaches to working through problems
complaints👇🏻🎧 genuinely the only flaw is that there isn't a whole series following these characters 🥲
READ IT especially if you're neurodivergent because it felt like it spoke to my soul <3
NEW FAVOURITE BOOK COMFORT READ I LOVED IT
an honest and cute romance between two teens, featuring
best bits👇🏻
💕 AUTISTIC REPRESENTATIONNNNN!!!! 🥹 i felt so seen reading the sensory descriptions and relating to the headphones 24/7 due to noises and all of those things. i love it!
💕 family struggles and both positive and negative relationships shown
💕feel-good scenes and shows really positive approaches to working through problems
complaints👇🏻🎧 genuinely the only flaw is that there isn't a whole series following these characters 🥲
READ IT especially if you're neurodivergent because it felt like it spoke to my soul <3
June 7, 2025
it was the cutest thing I’ve read for a long time. and that is coming from someone who’s least favorite genre is romance. it portrays grief, depression and how differently it can affect people very well too. it was just what I needed.
February 18, 2024
4.25 stars
January 4, 2025
so so sad
was bawling my eyes at every page
was bawling my eyes at every page
April 29, 2024
made me cry and break down in front of my entire family 😔👍
February 23, 2025
This book reminded me of Wes & Liz!
Content warning:
Panic and anxiety attacks
Depression
Alcoholism
Car accidents
Family trauma
Content warning:
Panic and anxiety attacks
Depression
Alcoholism
Car accidents
Family trauma
June 12, 2025
3.5⭐️ This was very emotional but very good I liked it
February 19, 2025
this is such a powerful book. not a lot of the romance books I read touch on mental health and grief like this book does. but it’s done so realistically. it does a good job of showcasing the many different ways people grieve. there’s so many good messages woven throughout the book but one that i found myself liking the most was that we are not alone in our grief even if we grieve differently. i cried a lot but i also laughed and i swooned.
also random but i really think that Becca is on the spectrum. it’s possible her symptoms are that of generalized anxiety disorder but the way she described things makes me think she might have high functioning autism. and if so it’s cool to see representation!
i’d definitely recommend this book but be warned that it isn’t really a happy book
also random but i really think that Becca is on the spectrum. it’s possible her symptoms are that of generalized anxiety disorder but the way she described things makes me think she might have high functioning autism. and if so it’s cool to see representation!
i’d definitely recommend this book but be warned that it isn’t really a happy book
March 10, 2025
"The problem is I love you!" His eyes widen, and he sucks in a breath. "I love you, but I," my breath staggers, "can't have you." "Yes, you can." He gestures to himself.
"Take me. I'm all yours. Every bit of me."
4.5⭐️
If We Say Goodbye stands out in the “mental health, young adult, romance” category, especially compared to other books I’ve read in this genre ( I haven’t had the best experience 🙂↕️ ) So it’s refreshing to see someone write it in a more realistic way. I think it was really easy for me to connect to most of these characters even if I didn’t like them at times, I understood their characters and appreciated the complexity.
Becca in particular was relatable in many ways… and not because this book relates to anything that’s going on in my life currently but because if it were meant to be me in her situation I can understand why she said or acted the way she did, and in some ways i could see myself reacting the same. I like the way the book portrays grief for different people and the way it’s talked about. The romance was adorable of course and added a wholeness part to the story.
( Also at one point Becca and Caleb kind of reminded me of Wes and Liz Better Than the Movies in another universe 🙂↔️ )
"Take me. I'm all yours. Every bit of me."
4.5⭐️
If We Say Goodbye stands out in the “mental health, young adult, romance” category, especially compared to other books I’ve read in this genre ( I haven’t had the best experience 🙂↕️ ) So it’s refreshing to see someone write it in a more realistic way. I think it was really easy for me to connect to most of these characters even if I didn’t like them at times, I understood their characters and appreciated the complexity.
Becca in particular was relatable in many ways… and not because this book relates to anything that’s going on in my life currently but because if it were meant to be me in her situation I can understand why she said or acted the way she did, and in some ways i could see myself reacting the same. I like the way the book portrays grief for different people and the way it’s talked about. The romance was adorable of course and added a wholeness part to the story.
( Also at one point Becca and Caleb kind of reminded me of Wes and Liz Better Than the Movies in another universe 🙂↔️ )
March 20, 2024
I am obsessed with this book, it was so cute 🥹 I love me a good grumpy / sunshine story.
It does cover some heavy topics so be warned but the book was so well written. I love how the story and characters were realistic and the emotions weren’t dramatized. A great read.
It does cover some heavy topics so be warned but the book was so well written. I love how the story and characters were realistic and the emotions weren’t dramatized. A great read.
April 15, 2024
So good!
This is a story of finding healing after loss. Becca loses her brother Ethan in a car accident. She is drowning in her grief until Caleb-her next door neighbor since childhood- is there to help her. Little does she know he’s going to be the catalyst that sets her family on their healing journey. I read this in less than 2 days, it was so good. Jasmine Little did a phenomenal job!
This is a story of finding healing after loss. Becca loses her brother Ethan in a car accident. She is drowning in her grief until Caleb-her next door neighbor since childhood- is there to help her. Little does she know he’s going to be the catalyst that sets her family on their healing journey. I read this in less than 2 days, it was so good. Jasmine Little did a phenomenal job!
March 13, 2025
completely devoured this and honestly kinda sad I finished it already. This book did such a great job of portraying how different everyone experiences grief and I really enjoyed reading about becca and all the struggles she faced I also found myself relating to her too! loved becca and loved her and caleb together.
November 11, 2024
4.5⭐️ cute, adorable, fluffy romance, simple yet beautiful. Loved the storyline, I usually dislike a lot of romance novels but this one was pretty cute, nothing cringy lol. Loved it🤍
January 27, 2024
2,5 stars
Je n'ai jamais autant détesté un personnage de toute ma vie (ou en tout cas, de ce dont je me souviens). Franchement, de toute l'histoire, la seule que chose que j'attendais était sa réconciliation avec sa mère. La colère que Becca (le personnage principal) ressentait envers sa mère était totalement injustifiée. J'ai détesté la façon dont elle se comportait envers elle : le typique scénario de l'adolescence qui se sent incomprise par sa mère, alors que c'était elle le problème tout du long. Pour dire, son niveau de chiantise est au même niveau que Ginny dans Ginny et Georgia. Je ne peux pas supporter un personnage qui passe son temps à se plaindre de sa situation et ne fait RIEN pour que ça change. Genre, okay on a compris que tu te sentais coupable de la mort de ton frère, mais là, c'était TOO MUCH !! Impossible, pour moi, d'avoir compassion de Becca... dès que je commençais à l'apprécier, elle refaisait sa grosse PICK ME : j'en pouvais plus !! En fait, les scènes où elle était avec Caleb (le love interest) étaient grave cute (je ne dis pas le contraire). Par contre, dès qu'elle était à de nouveau seule, elle broyait du noir et ne faisait que s'apitoyer sur son sort. On m'a vendu, sur le Bookstagram, ce livre comme étant le parfait Grumpy x Sunshine Trope (dans lequel, c'est la fille qui est le grumpy)... eh bien, je suis déçue !! À mes yeux, Becca n'était pas une grumpy mais qu'une meuf sans aucune estime de soi et qui passait son temps à vouloir être aimée des autres alors qu'elle était détestable avec les autres ! Je suis désolée, mais quand elle s'est ENFIN pris une baffe par sa mère, j'ai souri : c'était clairement mérité !
Depuis le début du livre, elle court après l'attention de son père parce que, soi-disant, il est le seul à la comprendre, il n'est pas comme sa mère (à faire "comme si de rien n'était depuis la mort d'Ethan"), lui au moins ne la force pas à parler de ses sentiments, blah blah blah... Alors que son père est un incapable, qui passe ses soirées à boire (depuis la mort d'Ethan), et lui adresse à peine la parole. Sa mère, ELLE, fait tout pour reconstruire un lien mère-fille depuis l'accident de voiture, qui a coûté la vie de son fils. C'est ELLE qui l'accompagne et paie ses séances de psy. C'est ELLE qui vient toujours vers Becca pour rétablir un semblant de conversation dans cette famille brisée. En bref, la mère est le véritable PILIER de cette famille ! Sans elle, cette maison serait remplie, non pas d'un père et de sa fille, mais de deux colocataires qui se parlent à peine. Voilà pourquoi, 95% de ma lecture était ponctuée de soufflement et de lassitude. La réconciliation que j'ai ardemment attendue m'a fortement déçue : Becca aurait dû faire de VÉRITABLES excuses auprès de sa mère et non pas juste réaliser que sa mère souffrait autant qu'elle. Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ? Juste parce que sa mère faisait de son mieux pour que la maison continue de vivre, après la perte de son fils, juste parce qu'elle continuait de sourire (et en plus, ça se voyait qu'elle se forçait), juste parce qu'elle faisait de son mieux pour continuer d'aller de l'avant (as she should as mother), juste parce qu'elle faisait toutes ces choses ça signifierait qu'elle ne souffrait pas comme tout le monde ? C'est d'une grande stupidité. En même temps, elle n'a pas d'autre choix puisque son mari est inutile et passe ses nuits au bar et que sa fille est restée enfermée dans sa chambre pendant 3 mois (véritable dinguerie au passage). Donc, la petite réconciliation faite en deux-deux, à la fin, m'a fortement déçue. Tout le monde fait des efforts pour la comprendre : sa mère, Caleb, Sadie (sa meilleure amie qu'elle ne mérite absolument pas d'ailleurs et qui était aussi la petite amie d'Ethan), et même la conseillère d'orientation (j'ai oublié son nom), etc... pour qu'elle ne fasse aucun effort et ne cherche l'attention que de la seule personne qui n'en a rien à faire : son père. Bref, elle m'a soulé.
Enfin, la romance entre Becca et Caleb était sûrement le seul point positif de l'histoire, j'avoue avoir souri à quelques reprises. Mais encore une fois, elle a été horrible avec lui (mais bon, je suppose que ça fait partie de l'évolution du personnage et de l'histoire), mais c'est vrai que quand elle était avec lui, elle était bien plus supportable. Pour moi, l'évolution Becca aurait dû mieux se faire, mais je suis tout de même contente que tout le monde ait eu son happy end. J'ai aimé tous les autres personnages, qui sont, d'ailleurs, parvenus à apprendre une bonne leçon de vie à Becca.
Bref, il y a d'autres choses qui m'ont dérangée, mais je vais m'arrêter là.
Je n'ai jamais autant détesté un personnage de toute ma vie (ou en tout cas, de ce dont je me souviens). Franchement, de toute l'histoire, la seule que chose que j'attendais était sa réconciliation avec sa mère. La colère que Becca (le personnage principal) ressentait envers sa mère était totalement injustifiée. J'ai détesté la façon dont elle se comportait envers elle : le typique scénario de l'adolescence qui se sent incomprise par sa mère, alors que c'était elle le problème tout du long. Pour dire, son niveau de chiantise est au même niveau que Ginny dans Ginny et Georgia. Je ne peux pas supporter un personnage qui passe son temps à se plaindre de sa situation et ne fait RIEN pour que ça change. Genre, okay on a compris que tu te sentais coupable de la mort de ton frère, mais là, c'était TOO MUCH !! Impossible, pour moi, d'avoir compassion de Becca... dès que je commençais à l'apprécier, elle refaisait sa grosse PICK ME : j'en pouvais plus !! En fait, les scènes où elle était avec Caleb (le love interest) étaient grave cute (je ne dis pas le contraire). Par contre, dès qu'elle était à de nouveau seule, elle broyait du noir et ne faisait que s'apitoyer sur son sort. On m'a vendu, sur le Bookstagram, ce livre comme étant le parfait Grumpy x Sunshine Trope (dans lequel, c'est la fille qui est le grumpy)... eh bien, je suis déçue !! À mes yeux, Becca n'était pas une grumpy mais qu'une meuf sans aucune estime de soi et qui passait son temps à vouloir être aimée des autres alors qu'elle était détestable avec les autres ! Je suis désolée, mais quand elle s'est ENFIN pris une baffe par sa mère, j'ai souri : c'était clairement mérité !
Depuis le début du livre, elle court après l'attention de son père parce que, soi-disant, il est le seul à la comprendre, il n'est pas comme sa mère (à faire "comme si de rien n'était depuis la mort d'Ethan"), lui au moins ne la force pas à parler de ses sentiments, blah blah blah... Alors que son père est un incapable, qui passe ses soirées à boire (depuis la mort d'Ethan), et lui adresse à peine la parole. Sa mère, ELLE, fait tout pour reconstruire un lien mère-fille depuis l'accident de voiture, qui a coûté la vie de son fils. C'est ELLE qui l'accompagne et paie ses séances de psy. C'est ELLE qui vient toujours vers Becca pour rétablir un semblant de conversation dans cette famille brisée. En bref, la mère est le véritable PILIER de cette famille ! Sans elle, cette maison serait remplie, non pas d'un père et de sa fille, mais de deux colocataires qui se parlent à peine. Voilà pourquoi, 95% de ma lecture était ponctuée de soufflement et de lassitude. La réconciliation que j'ai ardemment attendue m'a fortement déçue : Becca aurait dû faire de VÉRITABLES excuses auprès de sa mère et non pas juste réaliser que sa mère souffrait autant qu'elle. Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ? Juste parce que sa mère faisait de son mieux pour que la maison continue de vivre, après la perte de son fils, juste parce qu'elle continuait de sourire (et en plus, ça se voyait qu'elle se forçait), juste parce qu'elle faisait de son mieux pour continuer d'aller de l'avant (as she should as mother), juste parce qu'elle faisait toutes ces choses ça signifierait qu'elle ne souffrait pas comme tout le monde ? C'est d'une grande stupidité. En même temps, elle n'a pas d'autre choix puisque son mari est inutile et passe ses nuits au bar et que sa fille est restée enfermée dans sa chambre pendant 3 mois (véritable dinguerie au passage). Donc, la petite réconciliation faite en deux-deux, à la fin, m'a fortement déçue. Tout le monde fait des efforts pour la comprendre : sa mère, Caleb, Sadie (sa meilleure amie qu'elle ne mérite absolument pas d'ailleurs et qui était aussi la petite amie d'Ethan), et même la conseillère d'orientation (j'ai oublié son nom), etc... pour qu'elle ne fasse aucun effort et ne cherche l'attention que de la seule personne qui n'en a rien à faire : son père. Bref, elle m'a soulé.
Enfin, la romance entre Becca et Caleb était sûrement le seul point positif de l'histoire, j'avoue avoir souri à quelques reprises. Mais encore une fois, elle a été horrible avec lui (mais bon, je suppose que ça fait partie de l'évolution du personnage et de l'histoire), mais c'est vrai que quand elle était avec lui, elle était bien plus supportable. Pour moi, l'évolution Becca aurait dû mieux se faire, mais je suis tout de même contente que tout le monde ait eu son happy end. J'ai aimé tous les autres personnages, qui sont, d'ailleurs, parvenus à apprendre une bonne leçon de vie à Becca.
Bref, il y a d'autres choses qui m'ont dérangée, mais je vais m'arrêter là.
March 31, 2024
This book was just kinda bland and boring. I feel like all yeh characters aside from the MC were fully fleshed out? - like they felt a little stiff.
It also really annoyed me how mean the MC was to her mom like I know that was part of her character arc but still she was SO mean and yet she was so sympathetic to her dad even though he was the biggest asshole in the book.
Her mom was the only one putting in effort.
The dad too he was just so horrible like I know he was grieving and suffering but I just feel like becoming an alcoholic and blaming your own daughter was going too far. He didn’t make any effort with her AT ALL. And then at the end he injured Caleb and it’s just brushed off? They were trying to make Mrs. Park the villain for wanting to press charges but she honestly should have. Okay the dad’s apology at the end didn’t do much like it just didn’t make up for anything and there was nothing in his actions after the apology to redeem him for his actions.
Also the way there romance started just felt a little off. Like first of all it was kinda strange for Caleb to demand dates in order for him to take her too school- like why are you pushing her to date you when she’s clearly under duress. And their romance in general was too fast it felt like they interacted twice and were suddenly in love
It also really annoyed me how mean the MC was to her mom like I know that was part of her character arc but still she was SO mean and yet she was so sympathetic to her dad even though he was the biggest asshole in the book.
Her mom was the only one putting in effort.
The dad too he was just so horrible like I know he was grieving and suffering but I just feel like becoming an alcoholic and blaming your own daughter was going too far. He didn’t make any effort with her AT ALL. And then at the end he injured Caleb and it’s just brushed off? They were trying to make Mrs. Park the villain for wanting to press charges but she honestly should have. Okay the dad’s apology at the end didn’t do much like it just didn’t make up for anything and there was nothing in his actions after the apology to redeem him for his actions.
Also the way there romance started just felt a little off. Like first of all it was kinda strange for Caleb to demand dates in order for him to take her too school- like why are you pushing her to date you when she’s clearly under duress. And their romance in general was too fast it felt like they interacted twice and were suddenly in love
February 5, 2024
dnf
i just couldn't stand the main character I understand that she's grieving and I know she's hurt but the way she blamed everything on her mother really bothered me and this is coming from someone who has a very complicated relationship with her mother trust me I know the feeling and still I couldn't stand It the way she made her mother seem like the villain when she was trying her best and living through the pain because not only she lost her kid which is horrifying on its own but also the one closest to her but she pushed through and tried her best to fix her relationship with her husband and daughter and still got the blame it just makes me soo angry and I found myself emphasizing with the mother more than with the daughter even though I am a teenager and closer to the main character in age and I do know that she was going through a very rough mental state experiencing the worst feelings know to man but for me It doesn't justify her behavior and hatred towards her mother
i just couldn't stand the main character I understand that she's grieving and I know she's hurt but the way she blamed everything on her mother really bothered me and this is coming from someone who has a very complicated relationship with her mother trust me I know the feeling and still I couldn't stand It the way she made her mother seem like the villain when she was trying her best and living through the pain because not only she lost her kid which is horrifying on its own but also the one closest to her but she pushed through and tried her best to fix her relationship with her husband and daughter and still got the blame it just makes me soo angry and I found myself emphasizing with the mother more than with the daughter even though I am a teenager and closer to the main character in age and I do know that she was going through a very rough mental state experiencing the worst feelings know to man but for me It doesn't justify her behavior and hatred towards her mother
April 5, 2024
2.5 i had some laughs didn't love the writing but if got me out of my readers block also I HATE that name (a gemini men with that name made me cry LOL)
love the phrase about wanted to be needed
algo xs no voy a mentir pero fácil de leer lo acabe de leer en un día
nose porque le tiro hate al libro si en un capitulo si llore ngl
perooo el final estuvo muy blah
love the phrase about wanted to be needed
algo xs no voy a mentir pero fácil de leer lo acabe de leer en un día
nose porque le tiro hate al libro si en un capitulo si llore ngl
perooo el final estuvo muy blah
March 26, 2024
This was a cute, and sometimes cringy read. I enjoyed the romantic moments of this book, I thought they were sweet. Although, I had a tough time enjoying the characters of the book; particularly the main character.
February 25, 2025
This book was ok, I love to read YA but this felt really YA for me. I only read it because I saw a TikTok that compared the mmc, Caleb Park to Wes Bennett. Caleb is sweet but he is no Wes Bennett lol
January 19, 2024
why did I torture myself
March 8, 2025
And the award for MVP goes to : Caleb Parker 🥳🔥🔥he carried
June 3, 2025
This book was so beautiful I started it and did NOT put it down for anything it was so sad and I fucked it up I related to Becca on a high level and it made me so happy to see her healing coming out of her shell and I absolutely loved the characters Lil jordy!! such a sweet kid I loved Caleb and beccas relationship it was so wholesome and shows everyone goes through grief in their own way and oh my god her dad good for Becca shes forgiving him NOT me im holding a huge grudge for him putting her through all that she didnt deserve it this book was so beautiful I definitely need to read more books by this author!!
“I love you, but I,” my breath staggers, “can’t have you.” “Yes, you can.” He gestures to himself. “Take me. I’m all yours. Every bit of me.”
“Please don’t,” he whispers. “I’m afraid I’ll take this the wrong way. I might actually start to think you like me.” I rest my chin on his shoulder, and whisper back, “Maybe that’s what I’m trying to tell you.”
"Throughout the movie, I steal occasional glances at him, taking him in. I like being reminded that he’s right next to me. Right now, he’s my safe space."
“Wait a second,” Caleb says. He jumps up and grabs the umbrella that’s laying on the floor. He opens it and holds it out to me. “I wouldn’t want my girl to catch a cold.”
“I love you, but I,” my breath staggers, “can’t have you.” “Yes, you can.” He gestures to himself. “Take me. I’m all yours. Every bit of me.”
“Please don’t,” he whispers. “I’m afraid I’ll take this the wrong way. I might actually start to think you like me.” I rest my chin on his shoulder, and whisper back, “Maybe that’s what I’m trying to tell you.”
"Throughout the movie, I steal occasional glances at him, taking him in. I like being reminded that he’s right next to me. Right now, he’s my safe space."
“Wait a second,” Caleb says. He jumps up and grabs the umbrella that’s laying on the floor. He opens it and holds it out to me. “I wouldn’t want my girl to catch a cold.”
September 26, 2024
Така цікава, важка, але водночас обнадійлива книжка про те, як людина переживає втрату, і коли минуле зможе її відпустити, щоб вона могла рухатися далі, та чи відпустить взагалі.
Головна героїня, Бекка, важко переживає втрату брата, тому повністю відгороджується від світу, через що в неї починаються проблеми зі школою. Ці проблеми доводиться вирішувати разом з її сусідом Калебом. Тож вони укладають взаємовигідну угоду. Героїня мені імпонувала, я співпереживала її стану та щиро вболівала за те, щоб нарешті в її житті сталося щось хороше.
Калеб просто чудовий персонаж (я ще не зустрічала поганих персонажів з іменем Калеб). Хлопець вміє ладнати буквально з усіма, а його підтримка для близьких людей, думаю, є незамінною. Найзеленіший із зелених прапорців.
І ще важливу роль в сюжеті відіграє молодший брат Калеба, Джорді. Дуже розумна дитина, завдяки якій книжка була цікавішою.
Мені дуже сподобалась історія, вона дозволила прожити певний відрізок часу з героями, ніби живеш в сусідньому від них будинку. Тут дуже багато важливих тем – «ідеальність» сім’ї, родинні зв’язки, дружба, самопожертва. Але для себе основною проблематикою виділила те, наскільки важко просити про допомогу в інших, і наскільки важливим є наважитися на цей крок.
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