Fortid er alt jeg har

Young Adult / Teen characters. Death of a lead character. Happy-ish ending. ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ 4-STAR ✩ REVIEW ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ The cover has a bisected two-tone, solid blue background with opposing elements and a strong, plain font. Interesting composition but I do not think, on its own, it would catch my attention by the cover alone. The synopsis, however, did intrigue me. Combined with recommendations from two friends, I opted to give it a go. POV ~> First person with dual timeframes (past tense/present tense) clearly marked. Is there anything sweeter or more tragic than young and/or first love? To Griffin, Theo was his everything. When Theo graduated early, Griffin broke up with him to keep from holding him back. He always imagined they’d get back together once he graduated and moved out there, too. Griffin never counted on Theo meeting and falling for Jackson. Nor did Griffin see his own impulsive actions leading to new possibilities. Then, Theo died. Griffin’s compulsive behaviors start increasing and his hold on reality began deteriorating. Support from unlikely sources complicated his already tangled life. Guilt and grief consumed him. Follow the present and step back into the past to learn how Theo, Jackson, Griffin, and Wade all fit together then and now. How they grieve and process losing Theo. The journey they each must take was not without its hazards. I found the compulsions interesting and wanted to know more about them… when were they first discovered, was there a trigger or was it a physical (ex: puberty) onset? Secondary characters were mostly limited to the family of the four boys, and a couple of Jackson’s friends in NYC. Dialogue was age-appropriate and smart. Interactions felt natural and believable. The story, despite bouncing back and forth, flowed well and the writing was clean and smooth. There were some conflicts along the way and although they were not 100% resolved, they were a work-in-progress, so to speak. Predictability was low. The conclusion points to there being a happier life, or at least some acceptance and forgiveness happening, but there is not a true HEA couple-wise here. I do wish that we’d been told the actual message that was left for Theo that seemed to be the tragic catalyst to the story. . Rating: [PG-13] ~ Score: 4.325 ~ Stars: 4 ========================== ⭐ ⭐ **** Disclosure of Material: I was loaned a copy of this book from a friend via Amazon’s Kindle and am would voluntarily leaving unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review - nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". ***** ⭐ ⭐