Me Since You by Laura Wiess

Oct 08, 2013 Giselle rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, ebook

A sad but moving novel; Me Since You is a difficult, yet eye opening journey into the deep, dark abyss of grief.

It doesn't start out as an emotional train wreck, though, which is something I really appreciated. We get introduced to Rowan as a normal teenager. We see her living a normal life, with the angst and risk that come with teenage antics. There's also some romance involved that's refreshingly cute and full of the new-relationship happiness and hope. The tragedy itself only occurs past a A sad but moving novel; Me Since You is a difficult, yet eye opening journey into the deep, dark abyss of grief.

It doesn't start out as an emotional train wreck, though, which is something I really appreciated. We get introduced to Rowan as a normal teenager. We see her living a normal life, with the angst and risk that come with teenage antics. There's also some romance involved that's refreshingly cute and full of the new-relationship happiness and hope. The tragedy itself only occurs past a quarter through, giving us the opportunity to truly grasp the monumental change that happens to Rowan, the before and after. I loved that we got to know her as a person before she's stricken by pain. This allows us time to connect with her in a way that makes us thoroughly feel and understand her pain.

Once the worst happens, Rowan finds herself in a pit of despair and drags us right along with her. We fight through the stages of grief, we battle what no one else seems to understand. Rowan's friends and neighbors don't get how she can't just move on already, especially after months. This is not so we despise the people around her (even though I did, kinda), it's so that we can see how a situation like this is looked at from the outside; how people really don't know what it's like unless they've been through it. It's really an eye opener. We all know grief, but its impact is not truly accepted unless it's yours.

This story also touches on the ripple effect of our decisions. Even if you'd give anything to change the past, every action, every regret, has some good come out of it. This book is not only sadness and misery. Don't avoid reading it because you think it will be nothing but torture on your heart. Yes, there's anguish, but it's also about learning to move on, about finding light in the darkness. The character growth in itself is amazing. Then there are some great family bonding moments, new experiences, rekindling romance, even cats and dogs, all giving a bit of light to this bleakness, showing us that no matter how far down you've been pushed, there is always going to be a way up.

Me Since You is an incredible story about conquering grief. It makes you understand its consequences and power, and may even help you through your own dark times.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Oct 12, 2013 Melanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-arc, books-i-own, young-adult, writing-envy, swoony-guys, romance, omg-the-cover-people, not-bad-at-all, i-cried, death

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

Sobbing.

Sobbing.

2 hours later.

Eating chocolate that Eileen sent via the internet.

Thinks of Me Since You.

Starts sobbing again.

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Well that sucked. Not the book, but the fact that I had to hold in all my tears as I read this book on the train and at the state library. Trust me people; there were a lot of tears wanting to fall. Right now, I just want to sit in a hole with my chocolate and ice-cream and blanket and hide there for eternity. Is that allowed? ...more

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May 13, 2013 Michelle (Pink Polka Dot Books) rated it really liked it

Shelves: tbr-2014

Rowan is a normal teenager. A little rebellious. A little bit overtaken by her dominant BFF. She loves her family and worries about saving money for a car, what clothes to wear, and how people at school see her. All that changes the morning that a man decides to kill himself and his baby boy. Rowan's dad was the responding officer that morning, and while he's dealt with his share of tough situations over the years, the backlash that comes from the media and public because of this incident pushes Rowan is a normal teenager. A little rebellious. A little bit overtaken by her dominant BFF. She loves her family and worries about saving money for a car, what clothes to wear, and how people at school see her. All that changes the morning that a man decides to kill himself and his baby boy. Rowan's dad was the responding officer that morning, and while he's dealt with his share of tough situations over the years, the backlash that comes from the media and public because of this incident pushes him into a severe depression. For weeks he's unable to function, becoming someone that Rowan doesn't even know. Worse than that, Rowan knows that if she hadn't been skipping school that day, her dad wouldn't have been anywhere near the bridge and the terrible thing that happened. Another person touched by this deed was Eli. He and Rowan form a bond of sorts while she's trying to hold everything together.

Then another tragedy strikes and nothing will ever be the same again.

My Thoughts:
This is my first book by this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect here. I don't know if her other books are this dark and deep, but next time I read one (and there will be a next time), I'm making sure I'm mentally prepared for it.

For the first 1/3 of this book, I was in love with it. I loved Rowan and how real she was. She wasn't a "good girl", but she wasn't a rebellious bad-ass either. She was just a teenager. She reminded me of me or any of my friends. Then holy mother of God, this book got dark. The entire last 2/3rds of the book was just death, depression, and people spiraling out of control. I honestly don't think I've read another book that had more death in it. Babies die for crying out loud (as in plural, more than one)!!

So I'm not saying that I didn't like the book. I did. Like I said, I really loved Rowan. And Eli was pretty amazing as well. But I really didn't know that we were going to have to go along with Rowan and her mother on their entire, giant grieving process. Not to be cold-hearted, but it got old after a while. I get it, you are destroyed over this.... does the whole book have to be about that?? And it might be authentic (I'm sure it is), but every time they took one step forward, they would take 3 steps back. It was really frustrating to read about. And the thing is I was really pissed at Rowan's friend Nadia for feeling the exact same way I was, so that makes me feel kind of shitty for saying it at all. She had every right to grieve and grieve however she needed to. I just didn't want to read about the same thing for that many pages.

Besides the characters and writing, I also loved the overall "ripple effect" theme. The idea that a tragedy touches so many more people than you think. The idea that tiny little things that you do can have consequences that you never saw coming. I'm not one to second guess the little stuff. You could what-if yourself to death that way... but it is worth thinking about actions and consequences.

So should you read this?? If you are in an emotional reading mood: YES!! This is a beautifully written book and it's about some really important stuff. But it's dark and sad, emotional and there's a constant heartbreak that comes and keeps on coming.

OVERALL: I enjoyed the characters and the beautiful way it was written, but it was a little too dark for my tastes. I needed something positive to happen in this book and I never fully got that. It's worth reading, but you gotta be in that deep, emotional mood.

My Blog:

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Jan 30, 2013 Ashley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, e-arc, favourites

Me Since You is hands down the most powerful and emotional book I have ever read. This book ripped me to emotional shreds. I have never cried so much over one book in my entire life.

If you don't like sad books, turn away now. Me Since You is not just sad—it's devastating. The genuine loss and hopelessness that drips from the words in this book will cripple you a thousand times over. I read this book in increments, and each time I picked up the book again, the tears immediately started up again ...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Keertana rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-galley-and-first-reads, books-that-linger

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'll admit it: I picked up this book for its cover alone. In fact, I've been itching to try a Wiess novel precisely because of her covers. Either they are breath-taking in their beauty or eye-catching in their simplicity. Wiess's latest novel, though not perfect, has certainly ignited a thirst for more of her work. With an effortless writing style, Wiess captures dark, gritty emotions in their rawest form. Granted, her novels are not easy to read - not by a long shot - but they are worth it.

Me S I'll admit it: I picked up this book for its cover alone. In fact, I've been itching to try a Wiess novel precisely because of her covers. Either they are breath-taking in their beauty or eye-catching in their simplicity. Wiess's latest novel, though not perfect, has certainly ignited a thirst for more of her work. With an effortless writing style, Wiess captures dark, gritty emotions in their rawest form. Granted, her novels are not easy to read - not by a long shot - but they are worth it.

Me Since You is a difficult novel to describe, merely because it a two-fold story. Our novel begins with Rowan Areno cutting class. Rowan's father is a police man and after witnessing horrible crimes day after day, he's more than just a little over protective of his only daughter. After finding her sitting alone in a booth at McDonald's (after her best friend and two cute senior boys ditched her to go to the beach), Officer Areno takes his daughter home and is about to sit her down for a scolding when he receives an urgent call. As the closest one to the scene, Rowan's father cruises out to a bridge where a man is planning to commit suicide with his three-month-year-old baby boy in his hands. Eli, whose father was killed in the army, is also on that bridge, walking his dog. And despite the efforts of Rowan's father, the man jumps and kills himself.

After the incident, Rowan's life is turned upside down. For one, the neighborhood she lives in ostracizes her father for not saving the life of a depressed man. When the video of what transpired leaks online, her father gives in to his inner demons. While life with her father is no longer easy, it is still easier than what comes afterward: suicide. Rowan knows her father loved her and her mother but she cannot understand why he would kill himself. Me Since You explores grief in a deep, visceral manner, both as a recipient and as an outsider. After the incident on the bridge, Rowan struggles to maintain her friendships and push through with school, striking up an easy relationship with Eli who, shockingly, seems to understand her. Just as her life seems to be returning to a state of normalcy, however, her father commits suicide and Rowan shuts herself off from the world. Completely.

Me Since You touches upon the deep-rooted sickness of depression in an engaging manner. We first witness the extent of depression through the eyes of Rowan's father as he struggles to convince a man to live, to let his new-born child live. We see it again through the eyes of Rowan as her father begins to take medication, sees a therapist, and attempts to survive through each day. It isn't easy to see a parent, especially one you believed was constantly strong and a source of support, succumb to weakness. But Rowan's father does his best to get his life back on track. As requested, he takes time off from work. As advised, he goes to talk over his issues with a psychiatrist. As told, he takes anti-depressant pills. And yet, he still commits suicide. After all his efforts and despite the love his family bears for him, he loses his will to live on.

After this horrific action, Rowan needs time for herself. While her romance with Eli - understanding, sweet, calming, gentle - is just on the verge of taking off, she is blinded by her grief and unable to pursue anything more with him. Eli, who lives with his father's death every day, who walks the dog that served in the army with his father, understands better than anyone. Even when Rowan's friends ask her to heal quickly, even when her remaining family pushes her to forgive her father, Eli gives her the space she needs. As such, their romance is a minimal aspect to this novel, but an important one. While they don't heal one another, they do help one another, and the understanding they share due to their traumatic pasts makes them an ideal match.

One of my favorite aspects to this tale, though, is Rowan's healing. Not only does Rowan write letters to her father, voicing her disbelief, her anger, and her sorrow, but the relationship she sustains with her mother is beautifully portrayed. Both these women have been touched by the same grief, but in different ways. Rowan and her mother are healing at different paces and through different mediums. After her husband's death, Rowan's mother takes it upon herself to house stray cats - eleven of them. It is only when her parents - Rowan's grandparents - yell some sense into her that she begins to accept that her husband is truly gone. While Rowan doesn't need to be there for anyone, her mother does need to be there for her which makes that burden of grief all the more painful, in some ways. Wiess charts these issues with grace, though, creating three-dimensional characters we can get behind and emotions we feel, despite not wanting to touch these difficult topics.

Where my criticism with Me Since You arises is in its conclusion. Rowan's father, despite being a meticulous man, fails to leave a suicide note which haunts Rowan. Although she heals, she is unable to fully let go of her grief until, eventually, she does find a suicide note. For me, this felt like a cop-out. In her debut, Courtney Summers writes about a young teenage girl coping with the suicide of her father - a girl who never finds a suicide note, never finds a reason, but still manages to heal. Me Since You seemed to be following this very same and poignant path until the tail-end, which ruined the impact of the story for me. Nevertheless, despite that, this novel discusses the issue of suicide and depression in a heart-felt manner and for fans of issue books, this one covers that scope beautifully - and even beyond. ...more

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Oct 08, 2013 Jasprit rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-galley, out-2014, read-in-2014, ya, contemporary

“I will never understand how life can rip your heart
out with one hand and then give you a small,
warm piece of it back with the other?
How can something so good come from something
so terrible?”

Sometimes trying a new book by an author that you’ve never tried before can be daunting. But by just reading the first few pages of Me Since You, I knew I would love this book and would read anything written by Wiess right away. Wiess captured the grief that Rowan and her family had to go through really well “I will never understand how life can rip your heart
out with one hand and then give you a small,
warm piece of it back with the other?
How can something so good come from something
so terrible?”

Sometimes trying a new book by an author that you’ve never tried before can be daunting. But by just reading the first few pages of Me Since You, I knew I would love this book and would read anything written by Wiess right away. Wiess captured the grief that Rowan and her family had to go through really well. Not only that but how people reacted differently when they had to deal with unexpected grief.

Rowan’s father had been a police officer for the last twenty years, he’d had his fair share of tough cases to deal with, but had learned to cope with consequences and move onto the next situation well. But the situation he found himself and the backlash that he had to deal with ended up being way too much to deal with. Not only did it have an impact on his career, his way of thinking, but also his family’s life in a major way. It was hard seeing a man, who had such a reputable reputation and such a strong person become a fraction of the man that he used to be right before his family’s eyes. Rowan and her mum were constantly there for him, but sometimes this is never enough.

And so the next few weeks were really trying for Rowan and her mother. First of all after everything which happened it was so unexpected, Rowan had several important questions, (view spoiler) they knew that the lives he wasn’t able to save, had hit him really hard, but they thought things were getting better. And on top of this Rowan did blame herself for the escalation of events, if only she hadn’t skipped school, would her dad have even been the first one to attend the scene? It was really tough watching Rowan go through this difficult period, (view spoiler)

There isn’t really one singular path to follow when dealing with grief, but having a strong support network can make a big difference. And with people dealing with grief in different ways, it is important this support is there in the sidelines, not being so overwhelming, but also ready to step in wherever possible. This is where Rowan lucked out in some ways and was dealt a bad card in another. Rowan’s grandparents were the sweetest, although we didn’t get to see much of them, they really held Rowan and her mum together. They let them do their own thing for as long as they needed to, but also were there to put their foot down when it was necessary. Whereas Rowan’s supposed best friend, don’t even let me get started on her, it’s usually major life events, which really go on to show you who your true friends are and Rowan was seriously better off without her.

Me Since You was a gorgeously written story, despite the story focusing on a really heartbreaking aspect, the story wasn’t bleak at all, and I enjoyed watching Rowan slowly picking herself up and find her place in the world, when a big part of her was missing. Wiess was also able to weave some small “ray of sunshine” moments which were quick to bring a glowy feel good feeling. Overall Me Since You really impressed me much more than I was expecting that I cannot wait to read more of Wiess’s books.
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Jan 24, 2014 AH rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary, k-files, romance, young-adult, zzread-jan-2014, babr-reviews

Initial Thoughts: About a 3 or 3.5 star read for me. This was a difficult read for me. It was outside my usual genre and it dealt with depression, suicide, and death, along with the aftermath for the surviving family members. It's sad. It will make you cry. It's hard to read, just because of the emotions.

The Review:

Christal and I read this book as part of the Jumble Your Genres Challenge from Lovin' los Libros. You can read our thoughts on Me Since You at Badass Book Reviews.

Me Since You is ...more

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Sep 05, 2015 Kels rated it liked it

Shelves: ya, contemporary, yawn, romance, realistic-fiction, mental-illness, death, suicide-awareness, drama-drama-drama, depression

"Can a person actually die of sadness? How about of a broken heart?"

Big sigh. I was not prepared for the emotional turmoil that this book inflicted on me. Goodness. It was such a stressing and emotional read, from the very opening chapters at that. I just... *stuffs mouth with ice cream*

Laura Weiss has an effortless beauty in her writing that is mesmerizing. It keeps you flipping pages, even while your heart is breaking. I fell in love with her prose, which encompassed and depicted Rowan's, th

"Can a person actually die of sadness? How about of a broken heart?"

Big sigh. I was not prepared for the emotional turmoil that this book inflicted on me. Goodness. It was such a stressing and emotional read, from the very opening chapters at that. I just... *stuffs mouth with ice cream*

Laura Weiss has an effortless beauty in her writing that is mesmerizing. It keeps you flipping pages, even while your heart is breaking. I fell in love with her prose, which encompassed and depicted Rowan's, the MC, voice and emotions perfectly. But while I did admire the writing, I couldn't help but notice that the pacing was pretty much at a flatline. There's a huge chunk in the middle where everything just slows down, and nothing really substantial happens. This made me put down the book quite a bit, both to get away from all the grief and also in an effort to renew my interests.

Despite this being such a depressing read, It remained a challenge for me to truly connect and feel for Rowan. She annoyed me so much! She was so selfish and uncaring. It was like all she cared about was her trivial problems. There was one part (gosh I wish I would have wrote down the quote) where Rowan debates going to her dad and comforting him while he's breaking down in the kitchen, but she weighs it against being late for her date, and I truly wanted to slap her. There were just so many times where she had opportunities to talk to her dad and connect with him, and not only did she not take any of them, but she also acted so immaturely. She threw fits and tantrums, and was so much more concerned about being with her friends, or making goo-goo eyes over a stranger, sigh, I just disliked her character so so much. I understand teens are in their own little bubble and have hugely selfish tendency, which may very well be what the author wanted to depict, but seriously I don't know what teen would just disregard their parents emotions as easily and flippantly as Row did. But maybe I shouldn't be all that surprised. I mean, look at her best friend, Nadia, who might possibly be the most self-obsessed and inconsiderate person in Row's school. Gosh, Nadia grated on my everlasting nerves.

The romance was another issue I had with Me Since You. It just... I don't know... it just didn't feel right. Here we have Rowan, who goes from crushing on one senior, to having insta-attraction to Eli, who was on the bridge when Corey kills himself. Hmm... yeah I just didn't get it. She seriously becomes so consumed with running into him and developing feelings for him, which is part of the reason she totally disregards what her dad is going through and fails to see the misery he's having to cope with. And yeah, that sort of turned me off completely to whatever feelings she thought she was developing for Eli. But the romance is pretty choppy and sparse within the text, and I think that had Eli and Rowan connected as friends I would have liked this novel even more.

Ultimately, this was a deeply affecting novel, and I have so much respect for the good cops out there who put everything on the line when they put on their badge. Yes, there were some flaws that kept this from being more than a three star read for me, but this book has impacted me so much on an emotional level, and that's quite a feat for any author. ...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Debbie Narh rated it liked it

Shelves: mtv, 2013, arc, contemporary, contemporary-challenge-2014, ebook, female-pov, forced-romance, i-saw-that-coming, kind-of-disappointed

3.5 Stars

Me Since You is a story about grief and regret. It's a story that will hopefully draw a few tears, if not buckets full. It will leave you tired and drained but in a good way. Hopefully you'll be able to connect to this piece of art just like I had. It's such an emotional roller coaster that has a few dips and stops but is great.

Unfortunately, this novel has a hard time being realistic at moments. The times when Rowan needs Eli the most, he's miraculously there. No one goes to prom with ...more

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Feb 16, 2014 Claire Robinson rated it liked it · review of another edition

2.5 Stars.

Me Since You reminds me of a very long Winter, or a cloudy day, You wait and wait for the sun to shine through, and the Spring to rear it's head, but ultimately it stays cloudy, and hey it's January so suck it up Winter is going to be around for a long while yet.

Well written, developed story. Can't say I was that enamoured with Rowan, she seemed to take everything so personally, or somehow twist it up so much she managed to make it her fault.

If you are looking for some out and out angs ...more

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Feb 11, 2014 Alex rated it it was ok

2.5 stelline!
Questo libro si é rivelato tutto, fuorché quello che mi sarei aspettata.
Lento, triste ed angosciante oltre ogni possibile immaginazione...
Non fraintendetemi, pretendo che una lettura mi faccia vivere emozioni intense e contrastanti, ma questo libro é un funerale continuo!
Una girandola di emozioni soffocanti, che molto spesso diventavano "pesanti"da leggere.
Pagine e pagine di dolore, sofferenza, rimorso, rimpianto e colpa, per non avere saputo prevedere l'inevitabile.
Rowan é una prot ...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Sarah marked it as not-for-me

Shelves: dnf

The older I get, the harder time I have with grief-filled books. Me Since You is beautifully written and emotionally evocative, but I couldn't keep reading it--there was just too much for me. If you want an ugly cry, an lovely writing, this is a good choice.

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Apropos of nothing, I really love the cover model's hair.

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Apr 02, 2013 Tracey (Life and Literature) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"Grief..." She shakes her head. "You can't hide from it. There is no over, under or around it. No avoiding. It will stay until you make your way through it."

This book right here broke my heart. The subject matter is so intense. It is full of such raw honesty and heartbreak. I lived every single one of the emotions as they were experienced throughout the story. I'm not even sure what I was expecting when I started reading this, but it definitely wasn't what I got. It was everything I could ha ...more

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Oct 13, 2013 Lynsey (A Bookish Life) rated it liked it

Shelves: received-for-review

Me since this book

This is such a difficult book to rate! I really am having a difficult time settling on a star rating. Normally I just rate on how enjoyable I found a book, but Me Since You was so thoroughly and heartbreakingly sad can I really say that I enjoyed myself reading it? Mmm, that might be a stretch...

So, if I can't do that, perhaps I should rate on writing quality? Well, actually, if we're going there, the present tense narrative and the unfathomable allergy to pronouns drove me Me since this book

This is such a difficult book to rate! I really am having a difficult time settling on a star rating. Normally I just rate on how enjoyable I found a book, but Me Since You was so thoroughly and heartbreakingly sad can I really say that I enjoyed myself reading it? Mmm, that might be a stretch...

So, if I can't do that, perhaps I should rate on writing quality? Well, actually, if we're going there, the present tense narrative and the unfathomable allergy to pronouns drove me slightly batty, so perhaps not.

I guess, then, the most important question should be whether or not I would recommend others to read it, despite its moroseness. And, surprisingly, the answer to that is yes. It is definitely worth your time, and was extremely thought-provoking and poignant. Excellent brain food. But you'd need to prepare yourself mentally before going in.

So, what is it about? Well, the story follows Rowan, the sixteen-year-old daughter of a police officer who is witness to a double suicide/murder - A mentally unstable man jumps off a bridge with his newborn son right in front of him. Rowan's father struggles to add the weight of this to the endless list of other atrocities he's seen over the twenty years of his career, and might have been able to bear it, but the dashboard cam from his police vehicle captured the whole thing, and the video soon goes viral, attracting all the hate and vitriol you can imagine from anonymous online users who have an opinion on just about everything - including whether or not he did his job properly that day. It's all too much for him, and it's not long before he disappears onto a fog of depression, taking his family - Rowan and her mother- with him.

To me, this is where Wiess excelled. The way she conveyed the father's decent, and the impotent frustration of both Rowan and her mother during this time, was exceptional. To take a man from someone who was always in command, the main authority figure of the family, to someone who can barely dress himself, was a cruel torment. And understandably, Rowan feels equal measures of compassion and rage for his situation. It was like he was there in person, but not in spirit. And was both fascinating and devastating to read.

Then, as a subplot, there is Eli, a local boy who was also there on the bridge that day. He's a sympathetic ear and romance soon develops, but this part was by no means the focus of Me Since You.

Overall, I found the book to be engrossing, and I'm glad I read it, but I can tell you it left me hankering for something much, much lighter afterwards. You've been warned!

3 Stars ★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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May 12, 2014 Tez rated it it was amazing

I went into this novel expecting a story of a school shooting. What I got instead was something very different - and unexpectedly triggering. We're talking not being able to sleep because of crying until 4AM.

So my TRIGGER WARNINGS to you are also SPOILERS:

(view spoiler)

If you'd prefer something more specific:

(view spoiler)

You've been warned.

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Oct 22, 2013 Molli Moran rated it it was amazing

One of THE best books I've ever read.

Hands down.

Gorgeous prose, real characters, and a respectful, honest dialogue about mental illness coupled with a profound look at grief and healing make this a stand-out novel that will linger with me for a long time to come.

(ALSO. Eli? SWOON.)

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Jan 24, 2014 Tori rated it really liked it

Check out YA Book Queens for more reviews!

NOTE: I received this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Before reading this book, I wanted to pick up a nice feel-good contemporary book with a love interest that would make me want to swoon. Imagine my surprise when I cried halfway through reading this book. That's right, guys. I cried during this book. The emotional roller coaster that this book put me through was something that I was not anticipating whatsoever. ...more

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Dec 14, 2013 eileen rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, faves

Check out more of my reviews at Singing and Reading in the Rain!

Me Since You, told from a sixteen-year-old girl named Rowan's point of view, is powerful and demands to be felt. What her perspective brings is to watch the destruction of a loved one. After her police officer father fails to save a man and a baby from committing suicide, he spirals into a depression, one that absolutely wrecks him and his family. Rowan's entire world was falling around her, as she tried to cope with the tragedy of Check out more of my reviews at Singing and Reading in the Rain!

Me Since You, told from a sixteen-year-old girl named Rowan's point of view, is powerful and demands to be felt. What her perspective brings is to watch the destruction of a loved one. After her police officer father fails to save a man and a baby from committing suicide, he spirals into a depression, one that absolutely wrecks him and his family. Rowan's entire world was falling around her, as she tried to cope with the tragedy of her father after he committed suicide himself after a long, arduous month of depression. He didn't even leave a note for his family, which by itself is heartbreaking. What most novels don't typically bring is a bystander point of view to the conflict. How does the family deal with someone's depression? How does a family cope when someone commits suicide? These were the issues addressed in this novel, full of open-ended questions and doubt.

Me Since You cries for attention as Rowan and her mother attempted to stay afloat in their crazy whirlwind of a life. It's difficult to properly articulate the emotions this book induces, but allow me the opportunity to try. Rowan's relationship with her dad had always been rocky and inconsistent, but never receiving the chance to make it right before her dad shut down from the depression is shockingly honest and poignant. She was standing on a mountain of unsaid things and peering at the clouds at the top, forcing herself to jump into the unknown. The way that Laura formatted the exposition and conflict was a perfect way of portraying the differences in Rowan's character, before and after "you."

Rowan truly reached out and made her audience feel the same things that she did. Her grief was slow and constant, causing her to do impulsive things that fit inside her coping method. She lashed out at people she loved, people who weren't treating her right, in a desperate attempt to hold onto the remnants of her father. Each aspect of her life, from our love interest Eli to the five thousand stray cats her mother started taking in, was for a reason to aid in her healing process, a gradual thing that not only propelled the book forward but also persisted in sending messages to its readers, telling us that grief is handled in different ways, and the purpose of it is not to "get over it" or "move on," it's to make peace with a death and find the strength to keep going and remember your loved one.

My one issue was how poorly Rowan was treated by her best friend Nadia (I think that's her name, although if I'm wrong please correct me). Nadia always made the show about herself, and even after Rowan's dad died, Nadia told her to "get over it" and was pissed off at Rowan because she wasn't fun anymore and was ruining Nadia's life. I was so glad when she finally dropped her like it's hot, but she still persisted in trying to get her back until Nadia finally told her they couldn't be friends anymore. After Nadia stepped out of the picture, Rowan's healing process took center stage, firmly grabbing my attention. I cried a lot at the end, from how emotionally invested and hard it was not to feel empathy towards Rowan and her family.

Laura Wiess is a fantastic author whose raw talent cannot be questioned after Me Since You. Rowan's voice and her grief could dare even Scrooge's tears to fall with this book's poignancy and reality. Even in the darkest depths of desperation and crushing sadness, there finds a way to touch others in a way unimaginable. ...more

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Jan 14, 2014 Michelle added it

Teens and tragedy appear to go hand-in-hand lately. It is unfortunate in a way because it makes the teen years much more difficult than they already are. Still, there is an attraction between the two that is difficult to ignore, if only because misery does love company. Besides, people find solace in another person’s pain – to some extent.

The most emotionally difficult scenes within the story are also the ones that emphasize Ms. Wiess’ mastery of the emotions within the story. Rowan’s, as well a Teens and tragedy appear to go hand-in-hand lately. It is unfortunate in a way because it makes the teen years much more difficult than they already are. Still, there is an attraction between the two that is difficult to ignore, if only because misery does love company. Besides, people find solace in another person’s pain – to some extent.

The most emotionally difficult scenes within the story are also the ones that emphasize Ms. Wiess’ mastery of the emotions within the story. Rowan’s, as well as her mother’s, struggles through the grief process are tough, honest, and surprisingly gripping. One expects to be a remote observer to the proceedings, but this ends quickly with Ms. Wiess’ knack for capturing in a few taut words everything Rowan emotionally and mentally experiences. The reader becomes something more than a bystander, not just a witness to Rowan’s pain but a fellow sufferer.

Ms. Wiess touches on the debilitating effects of depression, not just on the sufferer but also on the sufferer’s loved ones, with grace and gravitas. As a result, it is an intense story that makes one reevaluate the growing concern about bullying, especially online. She shows that one cannot just hope to wake up one day and feel happy, that it is not a mindset one can change at will, that it is truly a disease every bit as insidious and damaging as the sneakiest cancer or pathogen.

There is nothing truly remarkable about Rowan. She is not the queen bee of her school’s hierarchy, nor is she the delightfully quirky free spirit who follows her own social rules. She is neither a talented athlete nor artist. She is a normal teen with normal fears, desires, dreams, and parental battles. She seeks independence without gaining too much adult responsibility and looks for ways to test the boundaries set by her parents. There is nothing good or bad about her position. She is a typical teen, but one who has to experience the toughest type of loss. Rowan’s ordinariness is refreshing because it is a reminder that even those who spend their entire lives flying under the radar and living by the rules cannot hide from grief. It is also significant because it allows readers to better empathize with her, as there is nothing extraordinary about her that makes it impossible to step into her shoes and experience her emotions.

Me Since You is not a cheery novel. The tragedy that occurs to Rowan is almost as bad as one imagines it will be, and there is no getting around the seriousness of the plot. This does not mean that the novel is entirely depressing. There are hopeful moments and scenes of growth and maturity that offset the more upsetting scenes, with the story ending on a positive note that no matter how bad things get, they almost always improve. It is as important a message as one could portray to its teen audience, and one worth remembering for adult readers as well. ...more

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Feb 08, 2014 Mitchii rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014-reads, contemporary, drama, realistic-fiction, romance, young-adult, arc-or-galley-review-copies

Rowan and I, you could say we were in the same situation (that's far as I can share). But we’re not on the same page as far as the grieving goes. I mean, every one of us deal with this kind of pain differently. And even though we had a common denominator I sort of felt detached to her. I guess it was too overwhelming to me and I wasn’t completely committed to her issues.

Rowan’s father is a police officer and one day, he failed to save the guy from committing suicide. And that’s where it all star Rowan and I, you could say we were in the same situation (that's far as I can share). But we’re not on the same page as far as the grieving goes. I mean, every one of us deal with this kind of pain differently. And even though we had a common denominator I sort of felt detached to her. I guess it was too overwhelming to me and I wasn’t completely committed to her issues.

Rowan’s father is a police officer and one day, he failed to save the guy from committing suicide. And that’s where it all started. He was blamed by many because he was unable to save the guy. His father become depressed and decided to kill himself. She was shocked with his decision and from there things were spiraled to worse. Her family was starting to fall apart. It hit her mom pretty bad; and the question lingered on her: why did he do it?

There were few tear-jerker books that I have read but only a few managed to elicit heavy emotions out of me. In fact only two books had made me bawling like a baby. I expected Me Since You by Laura Wiess to be one of them. Unfortunately I didn’t cry, I wasn’t emotional but I do understand the stages she went after losing someone. It was even harder that the person she cares inflicted it to himself. Of course questions and uncertainties will arise on herself, on her family. Doubt, regret, guilt can be overpowering.

It’s also a wonder how a single event can shook your life and changed you forever. I understand her regrets and sadness. People might have pushed his father to come up to that decision and it consumed him. Even though he took precautions, he still went with it. It’s pretty easy to understand Rowan and the things she needs to do in order to cope with what happened. It’s not only with happened that you need to deal with, it also as hard or probably harder on what comes after that. And that’s also what we got to see in here. I also liked the addition of subtle romance in there. They shared something and because Eli knew how it felt he was able to understand what’s going on with her.

I liked it, I wasn’t really into it and I didn’t shed a single tear, but it was still an eye opener to me. It’s remarkable how efficiently the theme was injected to the story. I really liked the part where she got a note from her dad. She’d always been wondering and she really hoped it was from him. It makes it easy—even for bit and even if it’s just gradual, at least she got some sort of acknowledgement from him. She finally got herself to continue after all that.

This review appeared first on Aeropapers

3.5/5 ...more

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Dec 01, 2013 Maryellen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: net-galley

“Me Since You”, even the title makes you pause for a moment to think of all of the implications of that phrase. Most of us can relate. Most of us have had a person in our life whose absence or presence alters our whole self.

Rowan Areno’s Father Nicky is a highly respected and decorated Police Officer. He keeps a tight rein on Rowan because he has seen firsthand the dangers out there. If only he could protect Rowan. If only he could save everyone.

Rowan was just a normal sixteen year old girl bef “Me Since You”, even the title makes you pause for a moment to think of all of the implications of that phrase. Most of us can relate. Most of us have had a person in our life whose absence or presence alters our whole self.

Rowan Areno’s Father Nicky is a highly respected and decorated Police Officer. He keeps a tight rein on Rowan because he has seen firsthand the dangers out there. If only he could protect Rowan. If only he could save everyone.

Rowan was just a normal sixteen year old girl before the ripple effects of one day changed her entire life. It was Senior Skip Day and Rowan and her best friend Nadia aren’t even seniors but a couple of boys that they’re interested in are, so the girls make plans to meet the boys. That one choice, that one teenage rite of passage, will forever alter the lives of so many people.

Every single choice we make has a consequence, some big and some small. Some insignificant and some so significant that entire lives are separated into “before and after”. Rowan’s life before that day was the typical teenage life~~working a part-time job, saving for a car and worrying about what to wear to parties. Rowan’s life after that day is a life filled with grief and anger. Because after someone commits suicide, what are we really left with? We’re left to survive the ripple effects of their choice.

Eli Gage was there that day. He witnessed the whole thing. So when the video from the police car goes viral and the news won’t stop playing it, Eli gets caught in the drama. And Eli has already been through so much. Because that one thing affected another, Eli and Rowan meet. If Rowan will let him, Eli might just be able to help to get her through.

Eli~~I love this character. He’s probably my favorite. The back story of both his father and his dog, Daisy, is brilliant writing.

This book was not easy for me to read after having lost someone very significant in my life just a few weeks ago. It was difficult at best. What it also was, was cleansing. These characters, especially Rowan and Eli, go through so much pain and somehow the author brilliantly has us go through their every emotion with them. Somehow. And somehow through the tears of this story, the author found a way to get to the other side of that grief.

✰✰✰✰✰

A copy of this book was granted to me by the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions above are my own. As a matter of fact, I will be purchasing a print copy of this book to keep.
...more

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Nov 15, 2013 Chelsea Pitcher rated it it was amazing

It's been a long time since I've found a book like ME SINCE YOU, one that compelled me to carry it around with me everywhere I went, because I didn't want to stop reading it for a second. I gobbled it up in a manner of days. And it will resonate with me for a long time.

There is so much about this book to love. The writing is beautiful and engaging. The characters are relatable. The story is heart-breaking, yet addictive. It's rare to find a book that leads one through so many different emotions: It's been a long time since I've found a book like ME SINCE YOU, one that compelled me to carry it around with me everywhere I went, because I didn't want to stop reading it for a second. I gobbled it up in a manner of days. And it will resonate with me for a long time.

There is so much about this book to love. The writing is beautiful and engaging. The characters are relatable. The story is heart-breaking, yet addictive. It's rare to find a book that leads one through so many different emotions: hope, fear, dread, sadness, heartache, and back to hope again.

ME SINCE YOU makes so many interesting points, from the ways people grieve differently, to the way internet bullying can affect human beings. We live in an age where people attack each other behind a computer screen and suffer little to no outward consequence. Yet each of us, from the person being attacked, to the person doing the attacking, is internally changed because of it. Watching Rowan's father suffer vicious and thoughtless internet attacks was painful, but it makes an important point: anonymous or not, our actions shape the world, and we need to be aware of what we're putting into it. The effects of our actions can be so much more devastating than we may think.

I loved many characters in ME SINCE YOU, especially Eli. As others have noted in their reviews, Eli was NOT a cure-all love interest. He was not the knight in shining armor who saved Rowan from her grief. He WAS a kind, genuine, believable character that endured plenty of grief on his own. His character was flawed but beautiful, and although he (or anyone else) could never save Rowan from her family's tragedy, he did end up being just what she needed at times, and I think she returned the favor for him.

ME SINCE YOU was at times difficult to read. The story was so believable, the emotions so raw, that even now there are certain passages I can't glance at without tearing up. But none of this is bad. The way this story pulled me through the darkness and into the light was a beautiful thing. In a way, it helped me work through some of my own past tragedies and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Books are like magic that way. In reading about someone's else's journey, from trauma to healing, you might begin to heal yourself.

I recommend ME SINCE YOU to everyone. ...more

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Dec 17, 2014 Emily Mead rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, mental-illness

Review title: No, YOU cried your eyes out.

This was one of those “Lost-in-Mount-TBR” books.

You know the ones.

You buy them on a whim thinking OOH I saw a good review for this…I must have it! I’m pretty sure I bought it for the Book Outlet Boxing Day sale in 2014 or something.

Anyway this meant that I really didn’t expect to love it so much.

(Or cry so much. Seriously, guys, I was a mess)

Let me tell you that I read a LOT of contemporary YA. And this is one of the best treatments of mental illness ...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Brandi Kosiner (Brandi Breathes Books) rated it really liked it

I wanted to read Me Since You because I have read Laura Wiess before and I liked her dark contemporary and writing style, so of course, I wanted to pick this up. Luckily it was available on Edelweiss and I was able to grab a copy.
Me Since You is a dark book, about a girl and boy connected by a crime and then their friendship and budding relationship deepens as they spend time together and as their pasts line up and they are able to offer understanding and a warm shoulder or hug at moments of I wanted to read Me Since You because I have read Laura Wiess before and I liked her dark contemporary and writing style, so of course, I wanted to pick this up. Luckily it was available on Edelweiss and I was able to grab a copy.
Me Since You is a dark book, about a girl and boy connected by a crime and then their friendship and budding relationship deepens as they spend time together and as their pasts line up and they are able to offer understanding and a warm shoulder or hug at moments of despair.
The format is pretty unique because the first part switches from first person to third and is from different pov but then it goes back to first person with our narrator Rowan.
I like that we get glimpses of what a normal life she lived before tragedy struck her family and brought her closer to a boy that wasn't even on her radar before.
We get to see the cruel and thoughtless nature of not only high schoolers but also adults as the backlash spreads from the crime videos. It is hard to accept that a crime can just be tragic, people want to point fingers and assign blame, and it can get ugly. Because there are real people on the receiving end and words can be pretty darn painful.
The crime and the following events are very emotional, and seeing it through Rowan's eyes was hard because of all that she and Eli have on their plates and dealing with.
I liked their romance and that it wasn't all consuming, but that Eli let her put her grief first, but also that they deeply shared with each other. That she had a confidant in him even when her best friend didn't understand and support her like she should have.
I also really appreciated the real portrayal of depression and grief. That it doesn't just last two weeks and you are over it. It is lasting, and you feel a whole spectrum of emotions. It hit me on the personal level too because of the personal connection that some of you would realize right away if you've followed my blog and know my backstory.
The ending was powerful, real, and laced with hope and healing, but no magic cures and realistic just like the rest of the book.

Bottom Line: Dark and emotional book with a grieving heroine. ...more

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Oct 22, 2013 Lilysbookblog rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, e-arc, nearly-dnf, read-in-2014, contemporary, tear-jerker-books, awkward-subjects, 2014-releases

I feel like a complete loner writing this review. I may be in the 1% of readers who aren’t head over heels in love with this book. I didn’t find myself crying or needing to call relatives to remind them how much they mean to me after reading this book. I, unforteuntly, felt no emotional connection with Me Since you. I tried, I really did but i never found myself invested in the story or any of the characters. And this sucks so much because I had specifically picked this book up thinking it woul I feel like a complete loner writing this review. I may be in the 1% of readers who aren’t head over heels in love with this book. I didn’t find myself crying or needing to call relatives to remind them how much they mean to me after reading this book. I, unforteuntly, felt no emotional connection with Me Since you. I tried, I really did but i never found myself invested in the story or any of the characters. And this sucks so much because I had specifically picked this book up thinking it would shatter my world. I had read so many five star reviews of people gushing about how tear jurking this book was and I was just so sure I would be a slobbering mess by the end of it. But I wasn’t.

Me Since You is a relatively short book, but it took me four days to read. This is a big no no in my book. I need a book to make me want to read it, I hate having to force myself to finish a book. And unforteuntly Me Since You was one of those books i had to make myself finish. In all fairness Me Since You isn’t a bad book, no it’s in retrospect supposed to be a really sad and emotional read and while the theme of the book was serouis and could have had me crying I just didn’t fall for the execution of the book. It all felt wrong. Everything was just sort of scratched upon, nothing felt like it went far enough.

Me Since You is filled with characters I wanted to punch in the face, our MC’s supposedly bestfriend being at the top of my list. But while we’re on the topic of our MC i have to mention I could never quite connect with her. There was this weird sort of vibe I got from her that I could never really move past. I like my MC’s to be strong and I like them to be damaged but I hate when their weak from the start. From the beginning of the book Rowan was really annoying me, she didn’t stand up for herself or make her own decisions from the first page so we didn’t start off on the right foot. No other character really made any strong impression on me, including the love interest, which was a huge shame. There was so much potential in him but it just wasn’t explored.

Me Since You just wasn’t my type of book. I usually love books with such huge themes like this one but for varouis reasons I just couldn’t connect with it. ...more

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Oct 07, 2013 Sarah rated it liked it

Shelves: mental-health-problem, netgalley-edelweiss, read-2014, young-adult, multiple-pov, r2r-complete

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Simon and Schuster and Edelweiss.)
16-year-old Rowan seems to always be getting in trouble for things, and even gets brought home by the police – something that her parents especially dislike considering that her father is also a police officer.
When her father is unable to stop a man from killing himself and his young son, he begins to suffer from depression though, and doesn’t seem like himself at all.
C ...more

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Mar 13, 2014 Angigames rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Ho acquistato questo libro convinta di avere tra le mani un’altra, semplice storia YA, con i suoi giovani amori, i suoi piccoli difetti e una necessaria leggerezza. E invece no, invece questo è uno YA completamente diverso, molto più cupo, più ostico e più lento. Ma queste caratteristiche non hanno sminuito la trama, me l’hanno fatta amare, perché è bello che alcuni autori affrontino temi del genere.
Questa è la storia di Rowan, 16enne in piena crisi adolescenziale, che salta la scuola e ama le f ...more

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Mar 11, 2014 Kim at Divergent Gryffindor rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2014, rating-4-stars, from-netgalley

Sixteen-year-old Rowan Areno's life changes as she watches her father spiral deeper and deeper into depression. After failing to convince a man not to commit suicide with his newborn son, Rowan's dad, a police officer, blames himself. The depression hits, and after fighting a hard battle, her dad loses and commits suicide, leaving Rowan lost and disappointed. What's worse, he didn't even leave a note!

Me Since You is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed because of its uniqueness and how deeply I co ...more

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Oct 25, 2014 Deyse marked it as dnf

This book was probably the hardest to put down because I started really liking it, since the start the relationship between Rowan and her father was touching and I really liked the friendship-possible-romance between her and Eli but this book hit a point where it was so depressing that it became painful to read it and I could only read in small doses - until I couldn't take anymore.

I think readers who like books about grief and depression will love this one since is extremely touching but be awa ...more

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Jan 14, 2014 Sara (sarabara081) rated it really liked it

A very powerful story about grief and how it affects everyone differently. It brings up a lot of important issues like depression, the what-ifs in life, family, and what friendship is or should be. I was very emotional throughout the entire novel but I found it to be an important read that I'm thankful to have given a chance.

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