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You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone

Rachel Lynn Solomon (Goodreads Author)

3.99 · Rating details · 1,574 ratings · 474 reviews

A moving, lyrical debut novel about twins who navigate first love, their Jewish identity, and opposite results from a genetic test that determines their fate—whether they inherited their mother’s Huntington’s disease.

Eighteen-year-old twins Adina and Tovah have little in common besides their ambitious nature. Viola prodigy Adina yearns to become a soloist—and to convince h ...more

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Hardcover, 384 pages

Published January 2nd 2018 by Simon Pulse

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· 1,574 ratings · 474 reviews

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Mar 31, 2018 Lola rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: siblings, teen-romance, family-drama, 2018-publications, disease, music

Not many know this, but my father died from cancer when I was a baby. I don’t remember anything about him. All I know is what I’ve been told and what I’ve seen in family pictures.

Like Tovah and Adina, who underwent a genetic test for Huntington’s disease, my brother and I could get tested to see if we risk developing leukemia, like our father did, but because our family prefers not to dwell on the past, this isn’t something I’ve thought about before.

Until I read this book. What if my brother a Not many know this, but my father died from cancer when I was a baby. I don’t remember anything about him. All I know is what I’ve been told and what I’ve seen in family pictures.

Like Tovah and Adina, who underwent a genetic test for Huntington’s disease, my brother and I could get tested to see if we risk developing leukemia, like our father did, but because our family prefers not to dwell on the past, this isn’t something I’ve thought about before.

Until I read this book. What if my brother and I do get tested, and one of us discovers that they carry the gene and are at high risk of developing it? Will it change the relationship we have today, will it make us look at the world, and each other, differently? What if both of us will develop it in the future?

These are questions that are explored in this story. It is a captivating story that I had no problem visualizing and be emotionally-invested in. The characters are three-dimensional, but there is one sister I was able to connect with more than the other: Tovah. She is smart, ambitious, empathetic—I saw myself in her.

Adina, while a realistic teenager, is selfish. She falls for her viola teacher, and she doesn’t realize that there’s something not quite right about it. It gives her a thrill to do things behind other people’s backs. She doesn’t tell anyone about them, and although she tries at times to rebuild the connection that crumbled years ago with her fraternal twin, she isn’t trying very hard. Not only that, but she is self-destructive, taking the revelation of her developing Huntington’s in the future very, very seriously.

As she should. But she knows this affects her deeply, and still, she doesn’t seek help or has a long conversation about it with her family or someone she trusts. She sticks to the usual, ‘‘I tested positive but I’m dealing with it,’’ or blatantly lying about her mental health. This is not how I, personally, would have reacted and behaved if I had gotten such bad news, and she is only two years younger than I am.

A poignant story, but it’s hard not to judge Adina’s self-destructive behaviour, especially when she has such a loving family that is always there for her, and a sibling who is willing to reconnect. And of course, this made me start to think seriously about what runs in my family and if a visit to the doctor is long-overdue.

Blog | Youtube | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ | Bloglovin’ ...more

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Feb 19, 2018 Elyse Walters rated it really liked it · review of another edition

“Tomorrow , when we turn eighteen, Adi and I will take a genetic test that will tell us whether we’ve inherited
our mother’s Huntington’s disease, the asteroid that knocked our family out of orbit four years ago. The black hole swallowing her up".
Tova and Adina ( Adi), are Fraternal twins.
Adi doesn’t feel ready to take the test. She doesn’t want to know.
Tova does want to know.

Because of a past incident a couple years ago between the sisters - Adi has promised she would take the test with her ...more

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Mar 18, 2019 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Chelsea by: Julie Zantopoulos

What an intense read, wow. This was SO MUCH darker than I expected it to be. It managed to be completely engrossing while also teaching me so many things I didn't know about both Huntington's Disease and what it is like to be part of a conservative Jewish family. What a great start to the Buzzword Readathon for me!

TW: self harm, depression, suicide

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Apr 08, 2018 Heather rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-contemporary, 2018-favorites

4 1/2

I really enjoyed this book. It was about 2 things I don’t read about to often; The Jewish culture & Huntingtons Disease. It also was about family to the core. Even though Adi and Tov are fraternal twins they are not close anymore and barely speak. Throughout the course of this book we see them finally get closer and try to understand each other.
📖
☕
Huntington’s Disease is horrible and so scary. I felt for this family so very much. It was scary watching one of the twins learn that she will ...more

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Jun 02, 2016 Rachel Solomon added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: i-wrote-this, set-in-seattle, electric-18s, sex-positive-ya, class-2k18

Update on 1/2/18: YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE is officially out in the world today!!

Update on 11/14/17: Now that advance copies are out in the world, I want to note that this book deals with heavy issues that aren't evident from the description. Adding a TW here for self-harm and suicidal ideation. If you would like specific page numbers or further information, please let me know, and I'm happy to provide that. You can contact me through my website: http://www.rachelsolomonbooks.com/con....

Up ...more

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Dec 21, 2017 Navessa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, 2018, young-adult, contemporary

“Sonatas and concertos tell stories. They make you feel every possible emotion, sometimes all within a single piece…they are joy and tragedy and fear and hate and love. They are everything I never say out loud.”

There are a lot of truly lovely and meaningful quotes I could have used from this book to start my review of it, but the above best sums up this reading experience. Adina and Tovah’s story is full of joy and tragedy and fear and hate and love.

I have two sisters, and Adina and Tovah’s si ...more

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Dec 27, 2017 Jasmine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone. Diverse readers especially. Trigger Warnings.

Shelves: deserve-more-readers, diverse, ebooks-ibooks, happy-ending, highly-recommend, just-fine, netgalley, practical-methods, read-to-review, realism

***Actual rating: 5/5 Tov Stars***

The thin ivory candles in the middle of the table are a third their original height. Jews are not to extinguish them; we are supposed to let them burn on their own instead. That’s what I have been taught.
Tonight I lean over and blow them out.

It’s official! You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone just drew my reading year of 2017 to a close perfectly. Wow, I don’t even know where to begin with this splendid piece of writing by the lovely Rachel. This book is highly educational (in my opinion) and slightly entertaining. I learn a lot about the mysterious Hebrew language, Jewish people and their traditions; I also learn a lot about both physical and mental health issues.

You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone starts with a pair of 18-year-old, half-American, half-Israeli, Jewish twins, Tovah and Adina Siegel, hating each other’s guts from the very beginning to the end. They never stop feeling jealous toward the other’s achievements in life and they also have trouble communicating with each other since they all have so much to complain about and find fault with. Tovah is the academic genius who never fails a test and participates in a variety of extracurricular activities so that she can be fully prepared for the early application to the one and only Johns Hopkins. She aces in all her works and has an ambition to become a great surgeon in the future. She’s a well-disciplined and extremely obedient daughter who always follows the Jewish rules such as keeping kosher or wearing the evil eye bracelet all the time.

On the contrary, Adina is the treacherous, rebellious one who never quite listens to her Aba and Ima (that’s how Tovah and Adina call their papa and mama), who’s not afraid to go on an adventure just to see what life has to offer. Just because she doesn’t study as hard as Tovah doesn’t mean she’s not talented. In fact, Adina is a viola prodigy. She spends days and nights practicing viola; she even takes private lessons with Arjun, her 25-year-old Indian music teacher.

I don’t know why but Tovah and Adina seem to fight/compete against each other on literally everything; one gets envious when the other achieves something great. They never stop arguing about trivial matters all the time, and I get that it’s probably the sibling thingy (honestly, sometimes twins are even worse because they’re the same age, they look identical and they have to share their parents’ love) but what I find hard to believe is how opposite, how different Tovah and Adina are.

It’s already dreadful enough that both sisters keep comparing themselves with each other and constantly make the other’s life miserable; to make matters worse, the story truly begins when they get their genetic test results for early diagnosis of Huntington’s disease, the one that slowly eats their Ima away day after day. Huntington’s disease is an inherited disorder that results in death of brain cells; some of the earliest symptoms include memory loss, mood swings, unsteady gaits, lack of coordination, hallucinations…etc.

With the completely opposite test results, the twins are no longer twins. In order not to spoil anything about the story, I’d leave this part out for you to discover by yourselves. *wink*

What I’d like to talk about is Adina’s characteristics. It never comes across my mind that such a talented viola player can be someone so dangerous—both physically and mentally—because she always seems so passionate and confident about her life. Little do I know how mentally unstable Adina actually is and the more her story unfolds, the more shocking I become.

Tovah will bring me zero relief. If she and I grow close again, she will be a constant reminder of everything I am missing out on. It’s because we are twins that it will hurt so much, seeing her experience things that I cannot, knowing I am so close to them but unable to grasp them. I will watch her graduate college and become a surgeon and fix people and get married and maybe have children. I will watch her plan an entire fucking future without worrying about an impending death. I will watch her mull over choice after choice after choice.
Maybe life is better without her.

She’s so determined to destroy Tovah’s life by accomplishing everything Tovah can’t or fails to accomplish, and then she’s so sure about sleeping with older guys. She never truly experiences puppy love because she always deems herself as a young girl with mature mind who deserves to ~~have sex~~ be with older men. Yep, Adina is this kind of double-life girl who seems to perform excellently in front of prominent musical influencers while seeks a way to satisfy her sexual desire at nights.

It is a mystery to me when lust turns to love, when sex turns into a relationship. If a relationship means playing duets and cooking together and teaching each other words in other languages, then maybe that is exactly what Arjun and I have. Maybe love is what comes next.

In the meanwhile, since the lovely-teacher’s pet-Tovah is so wrapped up in her studies and extracurricular activities, having a boyfriend is never on her to-do list in the near future. But who knows? Thanks to the adorable guy with a gap between his front teeth named Zack, Tovah finally manages to see the world through an artist’s eyes. *heart eyes & pink bubbles*

Zack reaches across the table and touches my evil-eye bracelet, his index finger spinning one of the beads. Jewelry’s always itched and scratched me, but this is a link to a family member I know so little about, so when Ima gave it to me for Chanukah, I vowed to wear it as much as possible.
“That’s new,” he says. A statement, not a question. This close, I can smell his ocean-salt cologne.
“So is your cologne.”
His cheeks flush. “You got me there.”
“This was my Israeli grandmother’s, on my mother’s side.”
“Can’t say the same about my cologne.”

Tovah and Zack’s transformation from friends to lovers is both cheesy and awkward but I love it! I mean, they have some serious, real talks about love, life and even sex instead of the cliché sorts of sweet nothing.
I also appreciate how Tovah can look past Zack’s unexperienced self in romantic relationship/sex and she can also put aside the stereotypical thinking that artists are poor. Seriously, it’s really rare for an ambitious, successful genius to see beneath the ordinarily beautiful.

”There are a lot of ways to be smart,” I say, though I probably wouldn’t have considered Zack’s art intelligent before this year. “It’s not all about grammar or tests. Your art, for example, that’s smart. I can tell how much thought you put into it, even when you claim it doesn’t mean anything.”
“What I’m trying to say is, you never make me feel that way. Like I’m not smart enough to be with you, even though you’re a genius too. And I really appreciate it.”

Undoubtedly, the main focus of this book is on the Siegel twins because whoa, you won’t believe how much they’ve improved throughout the story. When it comes to character development in a story, I always think it means the little steps those protagonists take or the subtle progress they make because those are pretty much what I’ve read so far. Thus, color me shock when I finished reading this book. *deadpan* Adina is the ticking bomb in the Siegel family and Tovah is the most motivated one in life; in the last few chapters of the book, both of them somehow realize the essence of life and the knowhow to live life to the fullest all of a sudden. No kidding, the twins suddenly find their unique way of compromise and for once, I finally feel relieved to see them stick together like a family does.

Our relationship probably won’t ever be what it was before we started growing into our own skin. Before we hurt each other. Before the world hurt us. Maybe we’ll never fully understand each other or know all of each other’s secrets, and surely we’ll never recapture our childhood innocence. But we can have something new. Something messy and real and imperfect, because that’s what both of us are.

All in all, I have a good time reading You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone since the plot twists are so intense and the huge difference between Tovah and Adina’s personalities is pretty intriguing. Though I admit that this book at some point makes me feel really, really down because there are some serious issues addressed and Rachel’s writing is so good that it’s hard not to feel what the characters are struggling with.

In my opinion, trigger warnings for Huntington’s disease, depression, anxiety, suicide, and strong sexual desire are necessary before reading/recommending this book to someone else. Besides, I would totally suggest teenagers (especially senior high school students) read You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone since most of the main characters are facing a lot of indecisions about their college majors, future careers, meanings of life and such but most importantly, their lessons of life are what you truly don’t want to miss!

Anyway, You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone is a brilliant debut work of Rachel and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to everyone (*please note the TW)! It’s one of my most anticipated reads for 2018 and I’m pleased to say that it doesn’t disappoint. Lastly, I just want to say that Rachel, you’re officially one of my top favorite authors from now on!

***Thanks to FFBC for providing me with an e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*** ...more

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Nov 21, 2017 Karlita | Tale Out Loud rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-from-the-authors, book-cover-junkie, contemporary, young-adult, inspirational, must-have-must-buy, netgalley

Adina and Tovah Seigel may be twins but they were entirely different in every sense possible. The only thing that they have in common was the hate and jealousy they felt for each other.

Adina is a viola prodigy who devoted her whole life in it. She took her music very seriously and was not afraid to take the risk, being comfortable with her own skin or bringing herself with confidence and pride. She also had private lessons with her Indian music teacher, Arjun and her passion for becoming a soloi ...more

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May 04, 2018 Kat rated it it was amazing

Shelves: library-2

Wow, this was a hard book to read, but really well written. Chronic illness and SERIOUS chronic illness is an issue that not enough books touch on, or often when they do, it’s often with a very light hand. I really appreciated the way author Rachel Lynn Solomon handled this heartbreaking look at the effects of Huntington’s disease, and the decision by two sisters to be tested after watching their mother slowly get worse over the course of four years since her diagnosis.

Tava and Adira are very d ...more

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Aug 29, 2017 Andrea rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, diverse-reads, arc, favorite-characters, favorites, that-cover

This was such a haunting read.

I can’t give this anything less than 5 stars because I devoured it. I read it in one day, and by the end of it I was emotionally drained. This story broke my heart over and over again. I had to take little breaks between chapters to just catch up on my thoughts.

This follows two estranged sisters, who are complete opposites. One artistic and outgoing, and the other academic and an introvert. After their 18th birthday, they are tested for Huntington’s, which runs in ...more

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Nov 11, 2017 Dahlia added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-releases, religion-in-ya-na

Oh, this was really, really good. And yeah, I'm excited to see more Jewish rep in YA that isn't Holocaust-related, but as a sister book, as a coming-of-age, as a book about teens looking to the future, as a book about examining your own worth through other's eyes, as a book about familial relationships on the whole...yeah, this is good.

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Jan 15, 2018 Karen McManus rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A complex, nuanced book with a sibling story at its heart that's unlike anything I've read before. Rachel Solomon knocks it out of the park with this debut.

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Jun 07, 2016 Shannon (It Starts At Midnight) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018, january-2018, read-for-review

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

Gah, where do I even start, friends? So a lot of you know that I have been slumping, hard. For like, many months. And no book was able to really and truly "wow" me. Well, that is until I read You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone. Yep, Rachel Lynn Solomon, with her debut, no less, managed to break a slump that lasted the better part of a year. That is how good this book is. And now I am going to ...more

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Aug 16, 2017 nick rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-books-i-love, arc, contemporary, january-2018, young-adult

Wow! Just wow! Can I leave my review at that? Because honestly, I don’t feel like any review I write for You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone is going to do the book any justice. It’s such a breath-taking story, and it’s one that made me feel all the emotions. This might only be Rachel Lynn Solomon’s debut, but judging from this piece of work, she’s here to slay.

This was such an emotional story, and not one that was easy to get through. I knew I had to mentally prepare myself for the waterworks that was
Wow! Just wow! Can I leave my review at that? Because honestly, I don’t feel like any review I write for You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone is going to do the book any justice. It’s such a breath-taking story, and it’s one that made me feel all the emotions. This might only be Rachel Lynn Solomon’s debut, but judging from this piece of work, she’s here to slay.

This was such an emotional story, and not one that was easy to get through. I knew I had to mentally prepare myself for the waterworks that was obviously going to erupt as soon as I picked this book up, and I’m glad I did. This is a story of twin sisters, Adina and Tovah, who are about to take a test to determine if either carries the gene for Huntington’s disease. What ends up happening is, one sister tests positive, while the other tests negative. Talk about a heart-breaking premise. Both of these girls get their own POVs in the book, and they will both tug at your heartstrings. Rachel Lynn Solomon did a fantastic job at not only giving the two of them very differing personalities, but she made sure that both are given equal importance to the story. I found bits and pieces of myself in both of these girls so if you asked me to choose a favorite, I couldn’t.

Adina is the talented musician of the family. She’s got more of a free-spirit, she has a rebellious trait to her personality and is the more confident one of the two girls. She’s also the one who tests positive for Huntington’s. Tovah, on the other hand, is studious – she’s working hard to become a doctor -, is ambitious and is the opposite of rebellious. Both these girls were so incredibly complex, messy and sometimes outright unlikable, but for me, that’s what made them relateable characters. If you’re going to go into this book not expecting teenage melodramatics, and outcries, then this is not the book for you. I loved loved loved the exploration of the relationship between the siblings as well. The two of them used to have a good relationship, but over the years that has changed and it’s not pretty. Despite the arguments between the two, it’s obvious that there’s also underlying love beneath all that anger and resentment.

The girls’ relationship with their parents was another highlight of You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone. They both have different relationships with them, and I loved all the scenes portraying them. Their family life is tough with their mom’s Huntington’s, and the author doesn’t shy away from the hardships of having to watch their loved ones debilitate as the disease progresses. There was also great representation of teenagers practicing the Jewish faith here. Adina has a more difficult time with religion, while Tovah embraces it and finds comfort in it. It was lovely to be able to see both sides.

I’ve rambled enough about You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone. Please do yourself a favor and add this to your 2018 TBRs. ...more

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Dec 15, 2017 Marty :} (thecursedbooks) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs, favorites, i-smell-diversity, ya

Before I start reviewing this book, I want to tell you that You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon is probably my favourite book of the year. It's one of the most powerful reads of mine, it was raw, it made me feel things. It was absolutely perfect and when it comes out in January, please make sure you read it because you have no idea what you're losing on.

"I thought I could force him to love me. Relationships are not about control, though, and perhaps that is why I have never had ...more

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Jun 02, 2016 Jen Hawkins rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I read an early draft of this beautiful, haunting book as a sensitivity reader.

As the member of a family battered by Huntington's Disease, I believe with all my heart that this is an important book that everyone should read. It's conversely beautiful and tragic, and not in the ways you might think. The author paints the nuances of this disease with a deft and empathetic hand. Devastating realities are balanced by the complicated (but redeeming) love of sisters.

The Jewish culture presented is l ...more

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Nov 28, 2017 Ava rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I'm speechless. Preorder this beautiful, haunting book, please.

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Jun 02, 2016 rachel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, my-cp-wrote-this, beta-read

Edit: Dec 2 2016: This book just keeps getting better. OMG <3.

***
THIS IS MY CRIT PARTNER'S AMAZING DEBUT!!!!!!!!!

I have read many many drafts of this beautiful, important book. YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE is about two sisters, Adina (Adi) and Tovah (#TEAMTOVAH!!!), as they deal with their mother's Huntington's disease, college applications, romance/sex/love, being Jewish and what the heck that means (and if G-d even hears us when we're praying/upset/etc.), and what living - truly living - me ...more

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Nov 14, 2017 Vicky Who Reads rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: drcs, wishlist

5 stars

Oooooh this is a really good debut, you guys. I love all the themes about family, sisterhood, friendship, love as well as the darker things that are happening (TW) like depression and life-decisions.

Rachel Lynn Solomon's debut, You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone, is a heart-wrenching novel about sisterhood, love, and loss.

Eighteen-year-old twins Adina and Tovah are vastly different, the rift between them widening with each passing year.

Adina is a viola prodigy who yearns to be a soloist--and co ...more

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Nov 24, 2017 Julie Zantopoulos rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, ebooks-i-own, read-in-2017, diverse-read

This is the first book that I've read that had a heavy focus on the Jewish faith, practices, traditions, and language and it was wonderful! It was diverse not just in religious and cultural ways but also in the racial differences of love interests and physical illness rep (Huntington) as well. I was impressed by how well all the different topics merged into a well-told, cohesive, and touching story.

Tovah and Adina were complex and complete characters and I loved their interaction with their pee ...more

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Jan 03, 2018 PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fraternal twins await test results to see if either has inherited Huntington Disease from their mother, who is slowly losing her battle with the illness. Tovah plans for medical school while Adina, a viola prodigy, wants to study music. When one tests positive and the other negative, the rift between the sisters becomes a chasm.

I’ve known a few people with Huntington Disease which, in my opinion, is second to ALS in diseases I most fear. 100% of the people with the gene develop the illness and c ...more

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Mar 26, 2018 Chelsea rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is a heavy hitter. I knew it was going to be a tough read from the synopsis but I didn’t realize how hard. This book takes some dark turns. Where I was expecting it to turn into a wholesome family bonding, coming of age, dealing with tough times and grief with loved ones, it sidestepped. Both these sisters are overly ambitious which also means they are overly critical of themselves and each other. While I don’t think either girl is particularly likable, you are still rooting for them even i ...more

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Dec 06, 2017 Danielle (Life of a Literary Nerd) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, contemporary, mental-health, standalones

“You can spend lifetimes searching tragedies for reasons why.”

This was such a great human story. Everything felt so real and earnest. We follow estranged twin sisters, Adina and Tovah, as their lives are changed after one of them tests positive for Huntington's Disease - the same disease that has caused their mom so much pain. Now each girl must reconcile their futures, their faith, and their relationships in the face of this new information.

I really liked that Adinah and Tocah were just so huma ...more

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Jun 19, 2017 The Bookavid rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-releases, rep-jewish, o-jewish, r-mf, rep-huntingtons, g-contemp

i love this cover so much.

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Nov 14, 2017 Sierra Elmore rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: beyond-favorites, relatable, best-of-2018

Content warnings: suicidal ideation, self-harm, chronic illness

I barely have words for how much I adore YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE, but, I shall try my best.

I didn't hate Adina. She might frustrate and infuriate me, embarrass and humiliate me, but I didn't hate her. I never could.

But tonight I came close.

EXAMINING SISTER RELATIONSHIPS
The relationship between reserved, grunge and biology-obsessed Tovah and headstrong viola prodigy Adina is unlike any other sibling relationship I've seen in YA. ...more

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Aug 15, 2017 Jen Petro-Roy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, arc, ebook, electric-eighteens, ya

This was fantastic. At first glance, Adina and Tovah are what critics of YA would call 'unlikeable protagonists.' But for me, that's code for 'well-developed and nuanced characters who are written unapologetically, with consideration for the full spectrum of emotions.' I loved the information about Judaism and their passions for viola and science.

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Sep 13, 2017 Rachel Strolle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-reads, 2018-releases

20 million stars/5

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Jan 31, 2018 Kael rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: physical-books-i-own, physical-tbr-series-2018, that-cover-though

Physical TBR Series - Book 6

For more info on my Physical TBR Series click here.

This story revolves around a set of estranged Jewish fraternal twins, Tovah and Adina. After their 18th birthday, they undergo a test that will tell them whether or not they will inherit their mothers Huntington’s Disease. While one of the twins tests negative, the other tests positive. Obviously, this drives an even bigger wedge between the sisters.

*I will be spoiling the test results in my review, however it is reve Physical TBR Series - Book 6

For more info on my Physical TBR Series click here.

This story revolves around a set of estranged Jewish fraternal twins, Tovah and Adina. After their 18th birthday, they undergo a test that will tell them whether or not they will inherit their mothers Huntington’s Disease. While one of the twins tests negative, the other tests positive. Obviously, this drives an even bigger wedge between the sisters.

*I will be spoiling the test results in my review, however it is revealed pretty early on. So, continue at your own discretion.

(view spoiler)[Adina
“The pretty one.”
The one who tests positive.
She is not likable. In fact, she’s a manipulative bitch. Adina is struggling with the knowledge that one day she will slowly start fading away, just as her mother is right before her eyes. The rebel of the family, she has basically renounced the Jewish faith and does whatever the hell she wants. The viola is her passion, and she’s trying to convince her music teacher that she is his. I really did try to feel empathy for her, but she did not make it easy. She is horrible to her sister. So much so that I did not feel bad for her diagnosis, or when anything else didn’t go her way. However, I did find her very interesting. I enjoyed reading from her pov and seeing why she was the way she was. It didn’t make her any less selfish and terrible, but I liked the insight nonetheless.

Tovah
“The smart one.”
Tovah is struggling with the guilt of testing negative, while her sister wasn’t so fortunate. Unlike Adina, she finds comfort in their Jewish faith. Her dream is to get accepted into Johns Hopkins University and become a surgeon. I definitely related to Tovah’s innocence, and her voice. She is so kind and forgiving; way more than I’d have been dealing with Adina’s crazy ass. My issue with her character was that she seemed to be more focused on the Jewish “rules and regulations,” as opposed to her relationship with God. She never turned to Him when things got tough. It would’ve been so refreshing to see a YA character who relies on faith. I just felt it wasn’t an even contrast between her and Adina, as far as their beliefs.

My biggest issue with this book was that Solomon wrote it as though Tovah would have so much more time than Adina to live her life and accomplish her goals; when in fact, no one knew that for certain. Adina could somehow die long before her symptoms even start. Or, Tovah could tragically lose her life in a horrible accident before she even finishes college, and then Adina would feel guilty for giving her such a hard time. Instead of living one day at a time, they all acted like they could see the future. (hide spoiler)]

All in all, I think this is a really strong YA. It might be the most mature YA I’ve ever read, so just be aware of the adult content if that’s something you try to steer clear of. The writing is wonderful, and the characters are complex. If you love diverse reads and good family drama, I think you’ll really enjoy this fantastic debut from Solomon. ...more

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Nov 15, 2017 Shealea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-review, biases-and-personal-favorites, review-copy, netgalley

You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone is a heartbreaking, poignantly written tale that touches familial relationships, Jewish culture and religious practices, and the exhilarating thrill of first loves, while simultaneously addressing physical illnesses and mental health. It should be noted, however, that the novel also contains heavy content such as self-harm and suicidal ideation. A trigger warning has been provided by the author herself.

I picked up You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone as my first read of 2018 ...more

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Jun 25, 2017 Rachel Reeves rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful dual POV narrative with twin protagonists (as a mother of twins, I am always drawn to book with twins in them). Each girl has such a distinctive voice, and there is so much to love about each of them. Even when they were frustrating, they were complex and interesting, so I loved reading their story. I also loved how so much of the Jewish religion and culture was part of the ...more

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About Rachel Lynn Solomon

Rachel Lynn Solomon

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Rachel Lynn Solomon writes, tap dances, and collects red lipstick in Seattle, Washington. Once she helped set a Guinness World Record for the most natural redheads in one place. She's the author of the Sydney Taylor Honor Award-winning You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone, also an Indies Introduce title and Kids' Indie Next Top 10 Pick, Our Year of Maybe, a Kids' Indie Next Pick, and Today Tonight Tomorro ...more

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Quotes from You'll Miss Me Wh...

“I am into classical music, in fact,” I say. “It’s been around for more than a thousand years, its composers have more name recognition than whatever ‘indie’ music you’re listening to right now, and symphonies sell out millions of performances a year. So go ahead, tell me classical music is tedious or boring or inferior.” — 2 likes

“It's easy to be inclusive, and yet most people just don't care.” — 1 likes

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