4.5 stars ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐✨
Define nolstagia, and you'll get this book. The story follows the journey of two sisters during their final year of secondary school right up until their mom unexpectedly tells them they have to move to a new location. Reading this story. brought me right back to the "good old days" when life wasn't so complicated and all you had to worry about were school crushes and annoying siblings. The title is absolutely perfect, and the cover is so beautifully symbolic.
The character development in this book is wonderfully thought out, and the writing style is deeply layered and engaging. We are introduced to Nathan, a half-Korean boy and the "newbie" at school, whom Khalila falls in love with. Their romance is just so sweet and wholesome! But oh well that heart-twisting ending just had to happen. 😭
Beyond the romance, this book tackles some incredibly important topics. It beautifully illustrates how to navigate situations when a family member is going through a depressive moment. It shows how complicated family dynamics can be, especially when parents don't know how to be vulnerable and instead try to sweep heavy issues under the rug. The ultimate message is so powerful: no matter what grievous guilt claws at one, the solution is never suicidal tendencies, because there is always hope.
While I absolutely adored this book, I did have a few reservations about some parts of the story that left me with unanswered questions. For instance, during a big revelation scene, the POV suddenly switches from Khalila to Dobby, which left me feeling a bit confused at first because there was no heads-up. Additionally, the scene where Dobby, her secret boyfriend Noah, and a third crying girl came to the house wasn't fully resolved (I might have missed it, though).
Even with those minor lingering questions, this story was a fantastic, highly engaging read with an easy-to-follow writing style. I highly recommend it for every young adult, and I really cannot wait to read more of this author's work!