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Salut bonjour book lovers! I’m here to share some thoughts on History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera, which I read for Buzzwordathon hosted by the beautiful and witty Lala.

“History is nothing. It can be recycled or thrown away completely. It isn’t this sacred treasure chest I mistook it to be. We were something, but history isn’t enough to keep something alive forever.”

About The Book 📚

Title: History Is All You Left Me

Author: Adam Silvera

Publication Date: 2017

Publisher: Soho Teen

Suggested Reader Age: 15+

Genre: YA Contemporary, LGBT

Goodreads Link

My Review

“They don’t know our history.”

 › History Is All You Left Me takes place in NYC and Los Angeles. The story begins on November 20, 2016, with our heartbroken main character, Griffin, mourning the tragic death of his best friend Theo. This is NOT an example of healthy grieving – Griffin (like many of us) has a good heart, yet makes some horrible decisions. Flipping between 2014 and 2016 we learn all about Griffin’s struggles with OCD, falling in love with Theo, breaking up when Theo left for college, and what happens after Theo’s death. Through his story, we also get to meet Griffin and Theo’s mutual friend Wade, and Theo’s boyfriend Jackson.

“History is how we get to keep him.”

 › Likes
• In the present (2016) Griffin is speaking to dead Theo, and this was a fantastic way for the reader to get inside Griffin’s mind so we could try to understand his motivations. It felt intimate, heartfelt, and emotional.
• I had a good laugh during the dad/Griffin/condom buying scene.
• It’s mentioned many times how much Theo loved puzzles and this story unfolds like a puzzle, flipping from past to present, giving the reader pieces to Griffin’s puzzle.
• This was much more complex than what I thought it would be and I loved it!
• I would LOVE to have a story from Theo’s perspective.
• The quality of the writing is just perfection. I especially loved the way dialogue felt natural.
• I found Griffin to be an unlikable character and I was okay with it because it’s authentic. No one is perfect. Good people with good intentions make bad choices sometimes. We are not robots, we make mistakes. Death and grief can make us do some weird crap. There were many times I wanted to throw a glass of water in Griffin’s face, but I really did relate with him on the anxiety/OCD. I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder about eight years ago, but I’ve had it since I was a child. Like Griffin, I also have an obsession with even numbers (but not to the extent that he is). Thankfully, I’ve found things like knitting, writing, and reading which helped me re-program my mind and learn how to keep my anxiety at bay.

“I’m sorry, but please don’t be mad at me for reliving all of it. History is all you left me.”

 › In an interview Silvera shared the source for his inspiration to write History Is All You Left Me came from a real-life long-distance-relationship experience. I had a serious long distance relationship for a couple of years that I thought could be “endgame” and that all fell apart when he fell for someone else. Out of sight, out of mind. I admire the couples who are able to live long distance and find a way to stay together.

“I’m so happy you were my first, Theo, and you were worth all the heartache.”

   › Dislikes 😾
• Where are the women?! There aren’t many female characters, and the couple that exist have very little to say and hardly any part in the story. I’m pretty sure this fails the Bechdel Test.
• Authors: please make sure to have at least two female characters speak to each other about something other than a man AND have at least two non-white characters who talk to each other about something other than their race.

“I’ll never understand how time can make a moment feel as close as yesterday and as far as years.”

 › Final Thoughts
• History Is All You Left Me is a surprisingly complex tale about secrets, sexuality, love, loss, and learning how to move on. I’m really excited to read more of Silvera’s work!

About The Author

“Adam Silvera is the New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End, More Happy Than Not, History Is All You Left Me, and What If It’s Us with Becky Albertalli. All his novels have received multiple starred reviews. He worked in the publishing industry as a children’s bookseller, community manager at a content development company, and book reviewer of children’s and young adult novels. He was born and raised in New York. He lives in Los Angeles and is tall for no reason.” 

http://www.adamsilvera.com/

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