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Friday, September 27, 2019

"Hello to Goodbye Days " by Gabriella M.


    “Where are you guys? Text me back.”
     A string of humdrum words sent in a mindless hurry from his cellphone changed the trajectory of Carver Brigg’s life and everyone around him. Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner and published Penguin Random House, is a coming of age novel set in a close knit Nashville, Tennessee community. The reader is introduced to high-school senior, Carver Briggs, as he struggles to live without his three best friends Mars, Eli, and Blake. Driving back from a movie with the other two friends, Mars looked down to reply to Carter’s innocuous text when he rear-ends a truck and ended all three of their brief lives in an instance. Now alone and learning to live with this crippling guilt and overwhelming grief, Carver not only must decode and understand his own feelings, but also figure out how to relate with the families of the boys he once called friends. It was not until Nana Betsy, Blake’s grandmother, asked to spend a day with Carter to learn more about her grandson that they were both able to begin the time consuming healing process. His friends’ parents also wanted to spend a “goodbye day” with Carter to relive their son’s last days. Carter saw this as a daunting task as he was still overwhelmed with guilt and shame, but proceeded in hopes that tracing back the threads that kept their friendship alive would bring him peace. Carter lived in confusion, saying, “We assume that it's better to survive things, but the ones who don't survive don't have to miss anyone. So sometimes I don't know
which is better." While consumed with a grave feeling that the grounds beneath him would crumble, he also must worry about possibly going to jail for “murdering” his best friends. With a whirlwind of emotions, Carter must learn the ins and outs of life and death all while trying to survive senior year without his three other heartbeats.
     With interweaving flashbacks to “the good ol’ days”, Zentner successfully balances the depictions of Carver’s lively past, his miserable present, and the overwhelming uncertainty of his future. This back and forth writing style offers an unexpected element of humor to this sullen story of loss and grief. Carver’s recollections of life before the accident provides a glimpse to a time when the four boys were the popular and well loved “Sauce Crew”. These humor-filled narratives reflect normal teenage interactions that radiate a youthful simplicity dispersed throughout the book. These vivid memories offer the reader a reprieve by juxtaposing Carver’s current stack realities with pages of cheerfully light pleasures like burgers and ice cream.
     We live in a time of instant answers where questions are a google away, but this novel is notable for exploring the unexplainable and the power of acceptance. Zentner successfully tackles topics of guilt, grief, confronting one's emotions, and when it's acceptable to step out of the darkness to embrace light. Through weather and color imagery, internal dialogue, and colorful language, he is able to make these tough topics accessible and relatable to young audiences. As Carver confronts his anxiety and confusion, he finds that a solution requires much more than sitting and “waiting it out” and finds himself hopeless in a pit of depression. “I wish it would rain. Torrents. So hard it would cleanse me of worry and trouble; so hard it would lift the stain of death from me and carry it to the rivers and out the sea.”
     Goodbye Days offers a believable look into high school relational dynamics that are often undervalued when discussing difficult topics. This stands in contrast to the common tendency to replace deep discussions with oversaturated pop culture references in failed attempts to relate to the teens of today. One page has the potential to make you reconsider the validity of life itself, and another offers a much needed laugh. This multifaceted approach not only draws attention to the drastic impact his friends’ deaths had on him and how he wishes to go back to change it all, it also allows the audience to pick up on these changes and be an active observer of his grieving process in order to reflect on themselves and how they appreciate life.
     With its unremarkably touching friendships and family dynamics, constant reminders to appreciate life, and an emphasis on mental health, Goodbye Days emphasizes the value of suffering. The author walks the reader through a dark tunnel holding a flashlight; encouraging us to find the treasures in dark places. After months of agony, Carver eventually realizes life is not meant to be devoid of pain rather to use the affliction as a reason for being. He reminds himself, and the audience, that “our memories of our loved ones are the pearl we form around the grain of grief that causes us pain.”

16 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed comparing the elements of this book to the events in my high school life. Your writing is compelling with your wide use of vocabulary and sentence structure. Don't be surprised to find me reading "Goodbye Days" in the near future!

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  2. The way you wrote this was so compelling that I may read it myself. I loved how the events in this book are extremely relatable so it makes the reader pause and think. I really enjoyed the indepth review and how you also left some mystery so we could find out ourselves how this story ends. Great Job!

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  3. Beautiful analysis! Through your vivid descriptions and wide variety of syntax and diction, the book seemed to come to life as well. I will definitely be looking into this novel soon. -Brianna Yang

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  4. Your use of diction to explain the book was so intriguing it makes me want to read it as well.Your analysis definitely gave me a good insight and the books powerful meaning through the character struggles and prevalence of coming out his slump.- Katera Perry

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  5. Your description of this novel is captivating! I am truly impressed, and based on the summary, I think I would find this novel both laugh-inducing and tear-jerking. I may have to read this myself, because Carter seems like a lovable teen just trying to make it through high school, which makes him pretty much just like the rest of us. The rain imagery is very interesting, and I definitely want to learn more about where that came from. Thank you for introducing me into this book!
    - Eddie Yanez

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  6. I am always looking for a good novel to get into and I think I just found it! I appreciated that you oriented your audience by giving background about the plot before you dove into your analysis. Your commentary was beautiful in the since that it tackles a topical issue of mental health and teenage tribulations. The vocabulary further strengthen your delivery. Well done! -Tammy Pham

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  7. I am always looking for a good novel to get into and I think I just found it! I appreciated that you oriented your audience by giving background about the plot before you dove into your analysis. Your commentary was beautiful in the since that it tackles a topical issue of mental health and teenage tribulations. The vocabulary further strengthen your delivery. Well done! -Tammy Pham

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  8. I really enjoyed the description of the book and the part when you mentioned Carver having to survive without his three other heartbeats really showed how close their connections were.

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  9. You were able to beautifully describe the ins and outs of the novel with a description that did not reveal too much and an analysis that made the book more meaningful to us as students! The vocabulary and structure of your review also contributed to and strengthened its overall flow.

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. I was truly captivated with how you were able to tackle with topics such as guilt and acceptance and how they resonate in teens our age. I would've also enjoyed further elaboration as to why you believe Zentner used the element of humor in his novel and how it connects to his intended audience. Overall, an interesting book review that I'm considering checking out myself!
    -Wendy C.

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  12. I rarely enjoy reading books but I have been intrigued by this one. The central theme and topic is very serious and something everyone should take the time to read on, and I believe this book and short narrative of it helps draw readers in to the issue. Your use of diction and description greatly contributed to the analysis. Very well done. - Jaeyeon Romero

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  13. I was really intrigued by the way you sold the story to the audience, I felt like I actually read the novel with the use of allusions and imagery you portrayed throughout your piece! The use of descriptive language and thoughtful organization really brought this whole piece together, not only did you give great detail but also explained how the author of the novel suggest to find the good in the dark.
    - Ariel G.

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  14. This entire story or piece was truly intriguing, from the moment I began reading and the book overall sounds amazing, I really want a copy of my own now to just enjoy and read. Although, this piece described the book and made me feel like I already have read it. I want to truly pick up the book now and read it through and experience what you mostly experienced reading the book. Overall this entire piece was amazing.- Jacob Higgins

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  15. I was immediately drawn by the title and stayed because of the relatable premise of the book. The character seemed like he has some internal conflict that he needs to resolve and if I ever get a chance to read a copy of this book, I will.

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  16. One of my favorite things of this piece was how detailed your plot was and how it is very relatable to everyday as a high school student. I also enjoyed the way you referred to friendships.
    -Aneika Madrigal

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