The Way Back to You: A Witty and Heartbreaking Young Adult Road Trip Novel About Organ Donation

I am such a sucker for these realistic stories that begin with heartbreak but then as the story goes on, it starts to become a beacon of happiness and hope. The Way Back To You is a perfect example of that. Even now just thinking about the book as I write this review, my heart fills up with happiness. We need more books like TWBTY in our lives. We live in a world where there is just to much sadness and books like TWBTY, give us hope that life no matter how bad it gets can turn around for the better. I will admit that I was afraid that the book would bomb for me, since Michelle and I have been friends for a few years now. So when I began reading, I kept waiting for something to be off and just not connecting with me, and thank goodness that never happened. At some point after a few chapters, I even forgot who wrote the book and became so engrossed with the story. You will literally be in the car with the characters as they begin the road trip thanks to such vivid details. I believe this novel would be such a perfect fit for those that have lost loves ones, it has to touch you in a deep and meaningful way that others reading might not experience. Regardless though, I believe those that read TWBTY will adore it from start to finish. If TWBTY was a song, it would be on repeat on my iTunes. It's beautifully written and as I mentioned already so vivid. TWBTY centers around friends Cloudy and Kyle, they both lost their best friend and girlfriend Ashlyn because of a tragic accident. They have been lost since Ashlyn's death, their lives fall apart each and every day that continues to pass, they get more and more secluded from the real world. But then Cloudy finds out that Ashlyn's parents donated her organs and they have kept contact with the recipients families. Cloudy takes this as a sign, so she steals the letters from Ashlyn's mother and decided she will go on a journey but that's not it, she puts on her girly pants and decides she wants Kyle, Ashlyn boyfriend to come along too. And so they do, they embark on this journey to visit the people that Ashlyn helped by losing her life. I won't give more detail that that, because then I will give away too much. And trust me you want to feel all the emotions as they happen in the story. You will probably need some tissue on hand as you read. Seriously you will not be let down by TWBTY and the great writing that Michelle Andreani and Mindi Scott created within its pages. I'm not one to compare a book or the authors but if I had to, I would say that The Way Back to You can sit on the same shelf as books written by some of my other favorite realistic fiction writers such as Jessi Kirby, Holly Cupala, Colleen Hoover. - Yara

This is a very special book for two reasons. One: it deals with grief in a way that is both realistic and easy to relate to. Two: I managed to pick this book up at the perfect point in my life. (I finished reading it the day after my younger sister's eighteenth birthday. May 8th was the thirteenth anniversary of her death). I, of course, had a very difficult time reading this novel - but I managed it, and it made me realize a lot of things about myself. The Way Back to You is special, it is poignant, and it is powerful in a subtle way. It will make you think, it makes you understand what happens when you bottle everything up and push people away - even if you don't realize you are doing it. It showcases how different people handle their grief in different ways: be it becoming a busy body, a shut in, and or completely blocking it out of you head all together. Besides that, though, it is also a story about love and realizing that you don't have to sacrifice your own happiness. It is about discovery, it is about friendship, and it is about family. The Way Back to You was the perfect book in the perfect moment, and I am so, so glad I read it. I am at a loss for words, in all honesty. I love The Way Back to You. It was fun, cute, quirky - and yet that didn't diminish from the grief and the healing that took place. I cannot even begin to accurately describe how powerful the subtle shifting of the character's was within this story. It is character driven, no doubt about it. But there is no singular giant revelation that makes these characters change course, no. It is a slow, brick by brick healing and learning that is both refreshing to see portrayed and heartbreaking all at the same time. Cloudy and Kyle are broken in their own way after the death of a best friend and a girlfriend, Ashlyn, yet they keep trucking along. I think the most powerful part of this story was seeing them grow in the way they did. They had their moments where they blew up. They had their breakdowns, their mistakes and miscalculations, and those moments when suddenly everything seemed alright and their heart stopped breaking. It was breathtaking. Cloudy and Kyle are opposites, sort of. Cloudy is cheerleader extraordinaire and Kyle is the baseball star - yet they are so much more than that. Seeing them together, watching them grow together as they sped along highways and made pit stops on their journey was both fascinating and heartbreaking. They needed each other, yet they sort of refused to admit it. They needed each other, the friendship, companionship, romance - whatever word you want to pick, in order to ground themselves and start to let Ashlyn's death stop being the big bad nasty under the bed. This book is not about the romance between these two characters, it is about watching them grow and heal. It was a artful blend of light and laughable moments and then darkness that could threaten to drown you. It was real. It was authentic. It honors the hardships of getting through the death of someone you love without shoving it down your throat. The Way Back to You spoke to me on a level only certain books ever manage to do. It screams that you are not alone, even if you think you are. It is a road trip down the road of healing and renewal that you won't want to end, yet it is so much more than that. The Way Back to You is not lighthearted, but it is easy to read and you will suddenly find yourself consumed by it. The friendship and complete and utter care that is highlighted throughout this novel will give you all the feels in the best way possible.

I requested this on a whim. Normally, this wouldn't be my sort of story: the promise of angst and heartfail {no pun intended} is not my bag, baby. I liked Cloudy and Kyle. They have a bit of a history and it was interesting to see how they worked through it on top of the situation. The plot was engaging and I absolutely loved the dual POV. There are some great secondary characters as well. So why only 3 stars? I'm not sure...don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book, but I wasn't captivated. I set it down several times. It sort of feels like something was missing, but I'm not sure what could have been added. I will say that I would have liked to see more of an ending, but I get that it was mostly about the journey. Overall, it was a good read and I know a lot of people will be loving it. **Huge thanks to Katherine Tegen books and Edelweiss for providing th arc in exchange for an honest review**

THE WAY BACK TO YOU is so many things: a story about friendship, about loss and grieving, and about hope; and at the same time, a sweet, enchanting love story – I’m tempted to say romantic comedy -- and an entertaining road trip novel. All these elements weave together beautifully and convincingly. Cloudy and Kyle are deep, complex, thoroughly lovable characters, brought together by their grief over Ashlyn, who was Kyle’s girlfriend and Cloudy’s best friend. Their trip together brings up memories, history, and complications in their own relationship with each other. I was so glad to go along for the ride with them. Highly recommended. (I borrowed an advance review copy of this book.)

I'm a sucker for a love story. The characters were likeable, and the story was interesting. Even tho predictable it ended the way i wanted it to.