Before I Let Go

by Kennedy Ryan

My expectations for this book were blown out of the water. This is now my favorite book of all time. I have never, and I mean NEVER, felt so connected to a story before. This was raw. This was real. This was beautiful. As someone who has had 4 miscarriages, I went into this with a cautious heart. I was worried about the subject matter. I can often feel sympathy for others, but none for myself, and I was scared this book would make me feel something for myself. I was hell-bent on staying in the numb place that Yasmeen frequently talked about because it hurts less. I wasn’t wrong. This book made me feel everything. Yasmeen’s struggle with herself and Josiah’s struggle with his heartbreak both hit home in a way I didn’t know a book ever could.

As far as the writing itself went, it was breathtaking. Literally, breathtaking. Sometimes, a line or two felt like it stopped my heart completely. The elegance of each word. The careful consideration of sentences that hit me like a brick to the back of the head. As a writer myself, if I ever came to 1/10th of the pure talent of Kennedy Ryan, I would be proud of myself. Everyone should read this book. I’ve never read a book so realistic about mental health and the struggle with therapy. Even if you do not struggle in any way with the main subject matter, I would find it hard to believe that some part of Yasmeen and Josiah’s journey won’t resonate with you. The world is a cold, hard place, and sometimes we need a book like this to help us remember our own worth. There is truly nothing I could say to exemplify all that this book meant, but if I could give it more stars than 5, I would give it an infinite amount.