Can I just start by saying that this book is fan-freaking-tastic? What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi was a novel that managed to capture my attention from the novel’s brief synopsis and held onto me ever since. The premise of a single, teen father is unique and the plot of the novel will leave readers eager to continue reading if it means discovering the secrets that control the storyline. I’m just going to say it now (and probably reiterate it later) that What You Left Behind is a novel that everyone should read. It’s that good.

            About to enter his senior year of high school and ready to earn a soccer scholarship, Ryden isn’t anything like other teenagers. Mourning the loss of his girlfriend, Meg, Ryden is consumed with guilt. Why? Because Meg had cancer… and got pregnant with Ryden’s baby. Carrying their daughter took her life and Ryden can’t stop blaming himself. If he hadn’t gotten her pregnant, she would still be alive and with him. Alone and trying to figure out parenthood by himself while also juggling his day-to-day life, Ryden reads Meg’s journals to learn more about the girl he loved.

            But as he begins to read more of Meg’s journals, he begins to discover that she’s left behind a mystery for him to solve. There are secret journals that she’s left for him and Ryden is deadset on finding them. All the while, Ryden meets Joni. She’s unique, to say the least. She’s a bit weird and a bit awesome and a bit sexy. As Ryden embarks on a mission to truly know everything about Meg before it’s too late, he begins to realize that first loves might not always be your last love, and that nothing is ever what it seems.

            The way that What You Left Behind is written is so perfect. I can’t get over the amount of feels that I felt because of this novel or the amount of times that I squealed with joy and then slammed the book down in frustration. The way that Verdi writes easily evokes a multitude of emotions in the reader. Told in the first person, What You Left Behind is simplistic and fun, but also nails Ryden’s character. He’s believable. The type of guy whose head screams ‘Popular Jock’ and also ‘Jerkish Asshole’ at times.

            What You Left Behind is unique in that the way the story is told has you feeling like you’re reading two different stories at once. The first, is Ryden’s story of parenthood and stress and trying to make ends meet. The second, is a normal, teenage Ryden falling in love with Meg. The way that Verdi writes Ryden’s flashbacks to his and Meg’s time together is perfection. You see their relationship unfold before your eyes and you want nothing more than for the two characters to end up together. The catch: you already know how their love story ends. It’s heartbreaking and tragic and I loved every moment of it.

            What You Left Behind is the kind of novel that you could easily finish in one sitting. As the plot thickens, the story becomes addictive and it’s impossible to not want to know more. It feels real in the most unreal way.

            I would recommend What You Left Behind to readers who are looking for a novel that will hook them and hold on tight. Readers who are fans of YA contemporary romances should definitely give it a look. Any readers who want a novel with a unique storyline and a series of plot twists that will leave them reeling, should also give it a look. This is one story that you don’t want to miss.

A review of this book is difficult for me to write in that I enjoyed the writing style, quick, simple,honestly youthful, I found some of this difficult to comprehend and the abuse of Matthew and the blind eye shown to a pedophile by the employees of the "camp" at the end kind of negates any good will I had about the story.

Some sort of immediate response to the abuser (I can't even remember his name) would have pleased me more than any sort hint of long term romance with the MC and Carolyn (who decided on her own to come to the camp and her supposedly hip parents paid for it?!). I enjoyed the getting to know each other through the prison camp style passing of a book with highlighted words and messages.

That all said, I was compelled to read the story so I believe the author has some talent. I don't think I will read any more 'pray the gay away' themed books however as the rage I feel against these camps is too much.

What You Left Behind - Jessica Verdi

This review was originally posted on One Curvy Blogger

When I first picked up “What You Left Behind” I craved a light, happy young adult romance. I didn’t expect it be anything other than a feel-good contemporary romance with more attention to the romance plot than everyday life. I have no idea what gave me this idea because I couldn’t have been more wrong. And I have never been so happy to be wrong!

The cover might have something to do with why I thought this book would be a feel good romance. It screams young adult romance, but it really doesn’t fit the seriousness of the book. Yes, there is a nice romance plot that I really enjoyed, but I felt “What You Left Behind” had more to do with moving on from the grief of past mistakes and living in the present to create a happier future. It was more “The Fault in Our Stars” with a much happier ending than it was a mushy teen romance. So while I urge everyone to give this book a shot, I want to make it clear that “What You Left Behind” should not be read without a full box of tissues on standby.

Ryden is a hot mess . . . at first.

Ryden is a seventeen-years-old soccer star. He’s a senior in high school and already being scouted for a full-ride athletic scholarship to UCLA. Oh, and he’s the single father of one six-month-old daughter named hope. He’s also majorly in denial about his situation, won’t stop to listen to any advice given to him to the people around him who loves him, but he also lost the love of his life on the day he was made a single father so he definitely has a reason to be so messed up.

My advice to all who plan to read “What You Left Behind”: be patient with Ryden. He’s a very frustrating narrator to stick with because he is physically unable to see Meg’s death for what it is, a horrible tragedy that wasn’t his fault. Life is hard and sometimes crappy things happen to the people we love the most, but it’s not his fault that she chose the road she did. But I can see why it would be hard to come to grips with as a young kid left to raise his baby alone. He definitely didn’t have the easiest of lives.

So while there were so many times when I wanted to slap the boy silly and shake him until he saw the error of his ways, I felt for him. Plus, I think it would be unrealistic if he wasn’t a mess. And he showed a tremendous amount of growth throughout the book!If there was ever a writer that should be applauded for successfully transforming a character. I mean, he had the holy grail of come-to-Jesus moments and it was awesome to see because he really, really needed it. Really.

I want to kidnap Joni and keep her for myself.

Seriously though, she was my all time favorite character in the book (and Ryden’s mother was a close second). How to explain Joni’s character? She’s a vegetarian but she lives for junk food. She has absolutely no idea what she wants to do in life, but she knows she wants to experience it. And she’s also this wonderfully wacky seventeen-year-old girl who turned out to be a unique mixture of childlike joy and startling observations. She is also a huge part of Ryden’s much-needed, come-to-Jesus character growths and I love her for it. She makes friends with everyone and is treated pretty shabbily by Ryden for most of the novel.

If there was one thing I didn’t like about “What You Left Behind” is that Joni didn’t have as big of a role in the book as I wanted her to, because she winds up helping the characters of the book closure in a big way. I really enjoyed the secondary characters as well, and wouldn’t mind reading a spin off involving Alan. *hint hint*

A thoroughly enjoyable novel

Even though I am so not a fan of reading tearjerkers at night, I loved this book. I loved that the author chose to only narrate “What You Left Behind” in Ryden’s voice and didn’t switch it up like most young adult fiction. I liked that the book has a happily for now ending and I loved Ryden and Joni as a couple. This book was gripping and emotionally intense. . . I can’t wait to read more of her writing!

What You Left Behind - Jessica Verdi This review was originally posted on Bookish Things & More

What I liked about What You Left Behind

What I didn't like

This list is short

I really, really liked this book. It started a little slow to begin with, but it didn't me long to really feel something for the characters in this book. The story seems very genuine and is narrated by a 17 year old boy looking at a future in soccer. Then his girlfriend gets pregnant. She also has pretty advanced cancer. Leaving him without his girlfriend with a baby to raise. He's mad at the world with this new situation, but he's determined to do the right thing. Unfortunately what he really wants to do and what he has to do are two totally different things.

I love all the emotion put into this book and loved the characters. I'm hoping for a sequel so we can find out how Ryden and Hope end up getting along. This one is a GREAT YA book and I even enjoyed it myself. Warning: you may just tear up a few times.

Thanks Sourcebooks and Net Galley for providing me with this free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed it.