The Goodbye Gift by Amanda Brooke REVIEW

The Goodbye Gift by Amanda Brooke
Published by Harper
Ebook
Published 11 August 2016
432 pages
Publisher Review Copy

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. WHAT'S IT'S ABOUT

Three best friends. One tragic accident.

A heart-breaking novel about friendship, love and sacrifice from R&J bestseller, Amanda Brooke

Lucy has been desperate for a new heart for as long as she can remember. But getting the call to say a donor has been found will be a bittersweet relief: because for her to live, someone else must die.

Julia, Helen and Phoebe have been fast friends for all their lives, through Helen's unplanned pregnancy, the sudden death of Phoebe's mother, and Julia's desperation to conceive with her much younger husband. Yet a deep friendship can hide many secrets, and as their relationship reaches crisis point, what has long been buried is going to come bubbling to the surface.

With one tragic accident, these four lives will converge and Lucy will get her new heart. But who has made the ultimate sacrifice?

OPENING

The suitcase lay open on the bed, its yawning mouth revealing a neat pile of holiday clothes.

WHAT I THOUGHT

I really enjoyed The Goodbye Gift. This is one of your books that really tugs at your heart-strings and refuses to let go. I found the book incredibly sad and touching and the book reduced me to tears several times. I liked the way The Goodbye Gift is structured with scenes set in the present tense revolving around a terrible car accident and the aftermath entwined with flashbacks showing the sequence of events that led to this moment. The structure worked really well. The women are all very complex and even though they've been friends forever, keep a lot of secrets from each other. This works really well. Even though you know someone didn't make it from the accident the identity of this person isn't revealed until the last possible moment which keeps you reading and questioning what's happening. I really enjoyed The Goodbye Gift and would highly recommend it.