Please Note:  I received an advance reader's copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.  Also, I get a small fee if you buy the book through the link at the bottom of the review.

Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Dear Best Friend,
I can already tell that I will hate everyone but you.
Sincerely,
Ava Helmer
(that brunette who won’t leave you alone)

We're still in the same room, you weirdo.
Stop crying.
G

So begins a series of texts and emails sent between two best friends, Ava and Gen, as they head off to their first semesters of college on opposite sides of the country. From first loves to weird roommates, heartbreak, self-discovery, coming out and mental health, the two best friends will document every moment to each other. But as each changes and grows into her new life, will their friendship be able to survive the distance?

Review:
The first year of life after high school is one of the most transformative times of our lives.  This novel, by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin, captures the many changes and realizations of college.  It also is a wonderful look at friendships and how they may, or may not, survive.  This was a very enjoyable book with a unique format, interesting characters, and heartbreaking firsts.


Unique Format:
This book is told completely with emails and texts between the two characters.  I was very curious as to how this would play out, and it was actually very satisfying.  Emails, and especially texts, are how teens communicate with each other (I don't know any teen who enjoys talking on the phone anymore).  So, even though this format may seem gimmicky, it realistically shows how young adults interact in relationships.

Characters:
Ava is a teen dealing with issues of anxiety and depression.  Gen has been her lifeline in high school, so she is floored that her best friend has decided to go to college on the east coast.  So it is mostly Ava who is texting Gen to get advice and keep in touch in the friendship.  While Ava is rather needy, she puts up with a lot from Gen, who seems to change overnight (in Ava's eyes).

Gen has finally broken free of her dysfunctional family and is out on her own at college.  This is a big year for Gen, as she comes out as bisexual.  Along with her new taste of freedom, she has become somewhat wild, partying non-stop.  Will she remember to actually go to class?  I think many teens will relate to this scenario.

Other characters are presented through the filters of Ava and Gen.  So it may be challenging to get a complete picture of who they are.  But this just shows how smart the writing is for this book.  It doesn't take too much time for the authors to convey that Ava is stuck on an obnoxious frat boy, and some of Gen's new, older, friends are manipulative.

First Experiences:
Despite the limitations of emails and texts, the story shows many of the big firsts of young adult life: first sexual experiences, first relationships, and the first time one must accept responsibility for one's actions.  I think the book also subtly hints that both Ava and Gen have led rather sheltered, entitled lives.  It is a year of big shocks, revelations and consequences for both of these two young women.

Gen:
Although I liked Gen, I don't think she was a very good friend to Ava.  Oftentimes, she seems annoyed with Ava's texts, and will choose to ignore her, instead of valuing Ava's opinion.  I felt terrible for Ava.   

Missed Opportunity:
There was also a subtle inference to Gen having a problem with alcohol (her own father being and alcoholic).  I wish the authors would have explored this topic further.  Gen seemed to be in need of an intervention, and it would have been good to see her face how she was was abusing alcohol and drugs.


                                                                 

Rating: 




Release Date:  September 5th, 2017

Genre:  YA Contemporary

Publisher:  Wednesday Books

Length:  352 pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  ARC E-Book

Recommendation:  An entertaining look  at friendships, with a unique format.
 

Please Note:  I received an advance reader's copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.  Also, I get a small fee if you buy this book through the link at the bottom of the review.

Synopsis (From Goodreads):
On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They're going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they're both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There's an app for that. It's called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure and to live a lifetime in a single day.

Review:
Please excuse me.  As I write this, I am rather tired as I stayed up late (again) reading this amazing novel.  

                      
via GIPHY
I found it a little hard to commit to the premise of everyone getting an alert on the day of one's death.  But once I jumped that hurdle, I was rewarded with a book that was both inspiring and heart-wrenching.

Characters:
Both Mateo and Rufus are characters that will stay with me for a long time.  Mateo, almost a shut in, is faced with the fact that this is his End Day.  I love that while he laments the reality that he is not going to experience many of life's big milestones, he thinks of his loved ones first.  He is so kind and considerate he to others.  This made him having to die so difficult for me to accept.  I was hoping for a miracle so he could continue to live.

Rufus, has had a challenging life, but he has been able to create a family for himself with his fellow foster kids.  Although he makes some serious mistakes, he also worries about his friends.  He doesn't want the people he loves most to see him die.  Rufus uses photography to see the beauty in life.  He is driven to document everything, even when he is about to die.  I think this is a way for him to make sure he will be remembered after he is gone.  Again, I was crying over the the lost potential of this creative young man.

When both guys reach out over an App called, Last Friends, both teach each other lessons about living.  They quickly become intensely attached to each other.  Rufus is listed in his Last Friends profile as Bisexual.  Mateo doesn't list his romantic leanings.  I loved the lingering question of whether or not their bro-mance would blossom into a romance, or not.  Either way, they made a great pair.

Side Characters:
I really enjoyed all the little characters in the book.  It was exciting to see how so many people's lives intersected.  When I think of New York, I picture it as a city where people are anonymous.  But the author shows all kinds of small decisions that lead to some of the character's interacting with each other, and sometimes causing their deaths.  

Story:
The story moves well, and is a nail-biter.  The premise is that people are notified that within the next 24 hours, that person will die.  So the characters (and the reader) realize that they may have hours, or minutes, to live.  This forces each character to condense their actions into only what is most important to them.  What would you do on your last day on Earth?  Party?  Have sex?  Say goodbye to your family?  

Each person is also, understandably, a river of emotions, alternating from depressed to enraged.  Even when they think they are "ready" to face the end, each person's instinct to live is fierce.  The idea of knowing you are going to die is terrifying.

Ethical Questions:
The book brings up the real question of whether or not you would want to know if you were just about to die.  While it would be wonderful to get your life in order, I think I would be too paralyzed with fear to do anything productive on my End Day!  But that is just me.

Should people get such knowledge, would the actions they take actually cause their deaths?  Were these self-fulfilling prophesies?

And, this leads to all kinds of morally ambiguous situations in the book.  A game is created to cajole deckers (people on their End Day) to enter a contest where the person with the most creative suicide wins cash for their loved ones.  Some people would do this as a final gesture to help out their family.  But, would they have died anyway, or is this another case of pushing people to die?  I almost wonder if these notifications are a form of population control...   




                
via GIPHY


Would you want to know if this was your last day on Earth?  Let me know in the comments.


                                                                   

Rating: 





Release Date:  September 5th, 2017

Genre:  YA Science Fiction

Publisher:  Harper Teen

Length:  384 pages

Source:  Edelweiss

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  I loved this book!  This is a reminder that life can be gone in an instant and to cherish every moment. 

 

Book Passage (Corte Madera & San Francisco) 
Borderlands Books (San Francisco) 
Copperfield's Books (Various Locations) 
Diesel, A Bookstore (Oakland)   
Green Apple Books (San Francisco) 
Hicklebee's Children's Books (San Jose) 
Kepler's Books (Menlo Park)   
Mrs. Dalloway's (Berkeley) 
Orinda Books (Orinda)   
Pegasus Books (Berkeley & Oakland)   
Point Reyes Bookstore (Point Reyes) 
Rakestraw Books (Danville)
The Booksmith (San Francisco)
Town Center Books (Pleasanton)  

I am attempting to make this a one stop place to find book signings in the San Francisco Bay Area! I will mostly focus on YA books, but I will also include some general fiction if I think it will be of interest.  I do not list non-fiction books (There are simply too many events of those to list).  I think this is an extensive list, but there is always the possibility that I missed an event (Hey, I'm human). If you think there is an event that I should include, please leave me a note in the comments section. Thanks.

All  book graphics have links to GoodReads so you can check them out.

As always, it is a good idea to call the store a day or two before to confirm that the scheduled event is still on.  I have learned that these events change constantly.




Book:  The Dazzling Heights
Author:  Katharine McGee
Location:  Books Inc., Opera Plaza
Address:  601 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
Tel: (415) 776-1111





Book:  One Of The Boys
Author:  Daniel Margariel
Location:  Green Apple Books on The Park
Address:  1231 9th Street, San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 742-5833







Book:  Wonder Woman: Warbringer
Author:  Leigh Bardugo
Location:  Books Inc., Opera Plaza
Address:  601 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
Tel: (415) 776-1111





Book:  My Absolute Darling
Author:  Gabriel Tallent
Location:  Green Apple Books on the Park
Address:  1231 9th Street, San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 742-5833





Book:  That Crazy Perfect Someday
Author:  Michael Mazza
Location:  Green Apple Books on the Park
Address:  1231 9th Street, San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 742-5833





Book:  Glass Houses
Author:  Louise Penny
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)
Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera
Tel:  (415) 927-0960



Book:  What Light
Author:  Jay Asher
Location: Charles M. Schultz Museum
Address: 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa
Tel: (707) 579-4452





Book:  My Absolute Darling
Author:  Gabriel Tallent
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)
Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera
Tel:  (415) 927-0960

Tickets: $25 (advance) $30 (at the door)
Location:  The Great American Music Hall
Address:  859 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco
Tel:  (415)  387-2272





Book:  The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding
Authors: Alexandra Bracken
Book:  Click'd
Author:  Tamera Ireland Stone
Location:  Copperfield's Books (Napa)
Address:  3740 Bel Aire Plaza, Napa
Tel: (707) 252-8002




Book:  George & Lizzie
Author:  Nancy Pearl
Location:  Book Passage (San Francisco)
Address:  1 Ferry Building, San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 835-1020



Book:  Click'd
Author:  Tamara Ireland Stone
Location:  Orinda Books
Address:  276 Village Square, Orinda
Tel:  (925)  254-7606





Book:  First We Were IV
Author:  Alexandra Sirowy
Book:  When I Am Through With You
Author:  Stephanie Kuehn
Book:  A Map For Wrecked Girls
Author:  Jessica Taylor
Location:  Books Inc., Berkeley
Address:  1491 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
Tel:  (510) 525-7777






Book:  They Both Die At The End
Author:  Adam Silvera
Location:  Kepler's Books
Address:  1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
Tel:  (650) 324-4321




 
Book:  The Child Finder
Author:  Rene Denfeld
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)
Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera
Tel:  (415) 927-0960




Book:  The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things
Author:  JT LeRoy
Location:  The Booksmith
Address:  1644 Haight Street
Tel:  (415) 863-8688




Book:  Sourdough
Author:  Robin Sloan
Location:  Green Apple Books on the Park
Address:  1231 9th Avenue, San Francisco
Tel: (415) 742-5833





Book:  The Blind Pool
Author:  Paul McHugh
Location:  Books Inc., Palo Alto
Address:  855 El Camino Real #74, Palo Alto
Tel:  (650) 321-0600





Book:  The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding
Authors: Alexandra Bracken
 Book:  Click'd
Author: Tamera Ireland Stone
Location:  Kepler's Books
Address:  1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
Tel: (650) 324-4321





Book:  The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding
Authors: Alexandra Bracken
Book:  Click'd
Author:  Tamera Ireland Stone
Location:  Barnes & Noble (Corte Madera)
Address:  313 Corte Madera Town Center
Tel:  (415) 927-9016





Book:  Taste Of Marrow
Author:  Sarah Gailey
Book:  The Brightest Fell
Author:  Seanan McGuire
Location:  Borderlands Books
Address:  866 Valencia Street, San Francisco
Tel: (415) 824-8203







Book:  The Late Show
Author:  Michael Connelly
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)
Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera
Tel:  (415) 927-0960





Book:  Venetian Blood
Author:  Christine Volker
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)
Address: 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera
Tel:  (415) 927-0960





Book:  Letters To Alice
Author:  King Grossman
Location:  Barnes & Noble (Corte Madera)
Address:  313 Corte Madera Town Center
Tel:  (415) 927-9016






Book:  The Golden House
Author:  Salman Rushdie
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)
Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera
Tel:  (415) 927-0960





Book:  An Excess Male
Author:  Maggie Shen King
Location:  Books Inc. (Mountain View)
Address:  301 Castro Street, Mountain View
Tel:  (650) 428-1234



Book:  Deadzone: Horizon Book 2
Author:  Jennifer Nielsen
Location:  Copperfield's Books (Petaluma)
Address:  140 Kentucky Street, Petaluma
Tel: (707) 762-0563


Book:  Lost Boys
Author:  Darcey Rosenblatt
Location:  Books Inc. (Opera Plaza)
Address:  601 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 776-1111



Book:  Ashes
Author:  Laurie Halse Anderson
Location:  Kepler's Books
Address:  1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
Tel:  (650) 324-4321



Book:  Show Her a Flower, a Bird, a Shadow
Author:  Peg Alford Pursell
Book:  Knives, Forks, Scissors, Flames
Author:  Stefan Kiesbye
Location:  Copperfield's Books (Santa Rosa)
Address:  775 Village Court
Tel:  (707) 578-8938



Book:  The Underground River
Author:  Martha Conway
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)
Address: 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera
Tel:  (415) 927-0960





Book:  Venetian Blood
Author:  Christine Volker
Location:  Barnes & Noble (El Cerrito)
Address:  6050 El Cerrito Plaza, El Cerrito
Tel: (510) 524-0087






Book:  Girl Waits With Gun
Author:  Amy Stewart
Location:  Cloverdale Performing Arts Center
Address:  209 N. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale
Tel:  (707)  894-2214



Book:  Ashes
Author:  Laurie Halse Anderson
Location:  Hicklebee's Books
Address:  1378 Lincoln Ave., San Jose
Tel:  (408) 292-8880





Book:  Tales of Falling and Flying
Author:  Ben Loory
Location:  Green Apple Books on the Park
Address:  1231 9th Avenue, San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 742-5833


Book:  Days Without End
Author:  Sebastian Barry
Location:  Mrs. Dalloway's
Address:  2904 College Ave., Berkeley
Tel: (510) 704-8222




Book:  Days Without End
Author:  Sebastian Barry
Location:  Rakestraw Books
Address:  3 Railroad Avenue, Danville
Tel:  (925) 837-7337



Book:  Sourdough
Author:  Robin Sloan
Location:  Copperfield's Books
Address:  140 Kentucky Street, Petaluma
Tel: (707) 762-0563



Book:  Ruin of Angels
Author:  Mex Gladstone
Location:  Borderlands Books
Address:  866 Valencia Street
Tel:  (415) 824-8203




Book:  Lost Boys
Author:  Darcey Rosenblatt
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)
Address: 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera
Tel:  (415) 927-0960



Book:  Bone Slice
Authors:  Bette & J.J. Lamb
Book:  Snow Angel
Author:  Margaret Lucke
Location:  Book Passage
Address: 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera
Tel:  (415) 927-0960





Book:  Leaning on Thin Air
Author:  Charles Rubin
Location:  Book Passage (Sausalito)
Address:  100 Bay Street, Sausalito
Tel:  (415) 339-1300 


Book:  The Age of Perpetual Light
Author:  Josh Weil
Location:  Point Reyes Books
Address:  11315 State Route 1, Point Reyes Station 
Tel:  (415) 663-1542



Book:  Lucky Boy
Author:  Shanthi Sekaran
Location:  Green Apple Books on the Park
Address:  1231 9th Ave., San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 742-5833



Book:  Shining Sea
Author:  Anne Korkeakivi
Location:  Books Inc., (Berkeley)
Address:  1491 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
Tel:  (510) 525-7777 



Book:  A Loving, Faithful Animal
Author:  Josephine Rowe
Location:  Green Apple Books on the Park
Address: 1231 9th Ave., San Francisco
Tel: (415) 742-5833


Book:  Mask By Mask 
Author:  Tyler Kyle
Location:  Books Inc., (The Marina)
Address: 2251 Chestnut Street, San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 931-3633 


Book:  A Loving, Faithful Animal
Author:  Josephine Rowe
Location:  Point Reyes Books
Address:  11315 State Route 1, Point Reyes Station
Tel: (415) 663-1542



Book: The School For Good And Evil - Book 4
Author:  Soman Chainani
Location:  Kepler's Books
Address:  1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
Tel:  (650) 324-4321




Book:  Sing, Unburied, Sing
Author:  Jesmyn Ward
Location:  The Booksmith
Address:  1644 Haight Street, San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 863-8688





Book:  Nyxia
Author:  Scott Reintgen
Location:  Books Inc., Palo Alto
Address:  855 El Camino Real #74, Palo Alto
Tel:  (650) 321-0600 


Book:  Warcross
Author:  Marie Lu
Location:  Kepler's Books
Address:  1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
Tel:  (650) 324-4321


Book:  The Twelve-Mile Straight
Author:  Eleanor Henderson
Location:  The Booksmith
Address:  1644 Haight Street, San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 863-8688



Book:  Swallowing Mercury
Author:  Wioletta Greg
Location:  Green Apple Books on the Park
Address:  1231 9th Ave., San Francisco
Tel: (415) 742-5833 


Book:  Moxie
Author:  Jennifer Mathieu
Location:  Copperfield's Books (Petaluma)
Address:  140 Kentucky Street, Petaluma
Tel:  (707) 762-0563


Book:  The Readymade Thief
Author:  Augustus Rose
Location:  Books Inc. (Alameda)
Address:  1344 Park Street, Alameda
Tel:  (510) 522-2226 


Book:  Sing, Unburied, Sing
Author:  Jesmyn Ward
Location:  Diesel, A Bookstore
Address:  5433 College Ave., Oakland
Tel:  (510) 653-9965




Book:  Moxie
Author:  Jennifer Mathieu
Book:  A Map For Wrecked Girls
Author:  Jessica Taylor
Location:  Books Inc. (Berkeley)
Address:  1491 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
Tel:  (510) 525-7777 

Book:  Stolen Secrets
Author:  L.B. Schulman
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)
Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera
Tel:  (415) 927-0960