Alison McGhee’s newest young adult release, What I Leave Behind, hits bookstores today. An exploration of loss, the novel examines how we can turn grief into a positive force used to better the lives of others.
Note: This review — and the book itself — deal with topics like suicide and sexual assault.
If you’re a fan of Alison McGhee’s writing, you’ll want to add What I Leave Behind to your summer reading list. This new addition to her collection of young adult novels follows 16-year-old Will as he copes with major losses in his life. Wishing he could have prevented these tragedies, he strives to turn his sadness into action.
Of course, Will bears no responsibility for either of the events he’s coping with. He couldn’t have foreseen his father’s suicide any more than he could have predicted his best friend’s sexual assault. Still, guilt for both incidents plagues him.
This survivor’s guilt is the focal point of McGhee’s story, and she does an excellent job portraying the difficult emotions that often accompany the mourning of a loved one who has taken his or her own life. She also astutely captures the dialogue surrounding sexual assault — namely, the instinct to blame everyone but the attackers.
While the subject matter McGhee covers in What I Leave Behind veers toward bleaker topics, Will’s story is also one of hope. His guilt propels him to act, and he uses his regret to better the lives of those around him.
Will’s actions aren’t grandiose or life altering. They’re small and simple acts of kindness: a gift outside someone’s house or a toy for a lonely kid. But they demonstrate the impact one good deed can have on a person’s life. And given that these presents all come from the dollar store, McGhee also emphasizes the point that kindness doesn’t cost much.
Next: Tradition is a book willing to go there
So if you’re in the mood for a quick and inspirational read, head to the bookstore and pick up What I Leave Behind. It’s as easy to breeze through as it is to do a kind act, and it’s well worth it.