Monday, January 22, 2018

Ryan's Bed


Ryan's Bed 
Tijan 
January 22, 2018

I crawled into Ryan Jensen’s bed that first night by accident.

I barely knew him. I thought it was his sister’s bed—her room. It took seconds to realize my error, and I should've left...

I didn’t.
I didn’t jump out.
I didn’t get embarrassed.
I relaxed.
And that night, in that moment, it was the only thing I craved.

I asked to stay. He let me, and I slept.

The truth? I never wanted to leave his bed. If I could've stayed forever, I would have.
He became my sanctuary.

Because—four hours earlier—my twin sister killed herself.



I'm already a big fan of Tijan's books but this story blew me out of the water and quickly became my favorite from the author. I have full respect for someone who can write a story about a subject most others would glance over or try to romanticize without writing the full effect of it. Suicide is not pretty, but it can't be ignored and I'm so happy there are authors out there like Tijan that aren't afraid to delve into that topic.

Reading this book shows you that suicide does not end with someones death, it then lives on in those that loved that person. We're introduced to MacKenzie on her 18th birthday, the same night her twin sister committed suicide. It's also the night she meet's Ryan, after accidentally crawling into his bed instead of his sister's. Ryan becomes her safe place, the one person that seems to understand what she's going through. Through her last year of High School, she's without her twin, but Ryan is there to help her find her way. 



This book had me bawling my eyes out at the weirdest times, and I feel like that speaks to just how real it was. The author didn't just fill the book with noticeably sad moments with MacKenzie and her family. Instead it showed the steps to her healing after such a tragic thing in her life where even at moments you would read and think, "oh she's finally getting out of the house" you will actually read and feel how painful it was for MacKenzie to try and move on with her life. 

The book is a romance, I'm not going to deny that, but it was so much more than that which is why I've pretty much rambled on this whole review about nothing more than the brilliant writing. Ryan and MacKenzie had more than just a High School romance for me, they were that couple that proves even though suicide is not pretty, as I stated above, for the survivors it can still lead to a beautiful life. 




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