It Started With Goodbye by Christina June Pages: 304
Published by Blink/HarperCollins on May 9, 2017
Genres: Young Adult, contemporary, Romance
Source: Finished Copy from Publisher
Sixteen-year-old Tatum Elsea is bracing for the worst summer of her life. After being falsely accused of a crime, she’s stuck under stepmother-imposed house arrest and her BFF’s gone ghost.
Tatum fills her newfound free time with community service by day and working at her covert graphic design business at night (which includes trading emails with a cute cello-playing client). When Tatum discovers she’s not the only one in the house keeping secrets, she finds she has the chance to make amends with her family and friends.
Equipped with a new perspective, and assisted by her feisty step-abuela-slash-fairy-godmother, Tatum is ready to start fresh and maybe even get her happy ending along the way.
It Started with Goodbye is a young adult contemporary by Christina June. I really enjoyed this read. It was a fast paced story that was reminiscent of a modern day Cinderella story. (with the whole mean step mother element.) I really enjoyed the writing, the characters and most of all the focus of the book. All in All It Started with Goodbye was a cute read that gave me lots of warm and fuzzies.
It Started with Goodbye features our main character Tatum, who is in for a not so pleasant summer. She was accused of a crime and she sentenced to community service, and worst of all, being stuck in the house with her stepmother. I actually really liked the set up of the story. The writing is very character and relationship focused, and while there is a romance in It Started with Goodbye, the romance is no where near the main focus of the story. Which I found to be completely refreshing, and kind of perfect for this book. The main focus on the story was Tatum’s relationships with her family and friends. I loved that. More than I can even say. It made this book feel charming and realistic in a way that is not easy to pull off, and is certainly not very common.
I really enjoyed the whole vibe of It Started with Goodbye. I liked the cast of characters, and I really liked Tatum. I can’t wait to read more books by Christina June. I know she has written a story in part of an anthology a few years ago, but I haven’t read anything by her. This was my first novel of hers I have picked up, and I am super impressed. It Started with Goodbye was a really great read. I really liked the way it wrapped up. It was a nice feel good standalone contemporary. I want more!
I am super excited to have the Author of It Started with Goodbye, Christina June, here today to tell us about some of her favorite books! Thank you for being here Christina!
Favorite Books Read This Year
- Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
- If I was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
- Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World by Kelly Jensen
- Vilonia Beebe Takes Charge by Kristin L. Gray
- The Last Thing You Said by Sara Biren
- Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
- Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo
To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below to win.
5 Winners will receive a Copy of IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE by Christina June
Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter
Note: Book Briefs Contest Policy applies. All of the prizes, terms and conditions of the giveaway should be contained in the rafflecopter below. No Purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law.
About Christina June
Christina June writes young adult contemporary fiction when she’s not writing college recommendation letters during her day job as a school counselor. She loves the little moments in life that help someone discover who they’re meant to become – whether it’s her students or her characters.
Christina is a voracious reader, loves to travel, eats too many cupcakes, and hopes to one day be bicoastal – the east coast of the US and the east coast of Scotland. She lives just outside Washington DC with her husband and daughter.
Her debut novel, IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE, will be published by Blink/HarperCollins on May 9, 2017.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Sam
Tatum was great, and I was really proud of the way she grew over the course of the book. Great review!
Sam @ WLABB
Victoria
Great post – thanks for sharing your review!