The Day I Killed James by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Theresa tells James that their party date is a one-time thing. She’s only using him to make her maybe-ex-boyfriend jealous. It works, but Theresa breaks James’ heart in the process, and he drives his motorcycle of a cliff, dying of suicide. Theresa’s entire world collapses, and she blames herself for James’ death. She severs ties with her old life, and tries to reinvent herself, all in an attempt to atone for what she did to James. Slowly though, through meeting a girl very similar to herself, Theresa begins to realize that she can’t keep running away forever.

Once again, Catherine Ryan Hyde writes a beautiful story about learning to live with what you’ve done. The story was incredibly sad, because Theresa kept blaming herself for killing James, even though it wasn’t entirely her fault, and even though Theresa’s only eighteen-years-old, this ages and matures her. Theresa’s character and journey to self-forgiveness is very realistic, and I was so relieved with the hopeful ending. The Day I Killed James is truly a heartfelt, well-written, and unforgettable story, and one I will not likely forget.

The Day I Killed James is probably my favorite of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s novels so far, and I most definitely recommend it. The topic of death is never an easy one to write about, and I rank this novel high among others of this topic, including Saving Zoë by Alyson Noël, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, and Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin.

Rating: 4.75

Review copy from personal collection