Three years ago, a terrible accident for a girl saved Luc's life and provided him with a much needed heart to prolong his life.
Now, he finds out the heart is starting to fail and so he needs another transplant. Yet after the anguish of waiting before, he's now contemplating euthanasia, so he can die on his own terms and not his body's terms.
Evelyn, has returned home to their town after her mum took her off to live with her new boyfriend at the time. Evelyn missed seeing Luc and is happy to be back and so they slowly start to hang out again. She is aware there's something wrong with Luc but is not entirely sure what exactly is wrong with him. We also learn her mum's boyfriend used to abuse her and Luc is whom she chooses to confide in about this.
Luc enlists Evelyn to accompany him on an adventure as he wants to go and look into euthanasia but lives away from the area they are located. He plans the trip with interests of Evelyn's interwoven and we see from the split narrative point of view just how much he grows to care for her more despite him growing weaker as the book goes on. He still plans on killing himself, yet Evelyn is obviously emotional when she finds tabs open on his phone about euthanasia, pill bottles and a business card too all to do with a specific drug. The couple really care for each other so much that Luc wants to make sure Evelyn is looked after when he's gone so calls his parents to make them promise so.
A running theme through the book also linking them is the butterflies Luc collects and also wants to see in the conservation building when they're travelling but they have to break in as it was shut. Luc also buys Evelyn a butterfly necklace, another reminder of him for her to keep. Evelyn makes a lot of origami animals such as the crane from the cover of the book, she states in the book it helps her stay calm and keeps her hands busy but also again, it's symbolic as she does make a lot of them around Luc, nervous at first in their feelings but less so as we go on.
This book was beautifully crafted and reminiscent of Morgan Matson's novel, Amy and Roger's Epic Detour which I love!
It dealt with the topic of euthanasia and transplants seriously and showed the toll it takes on everyone, how one life can have a ripple effect on so many others one way or another.
If you like books with adventure, love and an interest in health issue storylines, this is your book!
Thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
