Review: History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

"I know you're not around to live, and I know you're always going to live through me."

OCD-afflicted seventeen-year-old, Griffin, has just lost his first love – his best friend, ex-boyfriend and the boy he believed to be his ultimate life partner – in a drowning accident. In a desperate attempt to hold onto every last piece of the past, a broken Griffin forges a friendship with Theo’s new college boyfriend, Jackson. And Griffin will stop at nothing to learn every detail of Theo’s new college life, and ultimate death. But as the grieving pair grows closer, readers will question Griffin's own version of the truth – both in terms of what he’s willing to hide, and what true love ultimately means...

History Is All You Left Me is one of the most honest books I've ever read. It's truly immersed in real life so it never feels like fiction as the themes discussed in the books are realities so many young people face. First love, first heartbreak, first loss and mental health issues. None of them are sugercoated, they're all depicted with brutal honesty. It was also really refreshing to read a book with LGBT protagonists who don't struggle with their identities and are happy with themselves. It's important to have books with this plot line as it teaches young people that it's not something you have to hide, it's something you can be proud of. 

Griffin is a really complex character and that's what makes him so likeable. He loves with all his heart but he also makes mistakes, often hurting the people around him. His struggle with OCD is probably one of the best mental health depictions in YA literature and Silvera definitely does a fantastic job at adding to the conversation and removing the stigma around mental health. Also. Griffin's unwillingness to accept the death of his best friend Theo is relatable to anyone who's had a loss and knows it's hard to let go when you haven't had any warning or the chance to process the bereavement.

The structure of the story, flitting between the past and today, is a clever method of showing how and why all of the characters reach the mindsets are in and what led to the events of the current day. The relationships between all the characters are unlikely, interesting and dynamic. With plenty of pop culture references, History Is All You Left Me is filled with fun, humorous moments as well as heartfelt, emotionally charged scenes. This is the kind of book you can't put down and when you do, it never truly leaves you. I'll definitely keep the messages in the book with me for a long time.

10/10

June is LGBT Pride Month. To learn more visit http://www.stonewall.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/pride-2017