A World Without You by Beth Revis and read by P.J. Ochlan and Sarah Naughton

Summary from Goodreads:

What if finding her means losing himself?

Seventeen-year-old Bo has always had delusions that he can travel through time. When he was ten, Bo claimed to have witnessed the Titanic hit an iceberg, and at fifteen, he found himself on a Civil War battlefield, horrified by the bodies surrounding him. So when his worried parents send him to a school for troubled youth, Bo assumes he knows the truth: that he’s actually attending Berkshire Academy, a school for kids who, like Bo, have “superpowers.”

At Berkshire, Bo falls in love with Sofía, a quiet girl with a tragic past and the superpower of invisibility. Sofía helps Bo open up in a way he never has before. In turn, Bo provides comfort to Sofía, who lost her mother and two sisters at a very young age.

But even the strength of their love isn’t enough to help Sofía escape her deep depression. After she commits suicide, Bo is convinced that she’s not actually dead. He believes that she’s stuck somewhere in time—that he somehow left her in the past, and that now it’s his job to save her. And as Bo becomes more and more determined to save Sofía, he must decide whether to face his demons head-on or succumb to a psychosis that will let him be with the girl he loves.

Review:

This book was not what I was expecting. And I’m beyond grateful that I did not give up on this one, like I almost did. I almost gave up on it because of the narrator reading for Bo. He reads every sentence with such force and intensity (even the dullest moments), that I almost gave up on this book just because of how off-putting this was. I soon learned to appreciate the reading. The narrator gave a level of intense believability of the character for me that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. He represented how seriously and intensely Bo saw everything. And I grew to love this interpretation of Bo.

I also then almost gave up because not enough was happening. It was clear from the very beginning that Bo was delusional and that he believed he could bring back his dead girlfriend because he believes he has the ability to go back in time. But other than that insane concept, not a lot happens in this book until the second half.

I think what kept me listening to the audio was not Bo (or his narrator’s) intensity, but Phoebe. I grew up with an older brother who was (is) mentally ill. While I can see some people not liking Phoebe’s chapters because they take away from the eventual plot that develops in the second half, I loved her moments and her perspective –because they were my moments and my perspective.

Hearing Phoebe battle moments of empathy and selfishness and sacrifice, allowed me to remember my moments of empathy, selfishness, and sacrifice. I am so glad that Revis added in this sibling perspective. Yes, the story is about Bo and what Bo has to figure out, but also, it’s about the people Bo affects and the family he unknowingly leaves behind.

So, Pheobe’s story kept me interested in the first half. And Bo’s breakdowns kept me riveted in the second half. Seeing that closely into the mind of someone so far gone, was rather remarkable. I found Bo fascinating. He’s so strong and loyal to his beliefs. And I could see how important his “powers” were to him for all the right reasons. And my heart just continued to break for him.

I wanted some colossal break-through to happen. I wanted Bo to finally see reality in those videotapes. I wanted him to learn to accept things. And I can’t help but think back on those feelings the way I can get so frustrated with my brother. I want there to be some cure that makes his brain react the way most people’s brains do. But there is no cure for mental illness. I know this. I’ve lived this. But, this book showed me that I still want one. So, on all kinds of levels, this book was personal for me. I connected to Bo and Phoebe so strongly.

That being said, I can see this being a tough book for a lot of readers to get into (who don’t have this personal connection). And I wish there were some magical words I could say to keep people reading into that second half, where all sorts of madness goes down (pun intended). I’m talking mental breakdowns, possible school closings, fires, all kinds of hallucinations, trapped friends, and insane suspense. It’s worth the slow beginning to get to all this juicy stuff later.

The plot gets seriously good/addicting in the second half. There was a moment I had to pull over, while driving. My jaw literally dropped and I was yelling at Bo so loudly to go back that I knew it was not safe for me to listen and drive at the same time. That’s how good it gets.

The story was great and suspenseful. The characters were believable and powerful. I’ve never read a book about a character with this kind of mental illness before. And I’ve never gotten so deep a perspective from a sibling of someone with mental illness before. I hope more people read this book (despite the slow beginning). It’s a book that’s stuck with me days after reading it, and I think it will continue to stick with me. I give it a 9/10.