Gus: Kim Holden

Blurb

This is the story of Gus. 
Losing himself. 
Finding himself. 
And healing along the way. 

“ … but the honest-to-God truth is I don’t even know how to function anymore. Bright Side wasn’t only my best friend; she was like my other half ... the other half of my brain, the other half of my conscience, the other half of my sense of humor, the other half of my creativity, the other half of my heart. How do you go back to doing what you did before, when half of you is gone forever?” 

Review: 5 Stars

I want a Gus in my life.  I mean that totally platonically (although, it probably wouldn't take me long to develop a crush on someone so awesome).  This guy knows how to do friendship.

This book starts off where Bright Side ended - shattered devastation from losing Kate.  My heart hurts from the loss of such an amazing character.  But even more so for the effect it had on the people around her.  The relationship between Gus and Kate is not something I've ever experienced.  But being privy to their conversations and the memories described through out the book made the loss of that relationship, and Gus's grief, palpable.

Fuck - what is wrong with me?  I am still bloody crying over these books.

Gus basically loses his mind after Kate's death.  I truly wondered how he would ever get to the point of being functional again.  I won't get into spoiler territory, but I will say that if you read and enjoyed Bright Side, you really have to read Gus too.  I don't have the "benefit" of the time that this book spans (over a year) for my heart to heal.  But, I did find some comfort in this book after the devastation of Bright Side.

There are no loose ends at the end of Gus, but I still want more.  Maybe a book for Pax where we get to revisit all of the other characters?  Please.