Chasing The Taillights by Kate Larkindale

This was such a wonderful and gripping story about a family tragedy and how to pick up the pieces to start a new life, about family bonds and sibling love, about grief, breakdowns and hope.

The story follows the two siblings Tony and Lucy as they lose their parents in a car crash. Tony is a champion diver attending college, and Lucy is his younger sister who still lives at home and only seems to care about music and her band. Not having been close before, they are now forced to overcome past conflicts and rely on each other to shape a new future together. But as if losing their parents and having to move in together in a small college flat wasn’t enough, they both struggle with secrets haunting them. Tony is doing everything he can to hide his crush on his best friend Jake, and Lucy pretends to not remember the accident to not have to reveal a secret that might make her lose the only person she has left who loves her. When not even music can give her comfort and ease anymore, she picks up drinking and partying as her life becomes a downward spiral.

I immediately rooted for Tony and the way he put his life on hold to step up as a guardian for his younger sister. And the emotional and angsty relationship with Jake was so sweet and swoon-worthy! I have to admit that I struggled to feel truly connected with Lucy though. She wasn’t as likeable as Tony and came across as quite selfish the way she treated her friends. But at the same time, I felt so much for her enormous struggles with guilt and grief, and the feeling of being left alone in the whole world. And there was also some amazing character development that made me warm to her in the end.

All in all, this was a truly heart-wrenching and gripping story about grief, survival, teenage confusion, love and friendship that got me completely hooked. I binged it all in one night, that’s how addictive it was!

Thank you to the author Kate Larkindale for providing me with an ebook copy! All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating:
4 stars

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​Author info:
Kate Larkindale