Review: Ryan's Bed - Tijan

Review: Ryan's Bed - Tijan - January 2018

You know how there are books that when released, you can't wait to read and get stuck into them but you have no idea exactly what it is about. That for me was Ryan's Bed by Tijan. On the day that Mackenzie met Ryan, was also the worst day of her life. Her twin sister Willow killed herself. The book then jumps into the following months after her sister's death and the boy that is constant in her life - Ryan. It seems that she can only sleep when she is with Ryan. Willow's death affected Mackenzie, and she starts to embody part of Willow into her everyday life. I loved the sibling relationship between Mackenzie and Robbie as it made me think of me and my brother Zach. I have to say though I enjoyed the other characters - I had a real soft spot in the story for Robbie. Ryan's Bed is an emotional read and in parts can feel disjointed, it does, however, portray what dysfunctional families act like through grief as I know a bit of loss from when Mum died, and the way families drift apart and like Mackenzie, you are split into two - the Before Death Self and the After Death Self. Ryan's Bed is hard to explain in a review and is one of those books that everyone has to read and will gain a different perspective depending on whether you have lost a loved one or not and what your family unit is like. I know my family unit fell apart a bit after my Mum died, it was like she was the glue and all of a sudden there was nothing left. The ending Counselling Session where Mackenzie finally talks about the note will have you going OMFG and WTH and AAARGH as I did not see this ending coming. I have to say this was an ending that blew me away and surprised me.