Weight of the World by Riley Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a book… It was heavy to read because we knew from the blurb this would be a tough ride. And it was.
Tommy, who lost his brother due to suicide is trying to find answers about his brother’s death. What he didn’t expect: to appearance of Zack. He believes he is a friend of Rob and knows a few answers about his death or the reason behind but didn’t know one particular thing: Zack was also on the roof that night and tried to commit suicide. Hiding it for Tommy, Zach is also searching for answers.
Why did Rob helped him and how he didn’t know Rob would kill himself. The guilt is a heavy weight on Zach’s shoulders, as heavy as Tommy’s own grief, guilt and disbelief. He can’t understand why his brother didn’t came with all his struggles to him, talked to him…
Both men – connected due strange circumstancances soon feel happy together, they are connected on a way they didn’t expect, they found their own calmness and happyness in each other – but the heavy cloud of hiding the fact that Zach knows about Rob’s death and haven’t done anything to prevent it breaks the tender and fresh trust between them.
It was really emotional moving to read about the struggles the guys went through, especially the reason for Zach and Rob to (try) commit suicide were hard, but also Tommy had to deal with a lot of things.
It shows with the finest writing and combination of two well writing authors a realistic setting and guys with real problems. It’s not overdramatical yet it is so strong in its showing that it hurt while reading.
You cry along with Tommy and Zach, you understand the hopelessness of Zach, but also explore – together with Tommy – his inner strengh. His sometimes innocent behaviour, his rawness is totally charming yet it breaks your heart to see why he tried to do what Rob could prevent.
On the other hand you also understand Tommy perfectly, he imbibed the role of the protecting brother with utmost care, sometimes it was hard to see how much he put his own things behind in taking care of Rob…
The end is wonderful and the best thing are the splitted POVs. It’s always first person present, but not only devided between Tommy and Zach, we also get a few times Rob’s POV. Along with the end and how everything was writting it was a great, awesome book.
5 ouf of 5 stars… Re-read absolutely necessary.
Mikku-chan 