The coldest winter I ever spent – Ann Jacobus

‘The coldest winter I ever spent’ is an intense and emotional story about eighteen-year-old Delilah. She lives with her beloved Aunt Fran in San Francisco. Del is recovering from her own suicide attempt, is trying to stay sober and also started volunteering at a suicide-prevention hotline. She is trying to see a future for herself. But when Aunt Fran is diagnosed with stage four cancer, Del’s life falls apart. She is trying to be there for her aunt but is also struggling to prepare herself for the inevitable loss she will face. Del must confront her own demons. But will she succeed?

The book immediately started off with someone calling the suicide-prevention hotline. This part was so intense that it caught my attention right away. From that moment on, I was sitting on the edge of my chair because I was immensely curious about how the story would progress/continue, including how Delilah tries to take care of her aunt Fran but also how she is dealing with her own demons. Del and Fran are very realistic and beautiful characters. They both have amazing personalities. Del is very brave and is experiencing significant growth throughout the story.

The story was written by Ann Jacobus. This is my first time reading a book by this author, but I am definitely not disappointed. The story was well written, very approachable and although it contains some tough topics, it feels realistic and moved me throughout. 

The book contains some serious topics like suicide, drug abuse, addiction, terminal cancer, death and alcoholism. 

As a side note: I think it is good to talk about these kinds of topics. People sometimes pretend that these are forbidden topics. But I do not think that is the solution. Talking about these things is, in my opinion, the best one, even though it is not easy.

In short: ‘The coldest winter I ever spent’ is an emotional and intense story, which feels very realistic and is well written, containing beautifully described characters but also very tough topics. A must-read for everyone.

Thank you to Bookinfluencers for providing me with a digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.