** spoiler alert ** 
 Rarely does a book make me cry in the way this one did. Even knowing the end of the story from the beginning, I was still struck with a deep sense of loss when Clay reached the end of the tapes. Asher gives a very real picture of the snowball effect in the life of someone who attempts suicide. As a counselor, it was a sharp reminder of how important persistence is. People need hope - they need the gospel. That's what this book reminded me of: our desperate need for a Savior.