Goodbye and Everything After

by Mae Coyiuto

A teen girl comes face to face with her dad's spirit when she ignores a strict Filipino superstition in this contemporary young adult novel that tackles grief, family tension, and first love.


It’s been five years since Nika’s beloved father passed away, but her family has never fully grieved. They don’t speak of him much at all, except on the anniversary of his death.

Whenever they visit her father’s grave, Nika’s superstitious mother still insists on practicing pagpag, a Filipino belief that you can never go directly home after attending a funeral—or risk the spirit of the departed following you back home.

But when her mom’s new fiancé suddenly shows up at the cemetery for this year’s memorial for her dad, she furiously walks out, breaking the pagpag superstition. The next day, she finds herself face-to-face with the ghost of her dead father. . . and Nika’s the only one who can see him.

As she spends more time re-connecting with her dad’s ghost, Nika slowly learns about her parents’ past and how they fell in love back in high school. And when they recreate memories of her parents’ love story, Nika discovers that her dad’s spirit slowly becomes more solid and alive. Fearing that she’ll lose her dad again, Nika makes it her mission to find a way to make her dad stay permanently, no matter what the cost.

With a perfect blend of humor and heart, Mae Coyiuto artfully brings past to present in a way that explores grief head-on.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Grief, Realistic Fiction, Asian Literature, Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published February 17, 2026

About the author

Mae Coyiuto is a not-so-young-adult who loves YA fiction. She has published children’s books and YA collections with Anvil Publishing, Philippines. If she's not writing, she's usually fangirling over Beyoncé, tennis, Gilmore Girls, or all of the above.

Mae has also published under the name Samantha Mae Coyiuto.

Reviews

[justine | novelsandpanda]

I thought I was too old for YA, I guess I never will.

I love it so much, I think I was bawling from page 1 to the last.

[Samantha]

I read this in one sitting and bawled my eyes out half the time. What a beautiful feeling to read a novel and feel so represented by the setting of the story, while feeling so seen and heard through the premise of the whole story. This reminded me of losing my Angkong and falling in love for the first time. Such a beautiful read.

[Diane RB (booksandthensome)]

My second book from Mae and she really nails the YA voice. Magical realism is a hit or miss for me and happy to report this one delivered in every way. I was so entertained and hooked! Naturally super funny but the drama always lands as well! I felt so deeply for all the relationships tackled here: Nika with her dad, mom, sis, her LI, her friend. The ending was also perfect!

More thoughts during my feature for The Filipino Shelf. Many thanks to the author for this compli copy ❤️❤️❤️

[Christel C]

This was soooo sweet and wholesome and heartfelt, the Chinese-Filipino in me enjoyed every second reading this 🥹🥹🥹 no notes this was perfect

PS. Gotta get me some of those special Japanese noodles

[Koji Arsua]

Mae Coyiuto has done it again ❤️

[Shiandra]

Is there another way to write: I love this book and I need everyone to read it?

I actually hesitated to read this book. I was worried that I might not appreciate it. Then, after the first chapter, I knew I was hooked.

I cried, I laughed, I squealed. This book had me feeling everything!

[Jennifer Abella]

This hit exactly how I thought it would. Which is why I didn't read it in public. 😭

[chapterswithjane]

“The secret of the universe is when something bad happens to you, the universe then owes you something good in return.”

“And maybe, after all, if the moon can control the tides, who’s to say that our dead loved ones can’t hear us?”

This was my longest read yet, not because it wasn’t a good book, but because it was a book I knew I had to take my time with. I lost my father nine years ago and my stepfather seven years ago. Both of them were incredibly close to my heart, and going into this book, I was honestly scared that it would make me relive the pain of losing them. And it did. But it also reminded me of something I sometimes forget: I don’t just carry the grief of losing them. I carry the love they left me with, too.

I bawled throughout this entire book. I bawled when Nika lashed out. I bawled when Pa came back. I bawled when Nika had to lose him again. I bawled when he returned. And I absolutely lost it when he spent his final hours with his family.

What made the grief hit even harder was how differently each member of the Ilagan family carried it.

Nika, as the youngest daughter, feels everything so loudly. Her anger, denial, bargaining, and desperation to hold on to Pa felt painfully familiar. She knows he is gone, but emotionally, she isn’t ready to accept the finality of that goodbye. Her grief becomes a refusal to let the person she loves become a memory.

Jackie, on the other hand, represents a quieter kind of grief. As the eldest daughter, she tries to keep herself together, to be strong for her mother and Nika, and to keep the family moving forward. Her grief is less visible, but that doesn’t mean it is any less present.

And then there’s their mom, Beth, whose grief is perhaps the quietest of all. She doesn’t always show how much she hurts because she feels she has to be strong for her daughters. She starts building a life after Pa, but that doesn’t mean she loved him any less. And I loved that the book doesn’t treat moving forward as a betrayal of the person who was lost.

That’s what I found so beautiful about this family. They aren’t simply going through the five stages of grief. They’re grieving in completely different ways, sometimes moving backward, sometimes getting stuck, sometimes moving forward before they’re emotionally ready to. Grief isn’t linear, and this book understands that.

And I think that’s what made Nika’s journey especially heartbreaking. At first, she believes that letting Pa go means losing him all over again. But eventually, she has to learn that there is a difference between letting someone go and letting go of your love for them. And maybe, that is what the “everything after” really means.

The goodbye is the moment you lose someone. Everything after is learning how to live in a world where they aren’t physically there anymore, while still carrying their stories, their memories, their lessons, and their love with you.

This book reminded me that grief isn’t simply the price we pay for loving someone. In some ways, grief is proof that the love is still there. And maybe healing isn’t about reaching a point where you no longer hurt. Maybe it’s reaching a point where the love becomes bigger than the pain.

The writing was impeccable. Mae Coyiuto captured the very specific kind of grief that comes with losing a parent, the anger, the longing, the unfairness of having to grow up without them, and the desperate wish for just a little more time. My only wish is that Nika and her family could have had more time with Pa.

This book made me relive two losses I thought I had already learned how to live with. It hurt. A lot. But strangely, I’m grateful that it did. Because somewhere between all the crying, I remembered that I don’t walk through life carrying only the memory of the people I’ve lost. I carry their love, too.

Absolutely one of my favorite reads. An easy five stars. What struck me the most about this book is that some goodbyes never really end. We just learn how to carry the love that comes after.

[agathafeelingg.reads]

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @macmillanusa for an early copy of Goodbye and Everything After by Mae Coyiuto. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Release date: February 17th, 2026

Blurb: Five years after her father’s death, Nika accidentally breaks a Filipino superstition and comes face-to-face with his ghost—visible only to her. As she reconnects with her dad’s spirit and learns about her parents’ love story, Nika must decide how far she’s willing to go to keep him from disappearing again.

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

I really loved how Mae Coyiuto continues to embody Filipino culture in her stories. While I’m not very familiar with most pamahiins (superstitions), I do know and practice pagpag: the belief that you should never go straight home after attending a funeral to avoid bringing a spirit back with you.

Nika’s grief over her father’s passing, even years later, felt raw and real. With a new stepfather entering the picture, it’s easy to understand her hesitation and emotional distance, her dad’s absence still looms large in her life. I enjoyed Nika’s quirks, sarcasm, and humor throughout the novel, though I sometimes found her a bit immature (which I guess makes sense since she’s still a teenager). Her family’s tendency to avoid talking about her dad and to pretend everything is fine honestly frustrated me. It highlighted how a lack of communication can really fracture relationships, and it might even explain some of Nika’s behavior toward Dr. Derrick, her mom’s fiancé.

When Nika’s father’s ghost reappears after she fails to follow pagpag, I found their reunion both touching and bittersweet. Their moments together, as they revisit childhood memories, were some of my favorite parts of the story. It’s through this supernatural second chance that Nika and her family finally begin to understand the importance of honest communication and healing. Her eventual heart-to-heart with Dr. Derrick was especially satisfying and served as a beautiful resolution to her emotional journey.

Overall, Goodbye and Everything After is a heartwarming and fun read about grief, love, and the ways family can find their way back to each other. It’s a touching reminder that communication, no matter how awkward or painful, is the key to truly moving forward.

[Iris]

Goodbye and Everything After follows Nika, a teenager struggling to cope with the loss of her father while trying to navigate the chaos of high school life. As she deals with family expectations, friendships, performances, and new crushes, Nika learns that grief doesn't stop life from moving forward and that healing can come from the most unexpected people.

What I loved most about this book is how it portrays the different kinds of support a person can have while grieving. Whether it's your best friend, sister, mother, crush, or even someone who happens to be your pet peeve. The story reminds us that healing often comes from the people around us.

I also appreciated how the book showed that grief doesn't stop you from being a teenager. Nika is experiencing immense loss, but she's also dealing with crushes, school performances, and nosy aunties. Life continues moving forward, and I thought the story captured that balance beautifully.

Nika's dramatic and sometimes immature reactions made her feel incredibly real. I found myself relating to her because I was just as dramatic as a teenager, and honestly, I still can be. Her flaws made her an authentic and lovable narrator.

If I had read this during my teenage years, this would have been an instant five-star read. It had everything I loved back then: performing, high school drama, and the satisfaction of hating on your pabibo classmate. In a way, it even healed a part of my high school musical fantasies.

My favorite parts of the book, however, were always the scenes with Pa. As someone who can be a daddy's girl like Nika, I connected with those moments the most. To me, Pa is the heart of the story. Every scene with him had me either laughing out loud or crying from heartbreak.

My only criticism is how frequently the Pagpag movie was mentioned. While I understand its importance to the story, there were moments when the references felt a bit repetitive, making it difficult to separate the book from the film adaptation completely.

Overall, Goodbye and Everything After is a heartfelt coming-of-age story about grief, family, friendship, and learning how to keep living after loss

[Tess Blanch]

Rating 4.5

I love Chloe and the Kaishao Boys and I’m really looking forward to this book. As soon as pub day came, I immediately went to a bookstore and got myself a copy.

Nika’s father passed away five years ago but her family never fully moves on. During his death anniversary, they always visit her father’s grave. After every visit, they always practice pagpag, the Filipino superstition that you should never go home straight after going to a funeral, or the spirit of the dead will follow you back home. During their last visit, Nika, furious with her mother’s fiancee, walks out and goes straight home. The next day, she is face to face to her father’s ghost but she is the only one who can see him. As she spends time with her dad, she learns her parents history, and the more they recreate memories of her parents love story, the more her dad’s spirit becomes more alive and solid. Nika is set on finding a way to bring her father back and stay with them permanently no matter the cost.


This proves that you don’t have to be a young adult to enjoy this book. I love the author’s writing as it feels so natural and real. The dialogue seems like makes you conversing with family members and friends. I love the Filipino representation, the tradition and pamanhiin are uniquely Filipino, though the theme of grief is something everyone can easily relate to. The characters are endearing and love the banter and funny moments. There are so many emotions on this book aside from grief that are very evident, the hesitation, unacceptance, avoidance, and miscommunication or rather no communication at all of family members makes it all the more frustrating.

I didn’t know the magical realism plays a bog part in the story but I actually enjoyed it. The father daughter reunion is very heartwarming. A happy moment but at the same time, one full of sadness because at the end of the day, things will never be the same.

Overall, more than grief, this is about the family you can always turn to when the loss is too much to bear and learn to live life after the loss…together.

[ColonD]

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: Thank you, Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC of this book *✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:
Rating: 4.5 ★★★★⯪ rounded to a 5!!

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•
Wow, this book truly exceeded my expectations!
✓Dealing with Grief
✓Magical Realism
✓Funny and Witty Dialogue
✓Filipino characters!!!!
✓ Childhood friends to lovers!!!!

First, a brief synopsis: Nikka, a Senior in high school, is still grieving over her father's passing and breaks a Filipino superstition of pagpag, ending up reacquainted with her father's ghost. The rest of the novel is Nikka attempting to get her mother to reminisce or remember her father to make her dad stay permanently on Earth as a ghost instead of 40 days. It's also almost a coming-of-age story, since we see Nikka mature as a person and become more accepting and less bitter towards change as she deals with her grief.
The main cast of characters were palpable, and their interactions were genuine, especially family dynamics. Nikka definitely takes the cake with this one, since as a teenage girl I related heavily to Nikka's experiences as a high school senior (the urge to not go to any hs events is REAL). I LOVED ♡♡♡♡ the romance between Nikka and Seph. I love a YA novel that introduces a variety of thought-provoking themes and topics, interwoven with a sweet romance. It's especially endearing to see how Coyiuto interweaves Nikka's Mother and Father's romance with her romance with Steph. AND ON TOP OF THAT, it's a detailed and genuine novel that takes place in the Philippines, weaving in Filipino cultural foods (don't get me started on how much the food made me drool), holidays, and superstitions. We NEED more Filipino rep in literature in general, and Mae Coyiuto delivered that!

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•
Overall, this book is on par with Ann Liang's YA novels -- which is a high compliment coming from me since I LOVE Ann Liang's witty characters and banter-- and I'm so looking forward to reading more of Mae Coyiuto's work. Safe to say, she's one of my new favorite YA authors ✦✧✦✧.

[Kat Elle]

Grief has many faces, and Goodbye and Everything After reminded me that none of them are wrong.

1️⃣ Denial. Nika refuses to fully accept that her dad is gone. Beneath her determination to keep him close is a quiet desperation to hold on to the life she once knew. Sometimes, denial isn’t pretending someone didn’t leave; it’s hoping they somehow still can.

2️⃣ Silence. The Ilagan family rarely speaks about Antonio. It’s as if saying his name aloud would reopen wounds they’re not ready to face. But grief doesn’t disappear in silence. It simply settles into the spaces between conversations.

3️⃣ Anger. Nika’s frustration isn’t just directed at her mom’s new fiancé or the idea of moving on. It’s grief looking for somewhere to land. She’s angry because everyone else seems ready to build a future while she’s still trying to make sense of the past.

4️⃣ Nostalgia. We grieve because we remember. Through her father’s ghost and her parents' love story, Nika pieces together memories she thought she’d lost. The novel beautifully captures how remembering can be both comforting and heartbreaking at once.

5️⃣ Acceptance. And then comes the hardest part: realizing that love doesn’t end simply because someone is gone. Acceptance isn’t forgetting. It’s choosing to carry the people we love with us, even after we’ve let them go.

What I loved most is that the novel never treats grief as linear. We don’t simply move from denial to acceptance and stay there. We revisit these emotions in different seasons of our lives—sometimes all at once. Healing isn’t about reaching the end; it’s about learning to live with every version of grief that returns.

Mae Coyiuto explores all of these through a voice that feels distinctly YA: honest, funny, and full of heart. I also loved how she weaves Filipino culture into the story, turning the belief in pagpag into a beautiful metaphor for grief itself—for the people who continue to follow us through memory, and the love we carry long after goodbye.

[Alicia]

I'm probably getting overloaded with books about grief in the YA sphere right now which means that I'm a little exhausted by the inclusion in stories however what makes this one more unique than others is the representation-- Nika's family is Filipino and there is a lot of tradition, food, religion, and culture that infiltrates everyday life including the rituals and beliefs about death which Nika knows a lot about since her father passed away five years ago. Now Nika's mother is going to remarry- a dentist but in a fated shift because of a broken ritual while visiting her father's grave on his death anniversary, her father's ghost reappears and now the next 40 days, which is when the spirit is said to be traveling after death- she is going to try her hardest to keep him around subsequently pushing the relationship between her possible new stepfather and mother out of existence.

The aspects of grief and moving on are present, absolutely.

My distraction lies in the overwritten description of nearly everything. It also felt like culture and tradition and food were crowbarred in more frequently than necessary and distracted from the overall narrative. And of course, it also includes a romance side story of her mother's friend's son and her, which again to my point, adds additional storylines that push the story to being overly saturated. Plenty to love about the dynamics and relationships especially between parent and child, the mature approach to the second marriage between Nika's mom and Doctor, and Nika and her sister, and the aunties themselves.

[Chris G.]

It’s been five years since her dad died, Nika is just about to finish high school, and Nika’s mom is engaged to Dr. Derrick. Older sister Jackie seems resigned to the marriage but Nika’s emotions are all over the place, so she breaks off from the rest of the family after visiting her dad’s grave, and takes her very big feelings home. Big mistake. Unless you make a stop on your way home from a graveyard, a ghost may follow you. Nika is actually very, very happy to see the ghost of her dad, and she immediately begins to scheme of ways to keep him beyond what he says is a forty day visit. Refusing to move on from her loss creates conflicts with her family, neighbor/crush Seph, and Nika’s own emotional health. Humor, heart, charming romance, and intriguing Chinese-Filipino culture. Earc from Edelweiss.

[fatima ☼ ☾]

DNF @ 58%

This is a bit of a strange DNF because I actually really recommend this book for teenagers. While reading it, I realized that this is something I would’ve enjoyed when I was a bit younger, but I don’t think I fit the age range for it. Regardless, I think the author did a wonderful job building out family and non-family relationships, and infusing warmth in them. There were several funny moments that actually made me laugh. Nika’s internal struggles felt real, and I appreciated how the plot kept us on our toes. I never really knew what to expect. Having read the author’s debut as well (Chloe and the Kaishao Boys) I think she’s a fantastic YA writer and good at writing relatable, humorous coming of age stories. I’d recommend this book to any teens out there

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC

[Angi (Mina) King]

4 ⭐️

Binged in 3 hrs…. My eyes are tired from reading AND crying. I remember writing in my Beartown review that I’ve never cried this much from a book. Well, color me surprised because this book broke that record LMAO. I have NEVER cried THIS much from a book before. I would cry then continue reading then cry again and repeat the cycle. I had to even take breaks to blow my nose and wipe my tears….

I felt this book on another level bc of how relatable the setting was, being placed in a fil chi community in metro manila. The MMC even has my last name 😆 ily seph. They should make a filipino adaptation to this book and get fil chi actors bahahaha

This is your reminder to hold your parents extra tight today and everyday! 💗

[Rachel E. Meyer]

You know I love me a little magical realism, and this book hit the spot for that.

It's kind of a heavy read as it does deal with the loss of a parent, but it handles the topic well. Nika could be annoying, but at the same time, I understood most of it was just due to trying to cope. And she did actually grow throughout the book, which was nice to see.

The romance was mid, but I liked the family aspects a lot. And of course her bestie was lesbian, because you gotta include that. Although I will admit Dani made me laugh because the nonsense she was spouting as "activism" was basically how all that woke stuff sounds to me.

Could have been a bit better, but I did enjoy the story and flew through it.

[Deirdre Megan Byrd]

Goodbye and Everything After is a soft but heavy book. The kind that sits with you quietly and then hits when you least expect it.

Mae Coyiuto writes grief with a lot of tenderness and honesty. This story doesn’t rush healing or try to offer easy answers, which makes it feel deeply genuine. The focus on friendship and emotional support is especially strong, and the characters feel like people you could actually know.

It’s a slower, more reflective read, but if you’re in the mood for something heartfelt and sincere, this one really delivers. Definitely a book for readers who don’t mind sitting with big feelings for a while.

[Isabella Yap]

Everything Mae Coyiuto writes is 10/10! Really excited to see her venture into magical realism (not sure if this book counts as magical realism but I think it does??). Grew up making “pagpag” so I’m so excited to see it in an actual story. I think Mae does a great job of navigating complex coming of age emotions in a light way (see: Chloe & The Kaishao Boys) so I’m excited to see how she’ll navigate and explore grief in this one. Anyway can’t wait for this book to come out I’m sure it will be aMAEzing!!

[Mai | mai.readingnook]

Mae Coyiuto continues to write culturally relevant YA/coming of age stories, and it makes me a proud Filipina. I think it’s fantastic that books like hers, especially, get to be published and be available globally because I feel like it’s such a true reflection of our culture. Not toned down, not washed out.

The exploration of grief, mourning, and family is also very well done. And the romance is adorable! I think many folks, young and old(er), will relate to Nika’s journey.

Thank you so much for the ARC.

[Jasmine Shouse]

This book was really hard for me to read. Not because of anything bad in the book, but because I lost my own dad a couple of years ago. The grief in Nika's story feels so real. I also really enjoyed the superstitions and culture infused into the story. All the descriptions of food made me so hungry! This is a slow-moving story that is such a worthwhile read. I think teens who have lost someone close to them would really appreciate this book.

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends for the opportunity to read and review.

[Janelle P.]

could not put this book down, highly recommend it to anyone looking for something heartwarming and nostalgic. this transported me back to a time of my life that is incredibly special, yet now so distant. so thank you to this book for being a time capsule. always a joy to be reminded of my youth.

on a personal note, i haven't been reading much lately, but this book reminded me that i'm capable of giving stories undivided attention. ended up being the perfect gateway back into reading, which is exactly what i needed in my attempt to break my current phone addiction (lol)

[Kat]

This book had me at grief and magical realism mixed with Filipino culture. It was a remarkably emotional and powerful read that made me cry and also filled me with hope. Nika’s journey through grief, loss, and growth felt so real and true, especially for her age. I would highly recommend this one!

[Clare Osongco]

Goodbye and Everything After is a cozy, funny, thoroughly life-affirming story about coming to terms with grief. This magical book is filled with so much love, in all of its forms. Infused with Filipino culture and featuring the most endearing, dad-joke-cracking ghost, this is a haunting that will warm your heart.

[Krys]

I can't tell if I'm too old for this or if I'm just too avoidant with dealing with emotions because most of the time I just wanted to wrangle Nika. Personal issues aside, this was a heartfelt take on grief and how to deal with it—especially as a Filipino family where we tend to sweep things under the rug. (not seph singing torete by moira tho lmaooo)

[Pamela]

actual rating: 4.5 ⭐️

this book formed me a lot of questions into my mind and
someone as bunso too, who lost her mom at a young age

it was a tough read at first bc Nika, the main female character, shares the same struggle as I do when my Tatay said he's seeing someone ✋🏻 but im good!

nika was kinda annoying but i get her. i really get her. if only i could hug her

[Stephanie]

Compulsively readable! I would’ve finished this book in one day if I didn’t stop reading due to excessive bawling. My biggest fear in life is having my parents pass away, and this book tackled the issue head on. Since I’m a Chinese Filipino, the book flowed really easily for me as there were no cultural differences.

[Neil Boado]

Rating: 9/10

A deeply moving story about loss and the familiar pull of tradition, superstitions, and the never ending fragility of teenage love.

A refreshing takeaway from a Fil-Chi author perfect for a rainy Saturday reading. I am proud to support Filipino authors making it to the international stage of publishing.

#maecoyiuto

[Camille Santiago]

First time to read a book set in modern-day PH!! This was so so wholesome and sweet and such an easy read 🥰 also it gave me a peek at the all-girls school culture and all I can say is I'm happy I went to a co-ed school 🤣