The Goodbye Time

by Celeste Conway

AS LONG AS she can remember, Anna has lived in the same Upper West Side apartment with her parents and brother, Tom; she’s attended the same private school and had the same best friend, Katie. Katie has always loved hanging out with Anna’s family and escaping the tension in her own small apartment, where her single mom struggles to raise her severely mentally challenged brother.But then something changes. Katie’s brother gets violent with her mother and now he’s going to live in a home. Suddenly Katie is angry with Anna, and just as quickly they’re not friends anymore. Anna’s mom tells her that Katie just needs someone to be mad at right now, and that everything will be okay, but Anna knows that she has entered the Goodbye Time—and things are changing faster than she can understand.From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Juvenile, Family

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Celeste Conway is a published author of children's books and young adult books. Published credits of Celeste Conway include The Melting Season, Where Is Papa Now?, The Goodbye Time, and When You Open Your Eyes.

Reviews

[Rossy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started hating it, I admit it, lol! The first few pages, when the girls pretend to be characters of a show they watch, bored me.
But, fortunately, I continued reading and found a great short story about friendship, change, and family.
It's recommended for young readers, but I think anyone could relate somehow to the story, we've all been there, somewhere when our friendships go through emotional turmoils and we don't know how to save them.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars Just okay, kinda boring really.

* Anna and Katy are 11-years-old, in 5th grade, and best friends. They like playing a game where they pretend to be other people - Katy is a rock-star called Johnnie, and Anna is his aunt Mimi.
* Anna and Katy go shopping for dresses for their graduation.
* Anna's brother Tom is leaving for university. Katy's brother Sam has learning diasilities and is being moved into a mental health facility where he can be cared for properly.
* Katy stops talking to Anna because she thinks Anna's life is perfect - which it's not.
* Katy eventually starts talking to Anna again, but they never pretend to be Johnnie and Mimi again.
- Just boring. I don't get what the point was really 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not what I thought this book would be about. I mistakenly thought, based on the sweet cover and small size, that this would simply be a book about friendship. It is so much more than that - and the content is a little more mature than the cover would suggest as well. I think of this as a step-up, maturity-wise, from Allie Finkle. The main character, Anna, and her best friend, Katy, have very different lives. They are right on the cusp between being children and young adults, and as such, they do discuss things like kissing boys and "other stuff," as well as getting their periods. I liked that Anna is the narrator, and therefore is slightly unreliable. Sometimes she sounds like a grown-up Junie B. Jones with the way she "talks."
I would definitely recommend this to 5th & 6th grade girls, who will hopefully be drawn in by this short, sweet story about how everything in life is always changing. How did this book slip under my radar for so long?

[MJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would have really loved this book in 5th grade. It would have been really helpful where I was at. As an adult, it wasn't really for me, but I would definitely recommend this to a 5th grader going through big changes for the first time.

[Delilah P.]

It was a really good book

[KConaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be recommending this 98-pager, a mini-novel, to sixth and seventh grade girls in the library. It's often in middle school when friends realize the differences in each other's family life, and in this case, Anna has much that Katy doesn't - two successful parents, a healthy brother, and a big New York City apartment. When life gets rough for Katy and their elementary-age games of pretend no longer provide the escape she needs from reality, their friendship is tested in a way that will strike a familiar cord with women of any age. Thanks to the guidance provided by a caring mother and her older brother, Anna, hurt by Katy's suddenly harsh words, remains loyal to her best friend, making readers turn the pages to find out if their friendship survives the storm.

[Kristi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this for a realistic fiction genre study on special needs... the character with special needs was a very minor part of the story. The cover is misleading - I thought it took place in the 50s, but it takes place in present-day Manhattan. First person narrative - moderate pacing, choppy plot. Parents seem to be just vehicles for advice and explanation. Author tried to tackle too many issues with this one slim book (98 pages): change/new beginnings, imaginary play, first kiss, friendship (fights), menstruation, developmentally disabled older brother, gifted older brother, death of classmate's father, single-parent families, money. Not much about this book appealed to me, frankly, but at least it was short. :)

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too preachy for me: "change happens, life is unfair, friends aren't always nice, and sometimes endings precede beginnings". Would classify as a friendship story for middle grade girls (talk of dresses and periods would be off-putting to most boys) but at less than 100 pages might not meet teacher requirements. Print could easily have been made one size bigger to stretch this thin novel out a bit farther...

[Rosiea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Conway does it again with this wonderful coming of age novel.  I bought this for my niece and decided to read it before shipping.  The author remembers all the drama, angst, wonder and magic of adolescence.   This book reminded me how the world felt to me when I was same age as Anna and Katie.   These are characters you know well in your heart.  I recommend this book highly.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Anna and Kate are best friends in spite of their very different lives. Anna comes from a stable, loving family while Kate's family is more complicated. Their friendship is tested and for a while Kate wont have anything to do with Anna. It is a great story of girls having to face some adult problems and realizing the importance of real friends.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short sweet look at a friendship in transition from childhood to adolescence. The characters are believable and the pacing is steady. I don't think children will love this book, but it is certainly likeable. The cover is eye-catching.

[BxerMom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fifth graders who are best friends...one's poor, ones not. One girl has a mentally ill brother that gets put in a home. She takes it out on her best friend then they are friends again.......
It was okay....

[Geneva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating is actually 2 1/2 stars. I didn't dislike the book but it did lack a bit of character development. However, it covered some big issues in a good way - although cursory. As you can see by my writing I am very mixed about this book.

[Gloria]

It was good. Short, fast. Good. I don’t know what I expected but I don’t think I expected what it was. But I thought it was good.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

had a hard time getting into it - didn't finish it.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

It talks about difficults in friendship and talking to your parents as u get older.It is really good

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be added soon..!

[Agnes Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It so sad but really good I love it

[MCPLD Youth Department · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book that illustrates how friendships change as we grow older.

[Sara]

I thought this book would be better than it was. I stopped reading it about 20-30 pages in.

[Sophia Kidd · Rating 1 out of 5]

It wasn't the best book, in other words.......I wouldn't read it again :(

[Shannon]

started slow, LOVE THE COVER, but couldn't get into the story.

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn't really ring true to me. It had elements of a great story but it just seemed kind of phony to me. There were some interesting parts though.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

For such a short book, this was a surprisingly sophisticated snapshot of the two very different lives of a pair of best friends. The story could have been longer and more in-depth.

[Silva Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book for any age (I read it at 18). Wonderful to look back at this point of view and see how these experiences apply in a life at any age.

[Rachelbartholomew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little book about changing from kid to teen

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a middle grade book about dealing with goodbyes and change.

[Katie Freese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet!