Trigger warning: depression, mentions of death/suicide, suicide attempt

5 ⭐️

I think I cried every single tear in my body. This was a roller coaster of emotions; happiness, sadness, despair, hope... Those 5 teenagers went through so much to save Kakeru. It was both incredibly beautiful and sad. I have rarely come across a book that manages to talk about depression in such a touching way. Despite Orange's dark themes, it is an example of friendship and bravery. It is because his friends were so adamant on helping him that Kakeru didn't make the same mistake twice. He was brave enough to try and live. For them, but also for himself, for his own happiness.

We never really got around to know how exactly the letters were sent back in time - we saw them discussing it, but not actually sending the letters. Still, this is not as much about the "going back in time" thing as it is about how those little hints made the teenage version of Naho, Azusa, Suwa, Hagita and Chino be more aware of Kakeru's feelings.

I think this should be mandatory reading for teenagers in school, with a follow-up discussion about mental health and suicide. The ending makes it less heavy and might help those who struggle with depression see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. And it might make those who don't see that their friends aren't necessarily alright, even if they have a smile on their face.