Reactions to Grief

Tobias’ death, Emily’s death, Avery’s mother’s death, and the loss of Toby are all situations that allow Barnes to demonstrate the different ways people handle and respond to grief. Even though Avery did not know Tobias, the grief she senses the family members are feeling stirs the grief she still feels for her mother. Brothers Grayson and Jameson allow their grief for their roles in Emily’s death to push them further apart than Emily already had. Toby’s disappearance impacts his father so deeply that Tobias changes his will, disinheriting his entire family.

In their grief, some characters in the novel underestimate other people’s ability to understand their pain. For instance, when Avery talks to Rebecca about Emily, Rebecca tells Avery: “You don’t know what it’s like … to have your entire life revolve around one person, and...