Review: The Half-Life of Love by Brianna Bourne

What do you do when you only have 41 days left to live?

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Dates read: 18/03/25 to 25/06/25

Word to describe: Reminiscent

Star rating:⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Teen Romance

Trigger Warnings: Topic of death and grief throughout, friendship loss, loss of a family member, mental health awareness.

Flint Larson knows when he is going to die - he knows the exact day down to the minute. In this modern world, there is a half-life a small blip in someone's life that tells them exactly when they have reached the middle of their life. Most people will half-life in their 40's after they've gotten married, had kids, had a long and happy life. But not Flint, he had his half life at eight years old and he has spent the last eight years of his life living in misery. Why enjoy life when its going to be over soon right? That is until he meets the bubbly and infectious redhead that is the literal embodiment of sunshine (or so we think), September.

Flint's character's arc is impressive. There is no better word to describe it. When the reader is introduced to Flint Larson he is a pessimistic teenage boy walking into the woods to die alone. He was ready to hide from his family for 41 days to avoid seeing pity and grief on his parents faces. Instead he bumps into September. After meeting September, Flint has something to live for - he wants to help September on her mission to cure the half-life. Not because he believes anything can be done to help his case, but because he is so in awe of September's cheerfulness and can-do attitude that he is drawn to her. Over time, Septembers infectious persona melts Flint's harsh exterior and they both become vulnerable to each other.

September on the other hand, is working hard at the institute as a way to avoid the grief of her younger sister's passing. She throws herself into her new project isolating herself from friends, and family, not sleeping or eating anything other than pancakes or boiled sweets because solving the half-life means her sister did not die in vain. All whilst maintaining her shiny exterior. The obsession with the cure as a distraction from her grieving process fit perfectly into the stages of grief, placing September strongly in the denial stage for a large percentage of this book.

Meeting Flint makes her take charge of her grief and finally let the tears flow. Her sunny persona becomes less of a façade as she begins to feel true happiness in the company of Flint's cloudy personality. She opens up about her younger sister and slowly moves through her grief into acceptance. Similarly to Flint wanting to live life while he can, September also begins to enjoy her life.

The bonding between the two main characters sets the stage for hope and readers can't help but fall for both of them. The blooming romance between September and Flint is saccharine and, honestly, adorable. Brianna Bourne brilliantly encapsulates the awkwardness of first love and the careful steps between friends and romance partners.

I adored this story. The topic of death and grief is approached so delicately and is executed in such a way that feels real. Flint's fear of being a burden to his family and September's struggle with acceptable for her younger sister mimics reality. Grief is a horrible journey whether its for yourself, the life you might have had, family members, pets, it is an extraordinary and bitter emotion. Brianna Bourne somehow turned the motions of grief into a story of hope and love. Even with the bittersweet ending readers are left feeling like there is good in the negatives - just like Flint finding September through the darkness.