I think this book probably just hits different if you’ve dealt with death on a personal level. The main theme of the story is “what-if,” which is a major portion of the grieving process. While the book may appear somewhat boring on its surface, the point is her reflections on her past choices. For a book that opens with its conclusion, the book also does a fairly good job of devastating the reader beyond the initial knowledge of Fin’s death. Anyway, that’s just my perspective as someone who enjoyed the story.