Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Pack Up the Moon

Wow. 10/10 would recommend this if you want a true gut-wrenching cry. You know, that cry where you’re sobbing and snot is coming out of your nose. This was - is - such a beautifully written book that explores the journey of grief. Josh is a new widower. His wife Lauren suffered from a terminal illness called IBF and at 27 years old, passes away. Lauren left Josh letters: one for each month throughout the first year following her death. I love that the letters start with small, mundane tasks that those grieving typically find themselves neglecting to do, and gradually build into bigger, life-changing decisions.

I loved that throughout the book, there’s alternating POVs and timelines - Lauren’s, leading up to her diagnosis & as she navigates the diagnosis/end of life, and Josh’s, post-Lauren’s death. I also enjoyed that Lauren wrote letters regularly to her deceased father. I lost my dad 8 years ago, and I journal letters to my dad here and there. I’ve recently been struggling with grief surrounding the loss of my ex-boyfriend, the man who I deemed “The Love of My Life”; it’s been 7 months since he’s passed and I’ve been riding that roller coaster of the stages of grief since. Grief is something I’m all too familiar with and related to in this book.

I felt a deep connection to this story and the characters: their thoughts, behaviors and actions. I adored the character development and the chemistry between both Lauren & Josh. I loved the pleasant, happier, hopeful ending - the kind that really does satisfy the heart.

This is only my third completed book of the year (I’ve been in a jumbo reading slump) but it’s now also my first 5-star read of 2023 💙💚

Content Warnings

sarahmae531's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What an emotional book. Sobbed through an entire chapter.
Loved the dual perspective and how Josh’s POV moved forward in time and Lauren’s moved back in time, showing us every part of their relationship in different ways. All of the characters were so lovable and had their flaws, making them seem so real.
Definitely not a feel good story, but I loved the way it all tied together, and the ending wasn’t depressing. Would definitely recommend if you want a book that will make you cry. Also the audiobook version was amazing, loved both of the narrators!

Content Warnings

carmenflorea's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

readwithserena's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I think I cried 3 times in the first 100 pages and sobbed towards the end of the book. One of the main characters, Lauren, I think had kind of an annoying voice, but that didn’t get in the way of the story. I do maybe wish they were a little bit less of a perfect couple- I think the aftermath of grief would be more complex and interesting and… well… realistic. No human is perfect and so reading the grief of a “perfect” person and relationship is a little one dimensional.
All in all, if you need a good cry, this can do that for you.

Content Warnings

courtn3ys's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Content Warnings

maria1085's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was such a heart breaking but beautiful love story. The relationship between Lauren and Josh is love at its purest form. Newly married and madly in love they are hit with tragedy when Lauren is diagnosed with IPF (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis). There is no cure and it is unclear how much time she has left. Throughout her sickness she writes letters to Josh for after she passes away. They are to help him grieve, live, and eventually move on. The story is also told in a series of letters to her father who passed away. The chapters that were told from Josh’s perspective were so emotional. I really felt for him and everything he was going through. There were parts where I was smiling through my tears, and other parts where I was just sobbing. The story was so well written, I loved all the characters. Ultimately it is a story about life, love, death, grief and loss but it is told with such beautiful prose and heart. I highly recommend this book!

Content Warnings

smlima1992's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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