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Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, Dementia, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Confinement, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Classism
And that’s just what GBBL is, aptly named. Although not your typical EmHen romcom, I really loved this new foray into more of a solid contemporary fiction with romance elements. I don’t think it should really be considered a mystery, as some marketing suggested. Of course I would’ve been okay with more of said romance (I adored Alice and Hayden) but at the same time, I don’t think the story-within-the-story really took away from that, either. Margaret’s life story (and her family secrets) was really interesting to me and essentially, it did link everything in the book together. You couldn’t have Alice and Hayden’s romance without what brought them together on that little Georgia island. And come on—an EmHen book where one or both of the protagonists are writers? I’m sold before I’ve even finished reading the synopsis.
This book did remind me a lot of “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”, which others have pointed out. I love both, independent of each other, though they do share some similarities. But at the end of the day, this still reads like an EmHen book, and, dare I say… that’s one of my favorite things to witness in this great big beautiful life.
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Medical content, Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Abortion, Gaslighting
“I find myself thinking that maybe every bit of heartbreak in life can be rearranged and used for something beautiful. That it doesn't really matter whether I chose this path or I was born onto it, so long as I stop and appreciate the path itself.”
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Car accident, Death of parent
Minor: Stalking, Gaslighting
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Confinement, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Mental illness, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Minor: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Graphic: Infidelity, Car accident, Gaslighting
Minor: Violence, Pregnancy
I have so many notes to go through, but, for now I will say: this is some of Emily’s most beautiful writing. It is heartfelt and poignant. It is reflective and brutal and honest. It is tragedy and love, humour and regret.
I related to so many of these characters in different ways, from Alice’s insecurity around her mother’s feelings towards her to Hayden’s perfectionism and fear of being himself. Very real fears of me were reflected in this book, the anxiety around bringing children into this world which is cruel and dangerous and difficult.
There are things I’d love to know more about, particularly surrounding the outcome of the
I’m already raring for a reread, and I obviously need to listen to the audiobook but, for now, I leave you with some of my favourite quotes presented with absolutely no context:
“If that’s what I meant, then that’s what I would’ve said.”
“Stone-cold sober and he looks almost as drunk as I feel.”
“What if they have to care for me, for years, after I’ve stopped calling them by their nicknames or telling them I love them?”
“I don’t do this.”
“I do.”
“Fine. I do too.”
“This doesn’t have to be the greatest tragedy to ever befall anyone. It doesn’t even have to be the worst thing that’s ever happened to you.”
“Like I swallowed the sun. Like it’s breaking up every bit of darkness inside me.”
“Maybe every bit of heartbreak in life can be rearranged and used for something beautiful.”
Also, huge shout out to the Pole of Inaccessibility, which is where my heart resides most of the time.
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment