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daphnea's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
- 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
5.0
This book walks the tightrope between light and dark, fully belly laugh and crying your eyes out, moments of pure unconditional love and moments of suicidal ideation with such frankness and grace that you cannot stop reading and thinking about the book.
The premise of the book is a suicidal forty something divorcee named Phoebe runs away from her problems to a fancy hotel on the other side of the country and intends to kill herself on the night of her arrival. Bride-to-be Lila intends on having the best and fanciest six day wedding celebration and does everything she can to convince Phoebe that she can’t ruin her wedding by killing herself. The book is witty and craftily juxtaposes rich people problems and depressed people problems in a way that nuanced and shows us that we’re all people who are hurting (our hurt just doesn’t look the same).
The premise of the book is a suicidal forty something divorcee named Phoebe runs away from her problems to a fancy hotel on the other side of the country and intends to kill herself on the night of her arrival. Bride-to-be Lila intends on having the best and fanciest six day wedding celebration and does everything she can to convince Phoebe that she can’t ruin her wedding by killing herself. The book is witty and craftily juxtaposes rich people problems and depressed people problems in a way that nuanced and shows us that we’re all people who are hurting (our hurt just doesn’t look the same).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Infertility, Grief, Infidelity, and Mental illness
kaitlinrm_'s review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Infertility, Infidelity, and Suicidal thoughts
atreegrowsinbooks's review
dark
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
The Wedding People by Alison Espach (#gifted, thanks Henry Holt)
CW: suicide attempt, depression
Note: While this book has a wholesome meaning, please don’t proceed if the above warnings are triggering.
Have you ever felt like you were in the right place at the right time? That you were meant to meet someone or have a certain conversation, experience, or moment?
Well, that feeling is this book. We follow Phoebe, who is extremely depressed to the point of attempting to take her life, as she arrives at a hotel just in time for the kickoff of a week long wedding. Phoebe and the wedding people meet and ultimately impact each other’s lives in different ways. You’ll have to read the book to see how those interactions impact everyone.
Espach’s writing is full of humor, and that humor is essential for the main point of the book to permeate the pages: THERE IS A REASON FOR YOU TO BE ALIVE.
I would suggest this book with a warning, if you aren’t ready to read about a character making an attempt on her life (which is then referenced several times) please don’t read this. Please be kind to yourself. And if you’re having suicidal thoughts and/or struggling please know that’s it’s okay to reach out to someone and that you’re not alone. Some resources are the 988 lifeline 988lifeline.org and The Trevor Project thetrevorproject.org
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death, Drug use, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Infertility
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, and Pandemic/Epidemic
amdawson's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
Phoebe has nothing left to live for. Her husband left her for her best friend during the pandemic, after struggling with infertility. She’s ready to end it all. Phoebe books a room at the fancy hotel her husband wouldn’t splurge on when they were married, but upon checkin she realizes the whole place is booked for a wedding. Lila, the bride, cannot believe Phoebe got a room during her wedding week. What transpired from that moment on is a masterclass in revealing the depth and complexity of a diverse group of characters. For every dark, grief-filled moment, we are given a funny one. For every passive-aggressive remark we receive a surprisingly tender moment. It was the kind of book you want to linger in and yet, cannot put down.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Miscarriage and Pandemic/Epidemic
cassidy_rain's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Lila, every day this week, you gave me a reason to get up in the morning, to put on a beautiful dress and be part of something, and for that I will always be grateful.”
This was truly delightful and I loved every minute of it. I was drawn to this right away by the beautiful cover! The Wedding People is raw and emotional and funny. It follows two women from completely different walks of life and their unlikely friendship that grows over the span of a week. The women are complete opposites to one another, yet complement each other perfectly.
I don’t always love character- driven books but I think the characters are written really well; they feel very realistic and human. Phoebe is very raw and you get a really good sense of how she feels and thinks. Lila is somewhat unlikable as a character, but also perfect for the story. You do find yourself rooting for her. Both of these main characters grow a lot throughout the story. The overall story is quite predictable, but there were a few things that left me surprised! I love the friendship, the healing, the self discovery. There’s even the right amount of romance. I absolutely vibed with the author’s writing style. Heavy topics are expressed, but the overall tone is quite light-hearted. I found myself laughing at the banter between characters. I was left feeling extremely satisfied.
“I just mean, a story can be beautiful not because of the way it ends. But because of the way it’s written.”
I would definitely recommend this one! Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt & Co for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
This was truly delightful and I loved every minute of it. I was drawn to this right away by the beautiful cover! The Wedding People is raw and emotional and funny. It follows two women from completely different walks of life and their unlikely friendship that grows over the span of a week. The women are complete opposites to one another, yet complement each other perfectly.
I don’t always love character- driven books but I think the characters are written really well; they feel very realistic and human. Phoebe is very raw and you get a really good sense of how she feels and thinks. Lila is somewhat unlikable as a character, but also perfect for the story. You do find yourself rooting for her. Both of these main characters grow a lot throughout the story. The overall story is quite predictable, but there were a few things that left me surprised! I love the friendship, the healing, the self discovery. There’s even the right amount of romance. I absolutely vibed with the author’s writing style. Heavy topics are expressed, but the overall tone is quite light-hearted. I found myself laughing at the banter between characters. I was left feeling extremely satisfied.
“I just mean, a story can be beautiful not because of the way it ends. But because of the way it’s written.”
I would definitely recommend this one! Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt & Co for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Cancer, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Miscarriage
wendygothard's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Dark but humorous. Serious but witty. Sanguine but also…not? It’s hard to capture the tone of this novel because it’s unexpected and so many things at the same time. While parts of it dragged, the later half had me wondering how this was all going to end because I truly did not know. Basically the MC, Phoebe is going through some stuff, plans her suicide, and happens to get swept up in an elaborate wedding that derails her plans.
I wouldn’t call this a HEA but it wasn’t sad either. Maybe just realistic? With a capital R. The dry, deadpan humor had me cackling.
**thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt publishing for the ARC
I wouldn’t call this a HEA but it wasn’t sad either. Maybe just realistic? With a capital R. The dry, deadpan humor had me cackling.
**thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt publishing for the ARC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Cursing, Miscarriage, Infertility, and Infidelity
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