Take a photo of a barcode or cover
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
Moderate: Animal death, Infertility, Infidelity
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Death
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Suicide
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic
TL;DR:
Dark yet humorous -- very compelling/page-turner. But not really a message I needed.
I also do not suffer with depression in the slightest so despite having immense empathy for people who do, I cannot truly relate/understand the mindset at all. So I'm not the ideal reader for this book, I think. I still had a good time with it and enjoyed it overall, but that's why it isn't rated higher.
Summary:
Phoebe's life has not gone according to plan and she is severely depressed and suicidal. So she books a way-too-expensive hotel room at a fancy inn to go take her life after one last night of indulgence. She arrives and realizes that the entire inn is occupied by wedding party guests and the bride also realizes this and is horrified that Phoebe's presence will ruin her wedding. Shenanigans ensue.
Ideal Reader:
Maybe someone younger and/or who hasn't experienced enough of life throwing wrenches in their plans? Someone who still tends to get stuck on their plans and holding to them more rigidly, chasing Perfect Happiness.
Writing:
Overall I enjoy Espach's writing style -- she can really crack me up with the dark humor. However, the existentialism does grate on my nerves, personally. (She loves a "x has nothing to do with y anymore" phrase, also. Two times in this book and once in Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance.)
Characters:
I don't want to be a total jackass here... so I hope this comes across as I intend... as I said, I am not someone who has ever dealt with depression (fortunately) and while of course I empathize with those who do and I try to be very understanding and I always try to educate myself on the experience, as I certainly have people in my life who do experience it... I still cannot help that it is REALLY hard for me to relate to an MC in that mindset. My brain just does not function that way so all of these musings and lines that are probably really profoundly relatable and helpful to people who do deal with depression, just don't compute with my brain.
Feeling like life stops when you experience something difficult... and like if you don't achieve xyz Big Life Moment (marriage, kids, etc.) then it's all a failure or something... I don't understand at all. Cannot relate. Don't need a story working through all of this.
It was also hard for me to understand still being hung up on your ex-husband (to the point of still referring to him as your husband) TWO YEARS AFTER he left you due to an affair. I've been divorced, and my ex-husband had an affair with a coworker and abruptly decided he wanted a divorce. I know the feeling. But goddang I cannotttttttt relate to giving any fucks about that man TWO YEARS later?! Again, my brain just doesn't work like that. I process and move the hell on and when that fool came crawling back TWO MONTHS later I told him absolutteelllyyyy nottttttt.
I just cannot get into the mindset of someone just... floating through life, letting things happen to them. Not taking action in your own life seems wild to me. I don't understand at all. Not having conversations that need to be had... not confronting difficulties head on... it makes no sense to me personally. Again, just not really the book "for me". I'm sure it's super relatable to a lot of people though, and I love that.
I found myself relating to Nat the one time she had her little outburst about the people around her not bothering to decide who they are and what they want in life. Like YEAH GIRL SERIOUSLY I DON'T UNDERSTAND
All that said, the character interactions were so entertaining and I blew through this book because I wanted to see where the chips would fall with everyone. The banter is delightful. The dynamic between Phoebe and Lila was fascinating and hilarious. They were compelling characters, for sure.
Plot/Pacing:
The plot is quite silly/unrealistic, but that's what made it fun for me. It's like a dark rom com. Absolutely not how things happen in real life, but fun to watch in a story to entertain.
Themes:
Difficulties of life. What is the point of it all. Mental health. Personal agency. Impact of trauma and formative years experiences.
Memorable Quotes/Standout Moments:
"Her feet begin to ache, and she wonders for the first time since she left home if she should have brought a pair of sensible shoes. She has so many lined up in her closet, being navy, doing nothing." (haha)
"Uncle Jim is not okay. He is on the floor, yelling something about his ankle, and also the floor, which is a terrible floor, he says, not to mention, total bullshit. The men in burgundy gather around him and start apologizing to him about the floor, which yes, yes, they agree is the world floor, even though Phoebe can see it's some kind of Italian marble." (haha again)
"Now she knows what it feels like to be beyond the traditional plot points of a life, to sit on a chair in an empty room feeling like there is nothing more than this solemn march forward." (this is the existentialism that I cannot understand)
"I think we talk about happiness all wrong. As if it's this fixed state we're goin to reach. Like, we'll just be able to live there forever." (this is the messaging that personally was not something I needed/didn't already believe)
Dark yet humorous -- very compelling/page-turner. But not really a message I needed.
I also do not suffer with depression in the slightest so despite having immense empathy for people who do, I cannot truly relate/understand the mindset at all. So I'm not the ideal reader for this book, I think. I still had a good time with it and enjoyed it overall, but that's why it isn't rated higher.
Summary:
Phoebe's life has not gone according to plan and she is severely depressed and suicidal. So she books a way-too-expensive hotel room at a fancy inn to go take her life after one last night of indulgence. She arrives and realizes that the entire inn is occupied by wedding party guests and the bride also realizes this and is horrified that Phoebe's presence will ruin her wedding. Shenanigans ensue.
Ideal Reader:
Maybe someone younger and/or who hasn't experienced enough of life throwing wrenches in their plans? Someone who still tends to get stuck on their plans and holding to them more rigidly, chasing Perfect Happiness.
Writing:
Overall I enjoy Espach's writing style -- she can really crack me up with the dark humor. However, the existentialism does grate on my nerves, personally. (She loves a "x has nothing to do with y anymore" phrase, also. Two times in this book and once in Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance.)
Characters:
I don't want to be a total jackass here... so I hope this comes across as I intend... as I said, I am not someone who has ever dealt with depression (fortunately) and while of course I empathize with those who do and I try to be very understanding and I always try to educate myself on the experience, as I certainly have people in my life who do experience it... I still cannot help that it is REALLY hard for me to relate to an MC in that mindset. My brain just does not function that way so all of these musings and lines that are probably really profoundly relatable and helpful to people who do deal with depression, just don't compute with my brain.
Feeling like life stops when you experience something difficult... and like if you don't achieve xyz Big Life Moment (marriage, kids, etc.) then it's all a failure or something... I don't understand at all. Cannot relate. Don't need a story working through all of this.
It was also hard for me to understand still being hung up on your ex-husband (to the point of still referring to him as your husband) TWO YEARS AFTER he left you due to an affair. I've been divorced, and my ex-husband had an affair with a coworker and abruptly decided he wanted a divorce. I know the feeling. But goddang I cannotttttttt relate to giving any fucks about that man TWO YEARS later?! Again, my brain just doesn't work like that. I process and move the hell on and when that fool came crawling back TWO MONTHS later I told him absolutteelllyyyy nottttttt.
I just cannot get into the mindset of someone just... floating through life, letting things happen to them. Not taking action in your own life seems wild to me. I don't understand at all. Not having conversations that need to be had... not confronting difficulties head on... it makes no sense to me personally. Again, just not really the book "for me". I'm sure it's super relatable to a lot of people though, and I love that.
I found myself relating to Nat the one time she had her little outburst about the people around her not bothering to decide who they are and what they want in life. Like YEAH GIRL SERIOUSLY I DON'T UNDERSTAND
All that said, the character interactions were so entertaining and I blew through this book because I wanted to see where the chips would fall with everyone. The banter is delightful. The dynamic between Phoebe and Lila was fascinating and hilarious. They were compelling characters, for sure.
Plot/Pacing:
The plot is quite silly/unrealistic, but that's what made it fun for me. It's like a dark rom com. Absolutely not how things happen in real life, but fun to watch in a story to entertain.
Themes:
Difficulties of life. What is the point of it all. Mental health. Personal agency. Impact of trauma and formative years experiences.
Memorable Quotes/Standout Moments:
"Her feet begin to ache, and she wonders for the first time since she left home if she should have brought a pair of sensible shoes. She has so many lined up in her closet, being navy, doing nothing." (haha)
"Uncle Jim is not okay. He is on the floor, yelling something about his ankle, and also the floor, which is a terrible floor, he says, not to mention, total bullshit. The men in burgundy gather around him and start apologizing to him about the floor, which yes, yes, they agree is the world floor, even though Phoebe can see it's some kind of Italian marble." (haha again)
"Now she knows what it feels like to be beyond the traditional plot points of a life, to sit on a chair in an empty room feeling like there is nothing more than this solemn march forward." (this is the existentialism that I cannot understand)
"I think we talk about happiness all wrong. As if it's this fixed state we're goin to reach. Like, we'll just be able to live there forever." (this is the messaging that personally was not something I needed/didn't already believe)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Suicide
Moderate: Miscarriage, Grief, Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal death, Death
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol