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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
Best for:
People who want an easy read that isn’t a quick read.
In a nutshell:
CN: Suicidal ideation
Phoebe and her husband divorced just after the pandemic. She has come to a hotel to die by suicide, When she arrives, it turns out she’s the only person there who isn’t part of a wedding.
Worth quoting:
“What is one thing I can do right now instead?”
“Everybody in my life is always telling me I can be anyone I want, but then whenever I do one thing they don’t like, they act like I’ve ruined myself,”
Why I chose it:
I was intrigued by the description.
Review:
I cannot relate to Phoebe. I am not divorced, I haven’t had suicidal ideation, I didn’t have the same upbringing, I don’t want children, and I’ve never struggled with infertility. And yet, I felt a great connection to Phoebe, and I think that speaks to the character author Espach created.
The set-up: Phoebe is a professor who decides, after her cat dies, to take his pain meds, fly to a fancy hotel she once wanted to stay at, and die by suicide. When she arrives - with only her phone and the clothes on her back - she finds she’s the only person at the hotel not involved in the wedding of Lila and Gary.
When Lila asks why she’s there, Phoebe is honest, and Lila (who is spending literally a million dollars on her wedding week) is obviously disturbed. At first, Lila seems like a bit of a spoiled brat, but, like some of the other characters we meet throughout the week, there’s more going on.
Phoebe decides to stay alive, and over the course of the week finds what I think many of us know - it can be a lot easier to be open and honest with strangers. And sometimes, its strangers who can help us figure out things we haven’t realized about ourselves.
There’s a few things going on in this book - it’s not just about Phoebe’s self-realizations. It’s also about the assumptions we make of others, the facades we put up to please people, and the things we choose to ignore.
I’m going to be thinking about this book for awhile.
People who want an easy read that isn’t a quick read.
In a nutshell:
CN: Suicidal ideation
Phoebe and her husband divorced just after the pandemic. She has come to a hotel to die by suicide, When she arrives, it turns out she’s the only person there who isn’t part of a wedding.
Worth quoting:
“What is one thing I can do right now instead?”
“Everybody in my life is always telling me I can be anyone I want, but then whenever I do one thing they don’t like, they act like I’ve ruined myself,”
Why I chose it:
I was intrigued by the description.
Review:
I cannot relate to Phoebe. I am not divorced, I haven’t had suicidal ideation, I didn’t have the same upbringing, I don’t want children, and I’ve never struggled with infertility. And yet, I felt a great connection to Phoebe, and I think that speaks to the character author Espach created.
The set-up: Phoebe is a professor who decides, after her cat dies, to take his pain meds, fly to a fancy hotel she once wanted to stay at, and die by suicide. When she arrives - with only her phone and the clothes on her back - she finds she’s the only person at the hotel not involved in the wedding of Lila and Gary.
When Lila asks why she’s there, Phoebe is honest, and Lila (who is spending literally a million dollars on her wedding week) is obviously disturbed. At first, Lila seems like a bit of a spoiled brat, but, like some of the other characters we meet throughout the week, there’s more going on.
Phoebe decides to stay alive, and over the course of the week finds what I think many of us know - it can be a lot easier to be open and honest with strangers. And sometimes, its strangers who can help us figure out things we haven’t realized about ourselves.
There’s a few things going on in this book - it’s not just about Phoebe’s self-realizations. It’s also about the assumptions we make of others, the facades we put up to please people, and the things we choose to ignore.
I’m going to be thinking about this book for awhile.
Didn’t expect to love it this much, funny, introspective and emotional in all of the best ways
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
challenging
reflective
relaxing
fast-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
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There are moments in this book when I think it could have been something interesting, but the plot is incredibly predictable. It is dominated by dialogue that is largely torturous.
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
entertaining but lacks the resolve you’re expecting at the end and leaves it for you to assume which felt kinda lame after all the build up