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calturner's review against another edition
5.0
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book but, oh my, what a beautiful, moving book it is! Full of poignant moments to bring a lump to your throat, it’s a story not only about death, but about life, love and everything in between. It’s about grabbing hold of life with both hands, no matter how long or short that life may be.
What would you do if you found out you only had a short time to live? Adam Campbell is about to find out the answer to that question. Determined to turn his life around before time runs out, Adam teams up with an unlikely group of people, all living on borrowed time. But all with one thing in common: to feel alive before their time is up.
If you struggle to cope with books about death and cancer, this book most likely won’t be for you. But even though cancer is something my own family is touched by at the moment, I simply adored it! It’s written with a raw honesty that took my breath away, full of a humour and poignancy that moved me to my core. I don’t want to go into too much detail, as this is a story that needs to be experienced without knowing too much about the individual stories that make up the whole, so all I will say is prepare to have your heart broken. The Last Act of Adam Campbell is not an easy read by any means, but it is a beautiful one that I’m so glad I read.
Andy Jones has written an astonishing account of what it must be like to know the end of your life is near. It’s filled to the brim with emotion, but is also full of humour and insight, taking you on a journey that isn’t only about death, but also about living your life to the full and making the most of every moment. It seems strange to say that a book that deals so eloquently with death is also one that left me with an overriding feeling of hope.
As difficult as some parts of this book was to read, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. As long as you go in prepared to have your heart broken, aware that it deals with the devastation that death and loss brings, I would say read and experience the beauty of this book for yourself. I know this is a story and characters that will stay with me for a long time to come. Andy Jones has written a moving, poignant and memorable book to be proud of.
What would you do if you found out you only had a short time to live? Adam Campbell is about to find out the answer to that question. Determined to turn his life around before time runs out, Adam teams up with an unlikely group of people, all living on borrowed time. But all with one thing in common: to feel alive before their time is up.
If you struggle to cope with books about death and cancer, this book most likely won’t be for you. But even though cancer is something my own family is touched by at the moment, I simply adored it! It’s written with a raw honesty that took my breath away, full of a humour and poignancy that moved me to my core. I don’t want to go into too much detail, as this is a story that needs to be experienced without knowing too much about the individual stories that make up the whole, so all I will say is prepare to have your heart broken. The Last Act of Adam Campbell is not an easy read by any means, but it is a beautiful one that I’m so glad I read.
Andy Jones has written an astonishing account of what it must be like to know the end of your life is near. It’s filled to the brim with emotion, but is also full of humour and insight, taking you on a journey that isn’t only about death, but also about living your life to the full and making the most of every moment. It seems strange to say that a book that deals so eloquently with death is also one that left me with an overriding feeling of hope.
As difficult as some parts of this book was to read, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. As long as you go in prepared to have your heart broken, aware that it deals with the devastation that death and loss brings, I would say read and experience the beauty of this book for yourself. I know this is a story and characters that will stay with me for a long time to come. Andy Jones has written a moving, poignant and memorable book to be proud of.
avalanti's review against another edition
5.0
This was definitely not the kind of book I normally pick up, but I was intrigued by the idea of a morally-grey character (due to the cheating mentioned in the decription) and the concept of a personality-diverse cast, especially since many of the character types mentioned are not typical.
Firstly, I wasn't expecting the varied POV, and at first I was a bit put off by it, but by the end I was so interested in all of the character's stories I wouldn't want it any other way.
My grandfather died of cancer, and at first I thought this would make me dislike the novel, but I actually found it extremely cathartic to see the very many ways each of these people and their families deal with their situations.
I couldn't put this book down once I started it, and read the whole thing in a few days. I'm not the kind of person who cries at books, but if you are - this will absolutely get you.
Firstly, I wasn't expecting the varied POV, and at first I was a bit put off by it, but by the end I was so interested in all of the character's stories I wouldn't want it any other way.
My grandfather died of cancer, and at first I thought this would make me dislike the novel, but I actually found it extremely cathartic to see the very many ways each of these people and their families deal with their situations.
I couldn't put this book down once I started it, and read the whole thing in a few days. I'm not the kind of person who cries at books, but if you are - this will absolutely get you.
kazza27's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you Jenny Platt for the invitation to the tour and for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.
Firstly, this book should come with a packet of tissues, I do not usually read books about death and dying but this one intrigued me. As soon as I started reading it I loved it, even though I knew that it would be emotional.
Adam has a counsellor, Dr Sam who persuades him to come along to a group of people who also have cancer, he is reluctant but goes and meets the other characters who feature in the story, Tom, Laura, Patricia, Vernon, Erin and Raymond.
The story takes an unexpected turn and the group becomes important in all the characters lives as they set off on their journeys to sort things while they can. Whilst having to go through the treatments, side effects and realisations of their illnesses. I am not going to share too much as I think this is the best way to read this book.
I liked Adam he has made mistakes but he really loves his little girl Mabel and he wants to make the most of the time he has left with her. As a Mum I found Adam's story the hardest to read but it is written in a sensitive, heartfelt and uplifting way..
You will need a lot of tissues, as it is funny, sad and touching and really shows the strength of human spirit and how even when everything seems hopeless you can find hope as the group all do in The Rude Mechanicals. A great but heart-wrenching read.
Firstly, this book should come with a packet of tissues, I do not usually read books about death and dying but this one intrigued me. As soon as I started reading it I loved it, even though I knew that it would be emotional.
Adam has a counsellor, Dr Sam who persuades him to come along to a group of people who also have cancer, he is reluctant but goes and meets the other characters who feature in the story, Tom, Laura, Patricia, Vernon, Erin and Raymond.
The story takes an unexpected turn and the group becomes important in all the characters lives as they set off on their journeys to sort things while they can. Whilst having to go through the treatments, side effects and realisations of their illnesses. I am not going to share too much as I think this is the best way to read this book.
I liked Adam he has made mistakes but he really loves his little girl Mabel and he wants to make the most of the time he has left with her. As a Mum I found Adam's story the hardest to read but it is written in a sensitive, heartfelt and uplifting way..
You will need a lot of tissues, as it is funny, sad and touching and really shows the strength of human spirit and how even when everything seems hopeless you can find hope as the group all do in The Rude Mechanicals. A great but heart-wrenching read.
piasargent's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Slow steadying but still kept me gripped was emotional yet made you think
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, and Cancer
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, and Alcoholism
cocococo__'s review
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
bril_pril's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Beautifully heartbreaking, I cannot count the times I cried at this book. Poetically laced with dark humor, this book talks about the importance of death. The epitome of the phrase "Memento Mori".
frombethanysbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Adam has been dying for eight weeks now, and he isn't getting any better at it.
When Adam Campbell is given a terminal cancer diagnosis, all he wants to do is break every clock he can find in hopes to defy time. But now he realises life really is short, especially for him, he promises to live it while he still can.
He moves in with his ex who kicked him out due to his own mistakes so he can spend more time with his daughter, he quits his job that has already taken so much of his time. And he tries to make amends - he's going to get better at this dying thing.
But the last thing he ever expected was to walk into a support group with a teenager who just wants to have sex before she dies, a free-range nun, a call centre agent in recovery, a grumpy old train driver and mysterious scotsman and walk about with some new friends and an amateur drama group.
"My life's an open book. Even if it is a bit dog-eared ...
... All the best books are."
It's a strange thing to say a book where you spend most of your time waiting for people to die is a 'feel-good' story, but this is. It's a deeply affecting but also remarkably inspiriting, evoking a profound sense of wonder and gratitude for the life we have - it's a real testament to the beauty of real human connection and how that can last even after we die.
Our main character Adam, is an idiot. He has made mistakes and bad choices, but he isn't a bad person and this is clear within moments of meeting him. The sense of loss and confusion in his life pre-dates his diagnosis, but now he has a deadline to work it out. I adored his dark, morbid humour and remarks that made smile and shake my head at the same time.
Time moves quickly, the whole cast moving the story onwards as we move between Adam and his new friends and their individual lives. It felt a little confusing at first as there's no indicators for the change but it settles in quickly - instead of a basic linear narrative, this story is little pockets of time, little moments that come together. My only issue with this book was how much information is given in quick succession at the end, going from a slow thoughtful pace to a sudden matter-of-fact account of what is happening in a way that kind of threw me out of the trance this novel had me in. However, I also massively loved the idea that was behind it - it isn't a spoiler to tell you some people are going to die during and at the end of this story, and I loved their deaths not being their key moment, their defining part of their story.
Our Am-dram troupe are a beautiful collective of unlikely friends - and together they discuss their goals, their 'bucket lists' and realise their life isn't marked by big moments and success but by happiness - as they work together on their play, we see their relationships grow and change, how they rally around one another so instinctively. Their play, based on the many deaths of Shakespeare's plays almost creates their own mortality therapy - and it gives them the chance to face, and escape death right there on the stage. Now of course, there are moments of darkness, of anger, of confusion and desperation - death doesn't just hurt the dying, after all - but it's all handled tenderly and realistically.
An uplifting, poignant story about all the scenes and characters that make up a life, not just the last act.
When Adam Campbell is given a terminal cancer diagnosis, all he wants to do is break every clock he can find in hopes to defy time. But now he realises life really is short, especially for him, he promises to live it while he still can.
He moves in with his ex who kicked him out due to his own mistakes so he can spend more time with his daughter, he quits his job that has already taken so much of his time. And he tries to make amends - he's going to get better at this dying thing.
But the last thing he ever expected was to walk into a support group with a teenager who just wants to have sex before she dies, a free-range nun, a call centre agent in recovery, a grumpy old train driver and mysterious scotsman and walk about with some new friends and an amateur drama group.
"My life's an open book. Even if it is a bit dog-eared ...
... All the best books are."
It's a strange thing to say a book where you spend most of your time waiting for people to die is a 'feel-good' story, but this is. It's a deeply affecting but also remarkably inspiriting, evoking a profound sense of wonder and gratitude for the life we have - it's a real testament to the beauty of real human connection and how that can last even after we die.
Our main character Adam, is an idiot. He has made mistakes and bad choices, but he isn't a bad person and this is clear within moments of meeting him. The sense of loss and confusion in his life pre-dates his diagnosis, but now he has a deadline to work it out. I adored his dark, morbid humour and remarks that made smile and shake my head at the same time.
Time moves quickly, the whole cast moving the story onwards as we move between Adam and his new friends and their individual lives. It felt a little confusing at first as there's no indicators for the change but it settles in quickly - instead of a basic linear narrative, this story is little pockets of time, little moments that come together. My only issue with this book was how much information is given in quick succession at the end, going from a slow thoughtful pace to a sudden matter-of-fact account of what is happening in a way that kind of threw me out of the trance this novel had me in. However, I also massively loved the idea that was behind it - it isn't a spoiler to tell you some people are going to die during and at the end of this story, and I loved their deaths not being their key moment, their defining part of their story.
Our Am-dram troupe are a beautiful collective of unlikely friends - and together they discuss their goals, their 'bucket lists' and realise their life isn't marked by big moments and success but by happiness - as they work together on their play, we see their relationships grow and change, how they rally around one another so instinctively. Their play, based on the many deaths of Shakespeare's plays almost creates their own mortality therapy - and it gives them the chance to face, and escape death right there on the stage. Now of course, there are moments of darkness, of anger, of confusion and desperation - death doesn't just hurt the dying, after all - but it's all handled tenderly and realistically.
An uplifting, poignant story about all the scenes and characters that make up a life, not just the last act.
megjacks00's review against another edition
5.0
The story introduces Adam, a terminally ill middle aged man who has been told he has a year to live. Adam has been estranged from his Wife but has recently moved back into the family home since diagnosis to try live out what he has left making memories with his young daughter.
Adams Dr recommended he attends a support group to meet with other terminally ill people to discuss cancer, dying and all that lies between. This is where Adam is introduced to a bunch of people he will later call close friends. The support group decide to start a theatre group and act out snippets from Shakespeare plays all about death and dying.
Yes, this book is full of heartbreak, grief and dying but it is also full of laughs and memories and feel good moments. The book follows Adam through his last year but also delves into the other characters of the group providing a view into their struggles with terminal illness.
It’s a tear jerker for sure particularly if you have had personal experience with the topic. The dark humour throughout the book is very well handled, it did have me laughing out loud at times and also crying. It is written honestly, realistically and also sensitively.
Adams Dr recommended he attends a support group to meet with other terminally ill people to discuss cancer, dying and all that lies between. This is where Adam is introduced to a bunch of people he will later call close friends. The support group decide to start a theatre group and act out snippets from Shakespeare plays all about death and dying.
Yes, this book is full of heartbreak, grief and dying but it is also full of laughs and memories and feel good moments. The book follows Adam through his last year but also delves into the other characters of the group providing a view into their struggles with terminal illness.
It’s a tear jerker for sure particularly if you have had personal experience with the topic. The dark humour throughout the book is very well handled, it did have me laughing out loud at times and also crying. It is written honestly, realistically and also sensitively.
poppylovescats's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5