Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins

35 reviews

teeclecticreads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I’m going to go ahead and say that this is already one of the best books that I’ve ever read this year. Kristan Higgins wrote this book with $5 in her bank account, an overdue car loan, and her dreams in her back pocket. I went into this book not knowing the rollercoaster of emotions I was going to experience. I felt like I was experiencing the love between Lauren and Joshua firsthand. These two people with disabilities were just pouring into each other so deeply It’s very rare to find two people who seem so perfect for each other, and I know this is a book, but it was so heartwarming to witness the same. 

Joshua is the real definition of “if he wanted to he would“. He was such a loving husband and when Lauren died from her IPF, my heart broke in pieces for him. Witnessing what heartbreak and grief is like for someone on the autism spectrum was really insightful because I got to see how intensely Josh felt his emotions and how much more effort it took for him to slowly move on as the months went by. 

I found it so interesting how the plot played out because I personally don’t even know what I would do if someone I love wrote me letters to help me cope with their passing. I could however relate to the different stages of grief that each member of Lauren’s family went through in no order and some stages even more than once.

Despite it being sad, there were still a lot of moments of joy and even humour, especially with Josh’s bluntness. Each character was lovable in their own way (except Lauren’s mom, she was annoying). I felt all the emotions that I felt when I read “The Stars and the Blackness Between Them” for the first time. 
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firedew's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

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chi_reads3's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense 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

4.5

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jessicaharleee's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.5

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readerworm's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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

5.0

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bwill214's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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faithnightingale's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

This is my first read of 2024 and it absolutely had me sobbing. I ugly cried, smiled, laughed, and became inspired throughout the whole thing. Pack Up the Moon takes you on a whole entire grief journey. For anyone who has experienced loss, this story is so relatable. The emotions that come up while working through grief were well represented and described so so accurately. This was a beautiful and heartbreaking story about loss: what it takes from you and what it gives you. I definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more from Kristan Higgins in the future. 
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katiejohns's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

3.0

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tatyanagraham95_'s review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful 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? N/A

5.0

This book is just WOW. It took me a while to get into, but the story is so heartbreaking. The story of two loves that marriage has been ripped away by a terminal illness. The book walks alongside Joshua as he processes his wife’s ultimate death within the first year without her. It tugs on the heart strings. Josh and Lauren’s love was just pure and what I think genuine love looks like. 
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laurennom's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

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