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alli_andrews's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Car accident, Mental illness, Biphobia, Drug use, Grief, Sexual content, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Cursing, and Homophobia
anastasia_raf's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
"There are so many different types of love, so many ways someone can stay committed to you, stay in your life even if y'all aren't together, you know? And none of these ways are more important than the other."
This was...wow.
"...This was hers, her monsters to fight and slay and skin, dry it in the sun, hang it on her walk as a reminder that she was more than what the voices in her head tried to tell her."
This book made me hungry. In a lot of ways... It's a book about love, loss, grief, messiness and life. It's the journey of being lost, staying lost and accepting the difficulty of being found out while abandoning grief's food that sustained you while hiding away from continuation, from what the world expects of you as someone who still breathes. As someone who survived.
It's a book about making art out of the ugly, getting strong while learning to be weak, starting to heal when accepting your broken parts, and honestly just seizing and treasuring a second chance. Risking and loving against the odds. Believing that there is indeed life after death, after loss, after heartbreak. There is joy after sadness, laughter after tears. And in the end? That the book you've written with someone can always have a sequel even without them. Stories live beyond someone's death. They are memories, regrets, hopes, dreams, nightmares. They are a commemoration to those now lost who had partaken to its writing and a testimonial to those who kept their pens up, the pages filled and their words open to co-writers.
"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies within us while we still live." -Norman cousins
I think it does an amazing job of describing nuanced characters. It's not your common black and white shit you know? This bad, that good, the villain, the hero. It really captures the complexity of being...Well, human!
It's an exceptional book, with exceptional characters. This novel is yet the best book I've read dealing with grief. And the writing is ENVIABLE. I loved the writing so very much. Also the bond between Joy and Feyi??? Cannot even begin to describe it. I am definitely going to pick up more books by this author.
"She wanted to be consumed by the relentless volume of a place so much louder than she was, a place where her past and her pain could drown in the noise."
".....No one in new York cared about the vintage of the sadness tucked behind her eyes and in the small corners of her smiles."
"...she didn't even know if she was talking to the man in front of her of the one who'd left her too early."
This was...wow.
"...This was hers, her monsters to fight and slay and skin, dry it in the sun, hang it on her walk as a reminder that she was more than what the voices in her head tried to tell her."
This book made me hungry. In a lot of ways... It's a book about love, loss, grief, messiness and life. It's the journey of being lost, staying lost and accepting the difficulty of being found out while abandoning grief's food that sustained you while hiding away from continuation, from what the world expects of you as someone who still breathes. As someone who survived.
It's a book about making art out of the ugly, getting strong while learning to be weak, starting to heal when accepting your broken parts, and honestly just seizing and treasuring a second chance. Risking and loving against the odds. Believing that there is indeed life after death, after loss, after heartbreak. There is joy after sadness, laughter after tears. And in the end? That the book you've written with someone can always have a sequel even without them. Stories live beyond someone's death. They are memories, regrets, hopes, dreams, nightmares. They are a commemoration to those now lost who had partaken to its writing and a testimonial to those who kept their pens up, the pages filled and their words open to co-writers.
"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies within us while we still live." -Norman cousins
I think it does an amazing job of describing nuanced characters. It's not your common black and white shit you know? This bad, that good, the villain, the hero. It really captures the complexity of being...Well, human!
It's an exceptional book, with exceptional characters. This novel is yet the best book I've read dealing with grief. And the writing is ENVIABLE. I loved the writing so very much. Also the bond between Joy and Feyi??? Cannot even begin to describe it. I am definitely going to pick up more books by this author.
"She wanted to be consumed by the relentless volume of a place so much louder than she was, a place where her past and her pain could drown in the noise."
".....No one in new York cared about the vintage of the sadness tucked behind her eyes and in the small corners of her smiles."
"...she didn't even know if she was talking to the man in front of her of the one who'd left her too early."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Car accident, and Death
Minor: Ableism, Violence, and Death of parent
escapismforlife's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
This book is unapologetic in every aspect of it's main character Feyi's choices. The story at times feels reckless and is meant to be on purpose. At least that's how I read it. This is a grieving 29 year olds story. She is in a sad transition because she doesn't feel good about commitment. Not after such a loving and consistent presence with her dead husband five years before.
Everything comes down to either pushing away in the name of friendship or folding to desire. I think its beautiful how the loss of something makes it easier to step back. To not feel pressure to commit in a romantic relationship. And this is the aspect of this story that I related to in certain ways.
Everything comes down to either pushing away in the name of friendship or folding to desire. I think its beautiful how the loss of something makes it easier to step back. To not feel pressure to commit in a romantic relationship. And this is the aspect of this story that I related to in certain ways.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Death, Incest, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Ableism, Animal death, Biphobia, and Car accident
skudiklier's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.75
Okay, wow. I didn't read the synopsis for this book beyond the very first lines, because I knew the author was good and I didn't want anything spoiled. Maybe if I'd read that I would have been more prepared for where the story went, but wow it was wild experiencing that with no idea it was going in that direction.
I really enjoyed this book, and I feel like it balanced the feelings of grief and new love so well. I was a bit worried in the beginning I wouldn't be able to handle all of the stuff about her ex-husband's death, but I got through it okay. I think this book is beautiful and messy and I really want to believe in it, honestly. It made me feel so many things.
I'm not sure I'd recommend this to everyone; I feel like I'd want to give a caveat or two if I did. But who knows, maybe I'll think about it. The writing was beautiful of course and there was nothing wrong with it that isn't the case for almost any romance.
Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.
I really enjoyed this book, and I feel like it balanced the feelings of grief and new love so well. I was a bit worried in the beginning I wouldn't be able to handle all of the stuff about her ex-husband's death, but I got through it okay. I think this book is beautiful and messy and I really want to believe in it, honestly. It made me feel so many things.
I'm not sure I'd recommend this to everyone; I feel like I'd want to give a caveat or two if I did. But who knows, maybe I'll think about it. The writing was beautiful of course and there was nothing wrong with it that isn't the case for almost any romance.
Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Car accident, Biphobia, Sexual content, Infidelity, and Cursing
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Violence, Alcohol, and Blood
Minor: Domestic abuse, Incest, Alcoholism, and Ableism
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