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mmc6661's review against another edition
4.0
A quick light read for a hard heavy subject. Daisy is a woman whose cancer has returned with a vengeance so she decides to find a replacement wife for her husband before she dies. This is a heartwarming, entertaining, sometimes sad, sometimes funny story that deals with marriage, love and death. You will feel like daisy is your friend by the end of the book. I will be on the lookout for future books by Oakley. Fast paced and easy to read.
asurges's review against another edition
4.0
Not an easy book to categorize. It's kind of schmaltzy (27-year-old woman with terminal cancer decides to find her husband a new wife), and I kind of hated the plot even while recognizing the author needed something to propel her story.
However, what makes this book better than many in this genre (the dying-wife genre?) is the engaging voice and well-drawn characters who, even when being unlikable, are likable all the same. I'd really like to keep following this author and see what she ends up doing in the future because she has a talent for writing real-world characters.
However, what makes this book better than many in this genre (the dying-wife genre?) is the engaging voice and well-drawn characters who, even when being unlikable, are likable all the same. I'd really like to keep following this author and see what she ends up doing in the future because she has a talent for writing real-world characters.
lifeand100books's review against another edition
5.0
This review first appeared on Reflections of a Book Addict: http://wp.me/p18lIL-2Be
A few years ago I read a novel entitled The Replacement Wife. It had a similar premise to this one: a woman with cancer searches for a replacement spouse for her husband. This entire idea intrigues me because I feel like if I were to become terminally ill, my first thought would be for my spouse and his future well-being and happiness. The Replacement Wife turned out to be one of the worst books I've ever read, and generally made me nervous to read any novel with a similar plot line in the future. For some reason when I heard about Before I Go by Colleen Oakley something niggled in my brain to give it a chance and I'm so glad that I did. It's one of the best books I've read this year to date.
Plot from Goodreads:
When starting out reading a book like this, you have to prepare yourself for the tumultuous ride of emotions you'll be taken on. Before I Go was one of the most heart-achingly beautiful journeys I've ever had the pleasure (and privilege) of reading. In a way the book isn't about a specific plot, but more about the emotional journeys that the characters take with themselves as well as each other.
Front and center is Daisy. Cancersurvivor patient. Wife. Best friend. Worrier. Keeper of socks. She puts forth great effort in making sure her charming husband eats, has clean clothes, and exists socially outside of work. She worries that when her cancer wins he'll be devastated and defeated. Her single most important job and function becomes finding him a new partner. Little does she realize that undertaking this quest will shake and test the very foundations of her marriage (and also her friendship with BFF Kayleigh). Daisy's attempts to be stoic, strong, and self-sufficient backfire. Her inability to let Jack see how weak the cancer is making her and how much his comfort would give her strength pushes him away from her. He ultimately stops pushing her, which in turn begins to make her anxious and doubtful that finding him a new wife would solve everything. This back-and-forth emotional tug of war will have you crying, laughing, and learning from beginning to end. And while Daisy eventually figures out that it's ok to grieve for yourself, it's not ok to let that grief make the grief of your loved ones any less important.
Through Daisy, Oakley teaches us extremely valuable lessons. Live your life to the fullest. Spend time with the people you love. Do things that make you happy. Life offers us no guarantees. We never know which day will be our last, so live up to the potential every day offers. Oakley's masterful and emotional storytelling will have you recommending this book to everyone and adding her to your favorite author lists in quick succession.
A few years ago I read a novel entitled The Replacement Wife. It had a similar premise to this one: a woman with cancer searches for a replacement spouse for her husband. This entire idea intrigues me because I feel like if I were to become terminally ill, my first thought would be for my spouse and his future well-being and happiness. The Replacement Wife turned out to be one of the worst books I've ever read, and generally made me nervous to read any novel with a similar plot line in the future. For some reason when I heard about Before I Go by Colleen Oakley something niggled in my brain to give it a chance and I'm so glad that I did. It's one of the best books I've read this year to date.
Plot from Goodreads:
A heart-wrenching debut novel in the bestselling tradition of P.S. I Love You about a young woman with breast cancer who undertakes a mission to find a new wife for her husband before she passes away.
Twenty-seven-year-old Daisy already beat breast cancer three years ago. How can this be happening to her again?
On the eve of what was supposed to be a triumphant “Cancerversary” with her husband Jsack to celebrate three years of being cancer-free, Daisy suffers a devastating blow: her doctor tells her that the cancer is back, but this time it’s an aggressive stage four diagnosis. She may have as few as four months left to live. Death is a frightening prospect—but not because she’s afraid for herself. She’s terrified of what will happen to her brilliant but otherwise charmingly helpless husband when she’s no longer there to take care of him. It’s this fear that keeps her up at night, until she stumbles on the solution: she has to find him another wife.
With a singular determination, Daisy scouts local parks and coffee shops and online dating sites looking for Jack’s perfect match. But the further she gets on her quest, the more she questions the sanity of her plan. As the thought of her husband with another woman becomes all too real, Daisy’s forced to decide what’s more important in the short amount of time she has left: her husband’s happiness—or her own?
When starting out reading a book like this, you have to prepare yourself for the tumultuous ride of emotions you'll be taken on. Before I Go was one of the most heart-achingly beautiful journeys I've ever had the pleasure (and privilege) of reading. In a way the book isn't about a specific plot, but more about the emotional journeys that the characters take with themselves as well as each other.
Front and center is Daisy. Cancer
Through Daisy, Oakley teaches us extremely valuable lessons. Live your life to the fullest. Spend time with the people you love. Do things that make you happy. Life offers us no guarantees. We never know which day will be our last, so live up to the potential every day offers. Oakley's masterful and emotional storytelling will have you recommending this book to everyone and adding her to your favorite author lists in quick succession.
kdurham2's review against another edition
5.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
As told above in the synopsis, Daisy has been living cancer free for a few years and isn't prepared for the news that the doctor will give that gives her a time limit on her life. After taking the news in she realizes that her dying would leave her husband alone and she believes that he will be in desperate need of a new companion - so she is on a mission.
The premise of the story got me and I was intrigued as to how a woman could face death while trying to find her spouse happiness after she is gone. Although I found the story to drag a little and Daisy's complaints were getting repetitive, I still read the book quickly and wanted desperately to find out how it would end.
As told above in the synopsis, Daisy has been living cancer free for a few years and isn't prepared for the news that the doctor will give that gives her a time limit on her life. After taking the news in she realizes that her dying would leave her husband alone and she believes that he will be in desperate need of a new companion - so she is on a mission.
The premise of the story got me and I was intrigued as to how a woman could face death while trying to find her spouse happiness after she is gone. Although I found the story to drag a little and Daisy's complaints were getting repetitive, I still read the book quickly and wanted desperately to find out how it would end.
guylou's review against another edition
4.0
This is such a beautiful sad book... I cried and cried! I still recommend it as it is a beautiful story about a young woman facing death and trying to help her husband move on after she passes away. There are twists which make this story beautiful. Make sure you have some tissues near by though!
amongthewildflowers89's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to the audiobook. When it first started, I LOVED it. The narrator who played Daisy was the same one from Eleanor and Park and hearing her voice sounds like an old friend. The plot is unique; not one I had heard of before. And the characterization of Jack made me fall in love with his quirks and sloppiness, just as Daisy had.
Towards the middle of the book, Daisy's attitude becomes almost unbearable and I felt myself listening to it just to get it over with. I understand she is dying, but the cynicism and the fact that she pushes everyone away and is just plain rude to everyone was a lot for me to handle.
Towards the end she redeems herself and it ends the way you would expect, but it still brought me to tears.
Overall a solid read.
Towards the middle of the book, Daisy's attitude becomes almost unbearable and I felt myself listening to it just to get it over with. I understand she is dying, but the cynicism and the fact that she pushes everyone away and is just plain rude to everyone was a lot for me to handle.
Towards the end she redeems herself and it ends the way you would expect, but it still brought me to tears.
Overall a solid read.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
4.0
I got tissues sent along with my review copy, and those were needed. So that is a warning, tissues will be needed. I could not put this book down, I read it for hours until I was done.
This book was emotional, heartbreaking and I knew all along that I would end up crying. It's not a book about some woman doing all the things she wants to do. It's a book about love, life, and death. It's not a question of is she gonna make it? No, it's about when will she die...
Daisy finds out that the cancer is back, and not just back. Everywhere. She has months left. She goes through stages of depression, anger grief. She tries to be normal for a while. And then she tries to find Jack another wife for a while too. Great, now that lump is back in my throat *wipes a tear*
The book was both light and sad. The true sadness kind of just hits you at the end. It was a beautiful book. And I understood her, I mean what would you do if you were dying? One always thinks I will do this and that. But the reality is another thing. And it broke me seeing her push him away, telling him to live as he always does. They loved each other so much, but the big D was constantly there.
Ok now you think "but it will be so sad". Yes, it was sad. It was a beautiful emotional journey. Well written, heartbreaking, and just one I had to accept. I am not going to gloss it over, you know what sad means.
A great book, oh those great books that make you cry. They stay with you. I want to read more by this other, and I recommend it.
This book was emotional, heartbreaking and I knew all along that I would end up crying. It's not a book about some woman doing all the things she wants to do. It's a book about love, life, and death. It's not a question of is she gonna make it? No, it's about when will she die...
Daisy finds out that the cancer is back, and not just back. Everywhere. She has months left. She goes through stages of depression, anger grief. She tries to be normal for a while. And then she tries to find Jack another wife for a while too. Great, now that lump is back in my throat *wipes a tear*
The book was both light and sad. The true sadness kind of just hits you at the end. It was a beautiful book. And I understood her, I mean what would you do if you were dying? One always thinks I will do this and that. But the reality is another thing. And it broke me seeing her push him away, telling him to live as he always does. They loved each other so much, but the big D was constantly there.
Ok now you think "but it will be so sad". Yes, it was sad. It was a beautiful emotional journey. Well written, heartbreaking, and just one I had to accept. I am not going to gloss it over, you know what sad means.
A great book, oh those great books that make you cry. They stay with you. I want to read more by this other, and I recommend it.
lw_304's review against another edition
3.0
Probably a 3.5. A bit too "fluffy" considering the weighty subject matter. I had a hard time empathizing with the main character.