Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Switch

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

perksofharriet's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.25

A heartwarming story centred around grandmother Eileen and granddaughter Leena who decide to switch lives for two months.
Eileen moves in to Leena’s London flat with her quirky roommates in search of an adventure and new love after her husband leaves her. Leena heads to her grandmas housein a tiny Yorkshire village during some time off from work to find herself again after losing her younger sister, becoming estranged from her mother in the process and her job in London getting on top of her.
What I loved most about this book is how the characters felt like real people to me, you become so connected and invested in their lives and stories. It also does an excellent job of portraying real human emotions as it touches on topics such as grief, heartache, family struggles, love, light and laughter.
Reading this book was like drinking a nice warm cup of tea or receiving a hug, a comfort that leaves you feeling content. I loved the character progression and I loved the connections the two main characters make with the people they meet in their switched lives. Overall a lovely read!

Content Warnings

aseel_reads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

A very lovely read by this author, as always. Fleshed out dual perspective and I loved the family aspect for this one.

Content Warnings

my_weird_bookish_heart's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? No

4.0

Content Warnings

velsbooknook's review

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emotional funny lighthearted

4.5

This book feels like a cozy blanket. I found this copy in a LFL and of course I had to get it home with me!
It tells the story of 79 year-old Eileen who is newly single and is just sick of her boring life in the Yorkshire country side. There also is her granddaughter Leena who is a workaholic and who really needs to slow down and escape her busy life in London for two months. Both decide to swap places for this time and try a new and different lifestyle.
This book was so funny and wholesome! I loved Eileen and her new found life, friends and romantic adventures in London. She definitely was the center of the story for me. Leena also had some very sweet and rememberable moments but her grandma was the real star. The book also dealt with grief, cancer and death which took the lighthearted and funny story to some darker places which disrupted my reading flow a bit.
I did not always understand Leena in her thoughts and actions and I would have been fine with only reading Eileen's POV.
It was exactly what I needed and I will definitely pick up another book by the author soon!

Content Warnings

eesti23's review

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emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

3.5

“You were healing. You’re still healing. You’ll maybe always be healing. And that’s OK. It’ll just be part of what makes you you.”

“We don’t have any good words for talking about death – they’re all too small.”

“Is it really an adventure if you don't make at least one ill-advised decision?”

I thought The Switch was going to be a bit cliche with an over-focus on humour, but it ended up being a deeper story than that. There were plenty of laughs, development of relationships (both for the positive and the negative), and just enough romance. Sometimes life gets in the way of life. Through grief into the mix and it gets even more complicated. Luckily both Leena and Eileen managed to navigate it all and head off on their next adventure.

Content Warnings