Reviews with content warning for Death - Sunset

A searing novel on grief and life after the death of your soulmate. Really beautiful. I struggled to read it quickly as it’s so evocative and Jessie Cave writes with a matter-of-factness which makes you feel like you’re right there with Ruth. The pain of grief is present throughout and I have a lot of respect for the fact this book came from the author’s experience grieving her own brother’s sudden death. It’s a brave piece of work.

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anjani's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny 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

Absolutely stunning.
This book is about grief, and while I was reading I could tell that the author has personally gone through this because it felt natural, visceral, and palpable. And the Acknowledgments proved that right.
The writing seems candid and funny - it had me chuckling often. And the fact that the overall theme is grief and loss, that’s an achievement. It reads like your best friend is talking to you - raw, open, and intimate while using easy-to-read, simple language.
There are sentences so simple yet devastating interspersed into the descriptions of Ruth’s mundane, daily life, that it takes your breath away. And you realize that life goes on despite death. Even if you don’t want it to. Even if for you life stopped long back.
“….and realized the quality of the coffee beans doesn’t matter if somebody you love dies suddenly”
“Is that what real love is? Never running out of things to talk about? I won't ever have that.”

I will read anything Jessie Cave writes next.

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bps's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.0

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miagriffiths26's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

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soph183's review against another edition

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This really was not what I was expecting- from the blurb I was hoping for an easy read about some sisters on their holiday, but instead it turned pretty quickly into one characters devastating recovery from loss.
I hope I can come back to this book one day as I feel like it describes grief in such a raw, realistic way.

The 87 pages I did read ripped me open, kept me up at night and broke my heart all over again.

A delicate read for anyone with a close sibling relationship and an irrational fear of death (nice and specific).

Also majorly in need of some trigger warnings for graphic injury detail.

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giugiufio's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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fynn_jls's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful sad

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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