Reviews with content warning for Death - The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲,” 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱, “𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗛𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲”

When I read the blurb of this book I thought it was right up my street. New friendships involving an old woman and a young girl, both sick, one terminal, who meet in the hospital and become best friends

Together they are 100 years old (Lenni 17 and Margot 83) and decide to paint their life story in pictures, one for every year.

This story is 80% Margot telling stories from her past which were quite emotional but had nothing to do with Lenni or their friendship.

This story disappointed me a lot. We didn’t get to know Lenni much so I couldn’t seem to connect with her character. The relationship between the two women was seriously lacking in depth so it failed to stir any emotions for me.

A friendship is two people getting to know each other and working together to build a special connection. We didn’t see this here. Anytime Lenni and Margot were together Margot dived into telling the stories from her past.

The ending was quite sad and this saved the story for me. This could have been such a wonderful story if Lenni and Margot’s relationship had been developed and nurtured. I wanted to fall in love with these characters but it just didn’t happen.

Content Warnings

elysahenegar's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring reflective sad 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? No

4.0

This is an endearing story of friendship, story, art, love, and remembering. It's gently told, much of it in flash back. I loved the characters and their unusual found family. Touching, with a melancholy undertone.

Content Warnings

sandysmith's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

What a ride such an amazing book, that has you riding waves of emotion, sad yes, but it is so much more than this, funny, thought-provoking, joyful, It's a full range of emotions. Lenni is 17 and has a life limiting condition, meets 83 year old Margot in hospital. They bond over art therapy and agree to paint their lives in one hundred years of their memories. The relationships are beautifully written and created, written from two viewpoints, whilst obviously most of flash backs belong to Margot, Lenni, and her views on life grabs you. Her relationships with others are also wonderfully written, and I could help but fall in love with both Lenni and Margot but the other characters, too, especially Father Arthur, the new nurse, and the tattooed porter and a few chickens. "Do you know, she said slowly, that the stars we see closest are already dead? Well that's depressing, I took my hand from hers. No, she said gently linking her arm through mine. It's not depressing, it's beautiful. They've been gone for who knows how long, but we can still see them. They live on.they live on". There is loads to consider and reflect on. My favourite type of book is one that makes you think and this book will stay with me for some time. Its brilliant just brilliant.

Content Warnings

marigold82's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

The beginning of this book is slow. I started and put this book down dozens of times. Do yourself a favor and keep reading!! It is a beautiful story.

Content Warnings

caitcosentino's review

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emotional 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? No

4.5

Loved it
Adore the relationships between Lenni & Margot, Lenni & Father Arthur, Margot and Humphrey, and Lenni & New Nurse
Excellent ending
Unbelievably moved by Humphrey and Margot's ending
What's so great about Meena, though?

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