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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
I am a dedicated reader of anything Catherine Ryan Hyde. All the way back to her classic “Pay It Forward”, I have gone to one of her books to recreate some faith in humankind when it seems farthest away. This latest one does not disappoint.
Lewis Madigan is young, gay, just dumped by his long term lover who empties a joint bank account, fired in a downsize and short income of two roommates. In order to make his rent and living expenses, he desperately needs a new job. His next door neighbor, Chester Wheeler, is in his seventies, dying of cancer in a couple of months, wheelchair bound and about the most homophobic, racist, petty, base, malicious individual who ever lived. Chester has alienated all of the caregivers in all the agencies in town so no one will even consider taking the job of looking after him. Chester’s daughter, Ellie, offers Lewis an extremely generous salary to take on the job temporarily while she goes to be with her pregnant daughter.
As a last escort, Lewis takes the job. After the expected screaming, hollering, temper tantrums, Chester comes to reluctantly accept Lewis’ presence since he is in charge of food, beverages, personal care and most important pain pills. When Chester makes a dying wish to go to Arizona to make peace with his ex-wife, Lewis wonders if he can deny the men his last request. Reluctantly Lewis agrees to a week long 2000 mile road trip in Chester’s 12 year old Winnebago. I will leave them setting out on this odyssey so as not to reveal any more spoilers.
So Long, Chester Wheeler is a novel that manages to reassure us of a basic decency in human beings and an innate need to form bonds with another soul even if that person is the last one on earth we expect, then find out that their need is much greater than ours. As I mentioned, I have long been a follower of Ryan Hyde. I have read or listened to interviews or profiles of her for years. One I have remembered for a very longtime is about an event she reports from the days when she was a very young woman trying to make it on her own. She found herself in a very questionable area of town—car stalled, engine smoking then aflame, with an audience of disinterested bystanders. A couple of Hispanic men came racing out of a nearby building carrying blankets that they used to extinguish the fire then disappeared again expecting no thanks or payback. This random act of kindness was just one example of how the “Pay It Forward” concept began. Although “Pay It Forward” is a fictional story, Ryan Hyde reminds us that it’s always possible to do something for someone else.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde hails from Buffalo, New York, the setting of her latest book, So Long, Chester Wheeler. She describes her family as “full of well-meaning individuals,” as well as “heartache and chaos.” She says hers was an “unhappy childhood. Everybody seemed quite busy with the problems at hand (I was the third of three), so I became the disappearing child. I amused myself by making up stories in my head, and tried not to need anything from the people around me.” Which, of course, did not work out very well.
Hyde published her first book when she was in her mid-thirties. She held many jobs over the years, but at that juncture was working as a baker and pastry chef in a restaurant situated in a tourist town. The business closed in January, and she knew that the cliché about writing a novel when she had the time “was either true in that moment or it never would be.” Her goal was to simply make enough money to keep writing. She has never looked back. So Long, Chester Wheeler is her forty-third published book.
In her writing, Hyde often explores what she refers to as “found families.” She explains, “When I was thirty-three, I got involved in twelve-step recovery, and now that’s my found family. I think the reason I like to write about redemption is because of my background as a practicing addict and alcoholic. In a society of throw-away people, I would have been thrown away.” Leading a clean and sober life in the ensuring years has inspired her to “tirelessly defend the idea that no one is beyond redemption.”
And redemption is yet another theme that she examines frequently in her novels, including So Long, Chester Wheeler. The story opens with Lewis having the worst day of his life. A twenty-four-year-old software developer in Buffalo, Lewis has been promised a significant raise that will take his income into the six-figure range. And when he opens the envelope containing his first paycheck reflecting his new salary, he is initially pleased. Then he notices something pink inside the envelope. It is the proverbial "pink slip." Economic conditions have forced the company to lay off Lewis, as well as several of his colleagues. And those economic conditions make it a very bad time to re-enter the job market.
Making matters worse, when Lewis gets home, he finds his live-in boyfriend, Tim, loading boxes into his car. Tim has decided to move to California alone, instead of with Lewis, as they had planned. Lewis is flabbergasted -- he had no idea Tim was unhappy in their relationship. He soon also learns that Tim emptied the jointly titled bank account in which they were pooling their savings to make the move.
Chester Wheeler, Lewis’s next-door neighbor, watches the break-up play out from his front porch. And can’t resist commenting. Chester is about 70 years old and in poor health, although Lewis does not yet know the extent of Chester’s medical issues. His home health aid announces it is her last day on the job. “The agency has no one left to send. He drove every last one of us away. . . . They can’t pay me enough to make it worth it. I’d rather starve.”
Chester’s daughter, Ellie, arrives when another health-care worker cannot be enlisted. She learns that Lewis has just become unemployed and tries to convince him to take the job. She assures Lewis that experience is not necessary. “At this point any sentient human being will do,” she sighs. Although Lewis’s proximity is a distinct advantage, he is adamant that “life is too short for Chester Wheeler.” But Ellie needs to get back home to be present for the birth of her first grandchild. And her two brothers refuse to help in any way. By generously offering Lewis nearly the same amount of money he was making as a software developer, she convinces him to fill in for just a week. He reluctantly agrees so that he will be able to pay his rent while he continues looking for suitable employment. And because agreeing makes him feel that he has Ellie very happy, even if he has made himself quite miserable in the bargain.
So Chester and Lewis begin settling into a tenuous, never-wanted partnership. Lewis learns that Chester is suffering from cancer that began in his lungs but has metastasized. Chester has refused further treatment and will be lucky to live another three months. He is largely immobile and dependent upon Lewis to assist him with his needs, including toileting, which causes them both consternation and embarrassment. The situation is only made worse when Chester flings crude and hurtful homophobic remarks at Lewis, who quickly realizes that he must set boundaries in order to survive a week of caring for Chester.
Ellie has an intercom installed that functions like a baby monitor. At night, both men can sleep in their own home, but Lewis can hear if Chester needs assistance and respond. As he adjusts to the new arrangement, Lewis is shocked to hear Chester talking in his sleep. But he doesn’t sound like Chester. Rather, his voice exudes kindness and concern, as though he is talking with his wife about their child. At one point, he hears Chester say, “I found the letters he wrote you,” which stirs Lewis's curiosity.
One morning Chester announces that he wants Lewis to do him a favor. He wants him to drive him somewhere. Arizona, to be exact. He owns an old Winnebago into which he had a new engine installed just before being diagnosed with cancer. Lewis initially dismisses the idea, but Chester knows exactly which buttons to push with Lewis, announcing, “It sucks that I don’t even get a last wish.” It seems he wants to surprise his ex-wife, Sue, and have a final conversation with her. One they should have had thirty-two years earlier. When Ellie agrees to cover the cost of the trip, Lewis relents because he fears that when Chester is gone, he will feel guilty for having denied a dying man his last wish.
As Lewis and Chester embark on their journey to Arizona, they must find inventive ways to tolerate each other and co-exist in the motor home. Lewis has to devise safe ways to transport Lewis in and out of the Winnebago, and take care of his hygiene requirements. All without losing his own sanity. Not to mention the matter of how they will approach Sue once they arrive, unannounced, at her home.
The tale is related through Lewis’s first-person narrative and entirely from his perspective. It is at times hilarious, and often heartbreakingly thought-provoking, as Lewis relates cringe-worthy but realistic details of how he figures out the best ways to provide Chester the care he needs while compassionately protecting the older man’s remaining dignity. He candidly admits there are moments when he finds it “disturbing to be so completely in tune with the likes of Chester Wheeler.”
Hyde is a master at creating believable, credible dialogue and the story is given life and meaning through the men’s conversations, as well as the things they do not say to each other. She employs her deceptively straight-forward storytelling style to relate the deep emotional issues with which Lewis grapples and, through his observations and perceptions of Chester, pulls readers along into his consideration of the older man’s internal life and the disappointments, disillusionments, and pain that have resulted in his current predicament. He is facing certain death but, over the years, has somehow managed to push away the very people who should be surrounding him and easing his transition. Tragically, those people aren’t just absent. They don’t care about Chester or his impending demise.
With Chester unabashedly mean-spirited and surly, Lewis finds his own strength and voice as he works to balance his self-respect and dedication to the job he has promised to perform against his need to be treated respectfully by Chester. He concludes that he cannot be a monster who hates an embittered old man who is dying, but must confront Chester's cruelty, harsh criticisms, and homophobia. Chester insists that he and Lewis are very much the same – hateful – which strikes a nerve with Lewis. “Even if we do both hate, you hate me for what I am. I hate you for the things you say and do. Huge difference.” Hyde challenges readers to ponder if that is true as they come to know both Lewis and Chester better, and understand their fears and motivations.
As in many of her other novels, Hyde explores both the fragility and strength of familial bonds, as well as the importance of communication. She illustrates how unexpected revelations disrupt long-held assumptions and create emotional disequilibrium. And there’s that matter of redemption, and whether Chester will find it. Hyde keeps the character-drive story interesting with Lewis’s discovery of shocking details about Chester’s relationships not just with his children and ex-wife, but also his beloved friend, Mike, with whom he served in Vietnam. Chester has also been estranged for more than thirty years from the man that everybody loved. Will bringing closure to their fractured friendship also help Chester find peace? Hyde’s restrained approach to that aspect of the saga, particularly with respect to the choices Lewis makes, enhance its poignancy and emotional resonance, again revealing her to be one of America’s most gifted contemporary storytellers.
So Long, Chester Wheeler is about two men who journey together toward different destinations. Chester’s final days are spent with Lewis in pursuit of resolution of old hurts and resentments that will lead, hopefully, to a peaceful death for him and lessen the regrets and, perhaps, guilt felt by those he leaves behind.
But Lewis is on the brink of new beginnings and wondering why he is so committed to helping Chester find closure when he barely understands his own past or why his relationship with Tim failed. As he heads home, he recognizes that he is not “exactly the same person I’d been when I first drove that land boat out of Buffalo.” Spending time in the presence of Chester Wheeler turns out to be a profoundly life-changing experience for him, and reading about what he learns is a moving experience for readers.
Once again, Hyde delivers a slyly insightful and wise meditation on finding human connection in the most unexpected places and ways, and how we carry the spirits of those we encounter with us, in various ways and degrees, for the rest of our lives.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
Hyde published her first book when she was in her mid-thirties. She held many jobs over the years, but at that juncture was working as a baker and pastry chef in a restaurant situated in a tourist town. The business closed in January, and she knew that the cliché about writing a novel when she had the time “was either true in that moment or it never would be.” Her goal was to simply make enough money to keep writing. She has never looked back. So Long, Chester Wheeler is her forty-third published book.
In her writing, Hyde often explores what she refers to as “found families.” She explains, “When I was thirty-three, I got involved in twelve-step recovery, and now that’s my found family. I think the reason I like to write about redemption is because of my background as a practicing addict and alcoholic. In a society of throw-away people, I would have been thrown away.” Leading a clean and sober life in the ensuring years has inspired her to “tirelessly defend the idea that no one is beyond redemption.”
And redemption is yet another theme that she examines frequently in her novels, including So Long, Chester Wheeler. The story opens with Lewis having the worst day of his life. A twenty-four-year-old software developer in Buffalo, Lewis has been promised a significant raise that will take his income into the six-figure range. And when he opens the envelope containing his first paycheck reflecting his new salary, he is initially pleased. Then he notices something pink inside the envelope. It is the proverbial "pink slip." Economic conditions have forced the company to lay off Lewis, as well as several of his colleagues. And those economic conditions make it a very bad time to re-enter the job market.
Making matters worse, when Lewis gets home, he finds his live-in boyfriend, Tim, loading boxes into his car. Tim has decided to move to California alone, instead of with Lewis, as they had planned. Lewis is flabbergasted -- he had no idea Tim was unhappy in their relationship. He soon also learns that Tim emptied the jointly titled bank account in which they were pooling their savings to make the move.
Chester Wheeler, Lewis’s next-door neighbor, watches the break-up play out from his front porch. And can’t resist commenting. Chester is about 70 years old and in poor health, although Lewis does not yet know the extent of Chester’s medical issues. His home health aid announces it is her last day on the job. “The agency has no one left to send. He drove every last one of us away. . . . They can’t pay me enough to make it worth it. I’d rather starve.”
Chester’s daughter, Ellie, arrives when another health-care worker cannot be enlisted. She learns that Lewis has just become unemployed and tries to convince him to take the job. She assures Lewis that experience is not necessary. “At this point any sentient human being will do,” she sighs. Although Lewis’s proximity is a distinct advantage, he is adamant that “life is too short for Chester Wheeler.” But Ellie needs to get back home to be present for the birth of her first grandchild. And her two brothers refuse to help in any way. By generously offering Lewis nearly the same amount of money he was making as a software developer, she convinces him to fill in for just a week. He reluctantly agrees so that he will be able to pay his rent while he continues looking for suitable employment. And because agreeing makes him feel that he has Ellie very happy, even if he has made himself quite miserable in the bargain.
So Chester and Lewis begin settling into a tenuous, never-wanted partnership. Lewis learns that Chester is suffering from cancer that began in his lungs but has metastasized. Chester has refused further treatment and will be lucky to live another three months. He is largely immobile and dependent upon Lewis to assist him with his needs, including toileting, which causes them both consternation and embarrassment. The situation is only made worse when Chester flings crude and hurtful homophobic remarks at Lewis, who quickly realizes that he must set boundaries in order to survive a week of caring for Chester.
Ellie has an intercom installed that functions like a baby monitor. At night, both men can sleep in their own home, but Lewis can hear if Chester needs assistance and respond. As he adjusts to the new arrangement, Lewis is shocked to hear Chester talking in his sleep. But he doesn’t sound like Chester. Rather, his voice exudes kindness and concern, as though he is talking with his wife about their child. At one point, he hears Chester say, “I found the letters he wrote you,” which stirs Lewis's curiosity.
One morning Chester announces that he wants Lewis to do him a favor. He wants him to drive him somewhere. Arizona, to be exact. He owns an old Winnebago into which he had a new engine installed just before being diagnosed with cancer. Lewis initially dismisses the idea, but Chester knows exactly which buttons to push with Lewis, announcing, “It sucks that I don’t even get a last wish.” It seems he wants to surprise his ex-wife, Sue, and have a final conversation with her. One they should have had thirty-two years earlier. When Ellie agrees to cover the cost of the trip, Lewis relents because he fears that when Chester is gone, he will feel guilty for having denied a dying man his last wish.
As Lewis and Chester embark on their journey to Arizona, they must find inventive ways to tolerate each other and co-exist in the motor home. Lewis has to devise safe ways to transport Lewis in and out of the Winnebago, and take care of his hygiene requirements. All without losing his own sanity. Not to mention the matter of how they will approach Sue once they arrive, unannounced, at her home.
The tale is related through Lewis’s first-person narrative and entirely from his perspective. It is at times hilarious, and often heartbreakingly thought-provoking, as Lewis relates cringe-worthy but realistic details of how he figures out the best ways to provide Chester the care he needs while compassionately protecting the older man’s remaining dignity. He candidly admits there are moments when he finds it “disturbing to be so completely in tune with the likes of Chester Wheeler.”
Hyde is a master at creating believable, credible dialogue and the story is given life and meaning through the men’s conversations, as well as the things they do not say to each other. She employs her deceptively straight-forward storytelling style to relate the deep emotional issues with which Lewis grapples and, through his observations and perceptions of Chester, pulls readers along into his consideration of the older man’s internal life and the disappointments, disillusionments, and pain that have resulted in his current predicament. He is facing certain death but, over the years, has somehow managed to push away the very people who should be surrounding him and easing his transition. Tragically, those people aren’t just absent. They don’t care about Chester or his impending demise.
With Chester unabashedly mean-spirited and surly, Lewis finds his own strength and voice as he works to balance his self-respect and dedication to the job he has promised to perform against his need to be treated respectfully by Chester. He concludes that he cannot be a monster who hates an embittered old man who is dying, but must confront Chester's cruelty, harsh criticisms, and homophobia. Chester insists that he and Lewis are very much the same – hateful – which strikes a nerve with Lewis. “Even if we do both hate, you hate me for what I am. I hate you for the things you say and do. Huge difference.” Hyde challenges readers to ponder if that is true as they come to know both Lewis and Chester better, and understand their fears and motivations.
As in many of her other novels, Hyde explores both the fragility and strength of familial bonds, as well as the importance of communication. She illustrates how unexpected revelations disrupt long-held assumptions and create emotional disequilibrium. And there’s that matter of redemption, and whether Chester will find it. Hyde keeps the character-drive story interesting with Lewis’s discovery of shocking details about Chester’s relationships not just with his children and ex-wife, but also his beloved friend, Mike, with whom he served in Vietnam. Chester has also been estranged for more than thirty years from the man that everybody loved. Will bringing closure to their fractured friendship also help Chester find peace? Hyde’s restrained approach to that aspect of the saga, particularly with respect to the choices Lewis makes, enhance its poignancy and emotional resonance, again revealing her to be one of America’s most gifted contemporary storytellers.
So Long, Chester Wheeler is about two men who journey together toward different destinations. Chester’s final days are spent with Lewis in pursuit of resolution of old hurts and resentments that will lead, hopefully, to a peaceful death for him and lessen the regrets and, perhaps, guilt felt by those he leaves behind.
But Lewis is on the brink of new beginnings and wondering why he is so committed to helping Chester find closure when he barely understands his own past or why his relationship with Tim failed. As he heads home, he recognizes that he is not “exactly the same person I’d been when I first drove that land boat out of Buffalo.” Spending time in the presence of Chester Wheeler turns out to be a profoundly life-changing experience for him, and reading about what he learns is a moving experience for readers.
Once again, Hyde delivers a slyly insightful and wise meditation on finding human connection in the most unexpected places and ways, and how we carry the spirits of those we encounter with us, in various ways and degrees, for the rest of our lives.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5⭐️
Lewis’ has taken a few hits recently, he’s lost his job and his boyfriend has left him, with all of their joint savings leaving him penniless and lonely. To add to that, his neighbour is a bit of a homophobic nightmare and is going through care assistants like candy, which leads his daughter to ask Lewis to help.
This book was amazing, I loved the storyline and the growth and development of Chester’s character. I loved Lewis’ journey too, his realisation of what a career is and how he can handle anything was a pleasure to read.
The reason why it’s not a full 5 stars for me is I felt that it could have ended when Lewis had made his choice. I didn’t care for the epilogue at all. I also thought there were some loose ends that weren’t tied up.
If you are looking for a heart warming, contemporary read, I would highly recommend.
**Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review**
Lewis’ has taken a few hits recently, he’s lost his job and his boyfriend has left him, with all of their joint savings leaving him penniless and lonely. To add to that, his neighbour is a bit of a homophobic nightmare and is going through care assistants like candy, which leads his daughter to ask Lewis to help.
This book was amazing, I loved the storyline and the growth and development of Chester’s character. I loved Lewis’ journey too, his realisation of what a career is and how he can handle anything was a pleasure to read.
The reason why it’s not a full 5 stars for me is I felt that it could have ended when Lewis had made his choice. I didn’t care for the epilogue at all. I also thought there were some loose ends that weren’t tied up.
If you are looking for a heart warming, contemporary read, I would highly recommend.
**Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review**
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
In a Nutshell: The book was decent. But I didn’t connect with it as much as I had wanted to. Contained no surprises. Mostly predictable. Repetitive ending/epilogue. Not the author’s best work, by far.
Story Synopsis:
Twenty-four-year-old Lewis lives next door to the ‘most irritating man in the world’, Chester Wheeler. Chester is a senior citizen battling terminal cancer, but this doesn’t make him likeable. However, when Lewis loses his job and the only offer available to him is to provide end-of-life care to Chester, Lewis has no choice but to accept it. Chester’s final wish is to drive to Arizona (they live in Buffalo) to meet his ex-wife after thirty-two years. Thus begins a road trip that will prove life-changing to both of them in myriad ways.
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Lewis.
Where the story worked for me:
✔ Very fast-paced despite a relaxed plot.
✔ Quite a few thought-provoking quotes.
✔ Some funny scenes, especially in the conversations between Lewis and Chester.
✔ The parts about a caregiver’s role in a dying patient’s life were beautifully written.
✔ Covers nice themes such as forgiveness, relationships, heartbreaks, and emotional connections.
✔ As a coming-of-age story, the book works pretty well. Though Chester is almost seventy, the coming-of-age aspect is applicable as much to him as to Lewis. I love how the author didn’t turn Chester goody-goody just for the sake of it. He remains a grump, though to a toned-down degree.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ Flat characters despite the potential. Lewis is a software programmer who doesn’t even try searching any job once he is roped in to take care of Chester. If he were so unhappy, he surely would have at least looked for options online, no matter how bad the economy. Similarly, Chester’s daughter Ellie complained to Lewis that she doesn’t have funds for a fulltime caregiver. But the way she spends during the rest of the story contradicts her original claim.
❌ For some reason, I just didn’t feel emotionally connected neither to the plot nor to the characters. Chester was anyway tough to like because of his brashness and extreme homophobia, but Lewis should have generated a greater empathy. His change in thinking was too easy to be believable. He was like a football who rolled wherever life kicked him – no will of his own.
❌ I know such books are clichéd but this one took the cake. Not a single surprise throughout the 300 pages.
❌ The epilogue is needlessly extended and gives off déjà vu vibes. You’ll know why if you read it.
❌ Chester is a homophobe, so there are some triggering sentences in his dialogues against Lewis, who is gay. The homophobic elements feel way over the top, though this could be attributed to Chester, who is vehement in his hatred.
❌ The writing is somewhat repetitive. A part of this could be because of the first person narration of Lewis, who seems overly fond of adverbs and redundancies.
Overall, it is a decent story about the coming-of-age of a gay man in his early twenties and a dying curmudgeonly homophobe in his late sixties. But there was nothing memorable in the book. I read it, I liked it enough, I will forget it soon.
I love this author but this isn’t her best work, at least for me. I know she is capable of delivering much better.
3.25 stars.
My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “So Long, Chester Wheeler”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Story Synopsis:
Twenty-four-year-old Lewis lives next door to the ‘most irritating man in the world’, Chester Wheeler. Chester is a senior citizen battling terminal cancer, but this doesn’t make him likeable. However, when Lewis loses his job and the only offer available to him is to provide end-of-life care to Chester, Lewis has no choice but to accept it. Chester’s final wish is to drive to Arizona (they live in Buffalo) to meet his ex-wife after thirty-two years. Thus begins a road trip that will prove life-changing to both of them in myriad ways.
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Lewis.
Where the story worked for me:
✔ Very fast-paced despite a relaxed plot.
✔ Quite a few thought-provoking quotes.
✔ Some funny scenes, especially in the conversations between Lewis and Chester.
✔ The parts about a caregiver’s role in a dying patient’s life were beautifully written.
✔ Covers nice themes such as forgiveness, relationships, heartbreaks, and emotional connections.
✔ As a coming-of-age story, the book works pretty well. Though Chester is almost seventy, the coming-of-age aspect is applicable as much to him as to Lewis. I love how the author didn’t turn Chester goody-goody just for the sake of it. He remains a grump, though to a toned-down degree.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ Flat characters despite the potential. Lewis is a software programmer who doesn’t even try searching any job once he is roped in to take care of Chester. If he were so unhappy, he surely would have at least looked for options online, no matter how bad the economy. Similarly, Chester’s daughter Ellie complained to Lewis that she doesn’t have funds for a fulltime caregiver. But the way she spends during the rest of the story contradicts her original claim.
❌ For some reason, I just didn’t feel emotionally connected neither to the plot nor to the characters. Chester was anyway tough to like because of his brashness and extreme homophobia, but Lewis should have generated a greater empathy. His change in thinking was too easy to be believable. He was like a football who rolled wherever life kicked him – no will of his own.
❌ I know such books are clichéd but this one took the cake. Not a single surprise throughout the 300 pages.
❌ The epilogue is needlessly extended and gives off déjà vu vibes. You’ll know why if you read it.
❌ Chester is a homophobe, so there are some triggering sentences in his dialogues against Lewis, who is gay. The homophobic elements feel way over the top, though this could be attributed to Chester, who is vehement in his hatred.
❌ The writing is somewhat repetitive. A part of this could be because of the first person narration of Lewis, who seems overly fond of adverbs and redundancies.
Overall, it is a decent story about the coming-of-age of a gay man in his early twenties and a dying curmudgeonly homophobe in his late sixties. But there was nothing memorable in the book. I read it, I liked it enough, I will forget it soon.
I love this author but this isn’t her best work, at least for me. I know she is capable of delivering much better.
3.25 stars.
My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “So Long, Chester Wheeler”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Catherine Ryan Hyde is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. I really enjoyed this book, it is beautifully written and has some emotional moments in it. It is an easy book to read, is easy to follow with short chapters. Some parts of the story made me laugh and some made me tear up. There is a massive epilogue too!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
3.7 Stars
One liner: Heartwarming but not enough
Lewis Madigan is having the worst time of his life. He lost his job, the market is dull, and has no money to pay the rent. Having a rude, homophobic old man in a wheelchair as a neighbor frustrates him even more. But desperate times call for desperate measures. He agrees to become a temporary caregiver for his neighbor, Chester Wheeler.
As if that isn’t enough, Lewis feels compelled to take Chester on a drive to Arizona to meet his ex-wife. Driving Chester in a Winnebago and becoming a part of his complicated life wasn’t Lewis’ plan. But he does it anyway.
Lewis is more than surprised to learn more about the dying old man’s past. Their friendship forms a new beginning in his life… but Chester has only days left on this earth.
The story comes from the first-person POV of Lewis.
My Thoughts:
I read Dreaming of Flight by the author and loved it. Though I wasn’t expecting a similar story, I did want the same kind of feeling. This one delivers only 70% of it.
The writing is easy to follow. Lewis is 24 years old and sounds almost close to his age (and like a late teen at times). He grows assertive as the story progresses, so that’s good to read.
The premise is very good, but the execution seemed more on the surface level. Chester’s homophobia is the only thing that seems emphatic and disturbing. The rest of the emotions were sorted a little too quickly. What’s more, it feels like the author doesn’t want readers to see too deep into Chester’s past. We get bits and pieces and have to weave a story on our own.
Monetary troubles are real in any country. Here Lewis has money issues, but they are sorted out without much effort. The only thing is that he has to take care of Chester for the time being. Ellie seems to be super generous with finances. I sure wouldn’t say no to a fairy godmother like her!
Sue’s character is well done, though she gets limited space. Her arc is more implied, but it is still a better arc in the book.
Lewis is a sweet guy. He knows to draw boundaries and still be caring toward others. The book is his coming-of-age story as well. But it’s not seamless for two reasons.
Two, he is a software engineer. Sure, Ellie and Sue say caregiving is his calling. Brian agrees. But Lewis’ decision to shift careers is just not as impactful as it should have been. Also, as a software engineer, he can continue to work on freelance projects while taking care of semi-valid elders.
The last chapter/ epilogue is a short story in itself. I was ready to get a rough gist of Lewis as a happy man in his new career and with a thriving love life. What I get is another story half-similar to Chester in a condensed form. Let’s say it did nothing to make me feel warm, say aww… or get teary-eyed.
To Summarize, So Long, Chester Wheeler is a heartwarming story about dealing with life and learning to grow with grace. I wish it was better edited to up the emotional quotient.
Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Terminal illness
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
It’s the worst day of Lewis Madigan’s life - he loses his job and comes home to find his boyfriend is moving to California without him, taking their savings with him. If that isn’t enough, his hate filled, homophobic neighbour Chester Wheeler heckles him about it.
With no way to make his rent, he finds himself agreeing to be Chester’s care. It’s a last resort for both of them. Chester had driven every other carer away and Lewis needs that money. After all, Chester is terminally ill so Lewis can grit his teeth and get through it. But what about when Chester declares his dying wish is for Lewis to drive him 1000 miles across America to see his ex wife?
I find this a hard book to review. It was very readable and I sank into the story right away. Lewis is a great character, I really warmed to him and loved his character development. I think the problem was Chester himself. Like all his previous carers, I found him in insufferable. The homophobia was particularly difficult to read and his character development was a bit underwhelming. There were these beautiful, poignant between the two men but they were few and far between. It ended well and I was sorry to say goodbye to Lewis but yes, so long Chester Wheeler! I have rated this three stars because though it was a quick, page turning read, it wasn’t the emotive, uplifting book I hoped for.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
With no way to make his rent, he finds himself agreeing to be Chester’s care. It’s a last resort for both of them. Chester had driven every other carer away and Lewis needs that money. After all, Chester is terminally ill so Lewis can grit his teeth and get through it. But what about when Chester declares his dying wish is for Lewis to drive him 1000 miles across America to see his ex wife?
I find this a hard book to review. It was very readable and I sank into the story right away. Lewis is a great character, I really warmed to him and loved his character development. I think the problem was Chester himself. Like all his previous carers, I found him in insufferable. The homophobia was particularly difficult to read and his character development was a bit underwhelming. There were these beautiful, poignant between the two men but they were few and far between. It ended well and I was sorry to say goodbye to Lewis but yes, so long Chester Wheeler! I have rated this three stars because though it was a quick, page turning read, it wasn’t the emotive, uplifting book I hoped for.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia