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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I finished the book only because I’d already invested time to read half and wanted to get to the ending. I found the characters annoying, the plot and their relationship unbelievable and the parts that were supposed to be humorous were too purposeful in their intent to be funny. Parts were simply boring and the internal monologues of the characters were whiny and irritating. I did not like any of the characters, but especially disliked Alice.
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.
Alice and Ben have both lost people - they meet on the graveyard one day when Ben stands in front of his brother Harry's grave wearing a green Kermit outfit. Alice's husband Joe's grave is right next to it and so they start talking. The next year they meet at the graveside again, and from then on every year for ten years, through Ben's marriage and Alice's move to Sydney.
The book is told in dual POV, with Ben and Alice helping each other overcome grief, self-loathing and hiding away from relationships, not deterred by distance and lockdowns. This isn't a romance but they form a friendship based purely on their shared experiences.
There are some absurd situations, with Ben having to wear a different silly costume to the graveside each year as stipulated in his brother's will, Jobbers the annoying kookaburra making mischief and Alice's fifth date with Grant not going to plan, to mention just a few.
But they are both messed-up people and I felt the grieving and self-loathing took way too long. I mean, ten years, come on! Plus, I had to struggle through an entire rugby game that ended in utter chaos, just because Ben had never learned to say no to his overbearing family.
This is a story with raw emotions - love, loss, grief and friendship is being dealt with in an honest way. Given that the book spans ten years, not much of note is happening but I don't think it is meant to - we just accompany two bereaved people's struggle to carry on living and find meaning in their life. Grief is a strange beast, and it doesn't run in a straight line. But the morale of the story is that we all need people around helping us deal with it. Read if you like a gentle, sometimes bizarre story about grief.
"The people we love die. But the people we love live, too. And so should we.”
Alice and Ben have both lost people - they meet on the graveyard one day when Ben stands in front of his brother Harry's grave wearing a green Kermit outfit. Alice's husband Joe's grave is right next to it and so they start talking. The next year they meet at the graveside again, and from then on every year for ten years, through Ben's marriage and Alice's move to Sydney.
The book is told in dual POV, with Ben and Alice helping each other overcome grief, self-loathing and hiding away from relationships, not deterred by distance and lockdowns. This isn't a romance but they form a friendship based purely on their shared experiences.
There are some absurd situations, with Ben having to wear a different silly costume to the graveside each year as stipulated in his brother's will, Jobbers the annoying kookaburra making mischief and Alice's fifth date with Grant not going to plan, to mention just a few.
But they are both messed-up people and I felt the grieving and self-loathing took way too long. I mean, ten years, come on! Plus, I had to struggle through an entire rugby game that ended in utter chaos, just because Ben had never learned to say no to his overbearing family.
This is a story with raw emotions - love, loss, grief and friendship is being dealt with in an honest way. Given that the book spans ten years, not much of note is happening but I don't think it is meant to - we just accompany two bereaved people's struggle to carry on living and find meaning in their life. Grief is a strange beast, and it doesn't run in a straight line. But the morale of the story is that we all need people around helping us deal with it. Read if you like a gentle, sometimes bizarre story about grief.
"The people we love die. But the people we love live, too. And so should we.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Medical content, Death of parent
Minor: Fatphobia
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
emotional
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
“The people we love die. But the people we love live, too. And so should we.”
A beautiful story of grief and friendship ❤️
A beautiful story of grief and friendship ❤️
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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
I enjoyed this book so much. It took difficult, sad, and challenging topics and addressed them with an interesting plot, strong character development, and a sweet ending.