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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
A really enjoyable read
emotional
funny
relaxing
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
A really cute story about the ways we process grief, the ghosts and demons we hold to and the ability to find love in the here and now.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
medium-paced
3.25/5 stars. This was OK, I admit I was very excited to read this Amazon Prime First Reads choice and it really dragged in parts. I enjoyed the humor combined with the topic of grief.
One doesn't expect a book to be insightful about the experience of loss and grief and, at the same time, laugh out loud funny at times. But Grave Talk accomplishes this.
Alice and Ben have both experienced the loss of a family member who died too young. For Alice, it is her husband who died suddenly of a heart attack and for Ben, it is his brother who died of leukemia. Both are struggling in their lives because of their deep sense of loss. At their first very strange meeting in the cemetery (Ben is in a Kermit the frog costume), they found comfort in each others' company. This odd relationship continues one day annually for a decade. Finally, they push each other forward toward a new place in their lives.
The narrative voice shifts at each event from Alice to Ben, so the reader understands the emotional context of each meeting and each conversation. This adds enormous depth to the reader's understanding of how their grief is affecting and often disrupting their lives.
Alice and Ben have both experienced the loss of a family member who died too young. For Alice, it is her husband who died suddenly of a heart attack and for Ben, it is his brother who died of leukemia. Both are struggling in their lives because of their deep sense of loss. At their first very strange meeting in the cemetery (Ben is in a Kermit the frog costume), they found comfort in each others' company. This odd relationship continues one day annually for a decade. Finally, they push each other forward toward a new place in their lives.
The narrative voice shifts at each event from Alice to Ben, so the reader understands the emotional context of each meeting and each conversation. This adds enormous depth to the reader's understanding of how their grief is affecting and often disrupting their lives.
I laughed, I cried, and I absolutely loved Alice and Ben's relationship.
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No