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agmaynard's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
Wrenching and beautifully rendered. Pregnancy loss stories and the attending grief are fairly rare. This adds to the small store of these ,. And any glimpses of my favorite triad of Will, High, Truman are treasured. Nicky and Lucy also shine.
bookstosoothethesoul's review
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
This is a beautifully tender book about a couple grieving differently and how they find their way back to each other. I loved how emotional this book was and how much space they both had to feel their own (different things). We see Adam in a new light in this book and I really appreciate it. After seeing him as the comedic relief for 9 books it was lovely to see how he's come to play that role and what else is going on underneath the surface.
jotropes's review
5.0
"books that you likely can't relate to at all...except you do anyway".
At first glance all this series of books could be said to be "irrelevant" to my experience but Kris Ripper keeps making these characters and situations relevant, enlightening and thought changing. This was a beautiful exploration of one couple and family's loss and grief, that touched on so many personal and 'political' experiences and concerns.
At first glance all this series of books could be said to be "irrelevant" to my experience but Kris Ripper keeps making these characters and situations relevant, enlightening and thought changing. This was a beautiful exploration of one couple and family's loss and grief, that touched on so many personal and 'political' experiences and concerns.
pippin's review
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
menomica's review
emotional
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
But we… we don’t feel totally alone anymore. We have each other. We have our family. And all of this would be… unsurvivable. Without that.”
Wow. This book broke me.
First and foremost, I want to take a moment to appreciate how this book honours grief and the process of it. A lot of stories paint grief as something that you just get over with a magical heartfelt moment. But this book talked about how Ads and Becs were both affected, how that broke them, and how they had to learn to come back together again. The book also talks about how processing grief if about learning to build yourself around it
There where also so many other amazing moments: Beccs being challenged on her view of motherhood and her need to subvert that, the family talking about how they had begun envisioning their life around the baby. Bernie’s line, there are some contexts where referring to a fetus as a baby is appropriate felt very validating.
I also really appreciated the theme of support and found family. All in all, I think this is a really great book of you can allow yourself to get in that head space
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Miscarriage
Moderate: Infertility
aprillen's review
5.0
I cried so many times reading this, and I haven't even been pregnant (or wanted to). Ads and Beccs's book is phenomenal, and so, so hard to read. To be sure, if I weren't obsessed with the SMU right now, I probably wouldn't have read it, but I'm so glad I did, because it was stark and devastating and beautiful.
Damn you, Ripper.
Damn you, Ripper.
araya's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
craftyhilary's review
dark
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
terriaminute's review
5.0
Before you start reading, have your favorite brand of tissues handy. Also: usually SU novels go quickly for me, but I had to take a lot of breaks while reading this one. CW: miscarriage, grief. But it is devastatingly good.
Ripper doesn't shy away from the emotional trauma loss causes. Over the past sixteen (?) books we've seen Becs and Ads but usually from a distance. This is a deep dive into their worst experience and how each of them reacts, resists, and slowly return, changed. It is by far the most emotionally loaded novel I've ever read, about how badly grief will twist you up. I appreciated how Ads reacts to how little help or support there is for a man whose dreams of a baby end in miscarriage.
As always in Scientific Universe stories, family is there, ready when needed. ...And I teared up again remembering the end. This is so good, so well done. Just know you may need to schedule in some recovery time. <3
Ripper doesn't shy away from the emotional trauma loss causes. Over the past sixteen (?) books we've seen Becs and Ads but usually from a distance. This is a deep dive into their worst experience and how each of them reacts, resists, and slowly return, changed. It is by far the most emotionally loaded novel I've ever read, about how badly grief will twist you up. I appreciated how Ads reacts to how little help or support there is for a man whose dreams of a baby end in miscarriage.
As always in Scientific Universe stories, family is there, ready when needed. ...And I teared up again remembering the end. This is so good, so well done. Just know you may need to schedule in some recovery time. <3
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