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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
I normally like books that have changing perspectives and a wide cast of characters. Objectively, this novel was laid out fairly well with interesting drama at the center of everyone's respective lives. I just kept waiting for something happen, something to bind everyone together, or something to allow me to fully connect with even just one of these characters. That just didn't really happen even as we wrapped up the story in an almost too-neat bow. It just felt like a whirlwind of story snippets, each moving too fast to really glean anything meaningful from.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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:
Yes
I loved this book! So different from most things I’ve read. Different characters with different struggles. It reminds you that no matter what you may think of someone else’s life, that they may be struggling with something that you may never know about. It reminds you that even in the worst of situations that there is also some underlying lesson or hope and that if you don’t take the time to see it you could be missing out on some life changing moments and memories!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
Ethan Joella is an incredible writer that knows how to capture the realist of emotions. Having recently read A Quiet Life, it’s easy to see that he has a specific writing style as both books cover themes such as loss, grief and resilience, alternate between 3-4 individual stories that intersect, and are character-driven. I will say that as an audiobook, it was hard to keep track of the many characters. I also did not love the narrator’s female voice during dialogue.
Not normally my kind of book, and while it was very heavy, I still enjoyed it. The characters felt real and complex.
I really wanted to like this book and could not. There were way too many characters with issues that all were mostly resolved at the time they were presented and it made it hard to really care about them. Also it felt very clear what the author’s preferences are regarding female partners because he repeatedly focuses on unnecessary details that denigrate his female characters.
”Life, this up and down life. What a gift, isn’t it?”
A Little Hope, the debut novel from Ethan Joella, offers glimpses into the individual stories of an ensemble-cast of characters whose lives are subtly intertwined. Each character in the book has faced significant loss and pain, manifested and dealt with in very different ways, and it is through their shared connections and experiences that they manage to cope with their unique challenges.
”She thinks of the courage, win or lose, it takes to live. She wants to be more courageous.”
Cancer, loss, depression, substance abuse, stillbirth, betrayal, grief. The devastation embroidered throughout Joella’s writing is so thick it chokes you, his characters’ pain so visceral you can feel it in your gut as you read.
”What do you do with hurt? All this hurt.”
Joella’s characters are simple people, their lives ordinary and commonplace. They could be anyone, from anywhere, and that’s the beauty of this story. Their grief is anyone’s and everyone’s grief, and that makes A Little Hope incredibly relatable and authentic.
”How did people survive these things? He wondered that all the time.”
Who among us hasn’t experienced a heartbreak that never healed quite right, or felt ill-equipped for the daunting set of circumstances that life has doled out? Who hasn’t held back tears that threatened to spill out and ruin a show of strength? Who hasn’t dreamed of more—more skill, more confidence, more honesty, more time? Who hasn’t needed a little hope of their own now and then?
”You never know. You never know what can break you. What you can fix, what you can stand up to. You never know what time will do, what will defeat or surprise you. You never know.”
Joella reminds the reader of the responsibility we have, as the living, to really live, for those we’ve loved and lost, who cannot; of the truth that it is only love, love for ourselves and for the people we invite into our lives, that can help to heal our deepest wounds.
”If you’re lucky enough to have someone like this, you never let them go. You love them back, fully.”
A Little Hope reminded me of A Man Called Ove. Not necessarily its plot, but its themes, narrative style, and depth of emotion. Ethan Joella is an American version of Fredrik Backman, with his perfectly-imperfect characters and his effortless wisdom, and he has captured my heart with his heart-wrenching debut novel. An absolutely stunning story that I will never forget.
——
A huge thank you to Ethan Joella, Scribner, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A Little Hope, the debut novel from Ethan Joella, offers glimpses into the individual stories of an ensemble-cast of characters whose lives are subtly intertwined. Each character in the book has faced significant loss and pain, manifested and dealt with in very different ways, and it is through their shared connections and experiences that they manage to cope with their unique challenges.
”She thinks of the courage, win or lose, it takes to live. She wants to be more courageous.”
Cancer, loss, depression, substance abuse, stillbirth, betrayal, grief. The devastation embroidered throughout Joella’s writing is so thick it chokes you, his characters’ pain so visceral you can feel it in your gut as you read.
”What do you do with hurt? All this hurt.”
Joella’s characters are simple people, their lives ordinary and commonplace. They could be anyone, from anywhere, and that’s the beauty of this story. Their grief is anyone’s and everyone’s grief, and that makes A Little Hope incredibly relatable and authentic.
”How did people survive these things? He wondered that all the time.”
Who among us hasn’t experienced a heartbreak that never healed quite right, or felt ill-equipped for the daunting set of circumstances that life has doled out? Who hasn’t held back tears that threatened to spill out and ruin a show of strength? Who hasn’t dreamed of more—more skill, more confidence, more honesty, more time? Who hasn’t needed a little hope of their own now and then?
”You never know. You never know what can break you. What you can fix, what you can stand up to. You never know what time will do, what will defeat or surprise you. You never know.”
Joella reminds the reader of the responsibility we have, as the living, to really live, for those we’ve loved and lost, who cannot; of the truth that it is only love, love for ourselves and for the people we invite into our lives, that can help to heal our deepest wounds.
”If you’re lucky enough to have someone like this, you never let them go. You love them back, fully.”
A Little Hope reminded me of A Man Called Ove. Not necessarily its plot, but its themes, narrative style, and depth of emotion. Ethan Joella is an American version of Fredrik Backman, with his perfectly-imperfect characters and his effortless wisdom, and he has captured my heart with his heart-wrenching debut novel. An absolutely stunning story that I will never forget.
——
A huge thank you to Ethan Joella, Scribner, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a stunning story of how simple human interactions can bring a little light in the darkest times. It celebrated the little moments of connection and showed how they fit into the bigger picture of life. Multiple points of view helped explain where each person was coming from and their feelings on their own particular experience. It was a heavy read, and I won’t lie - there was one point where I got mad and had to put the book down
I definitely consider this book to be literary fiction as the author gives us in-depth looks into the lives of the characters. All of their stories are connected to one another and while the plot isn’t firm, we experience all the life emotions that each character faces.
I was concerned about this book being a real downer because there were times that the characters seemed to be in hopeless situations (in spite of the title). But each separate yet connected story really drew me in. I think the author did an excellent job of describing inner struggles and emotions and did bring in some hopeful resolutions. For a debut novel, it is very well-written and engaging. His next book is already on my TBR list.
I was concerned about this book being a real downer because there were times that the characters seemed to be in hopeless situations (in spite of the title). But each separate yet connected story really drew me in. I think the author did an excellent job of describing inner struggles and emotions and did bring in some hopeful resolutions. For a debut novel, it is very well-written and engaging. His next book is already on my TBR list.