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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
This book will now follow me everywhere. As someone with a chronic illness this hits home in so many ways. Thank you B. Celeste for writing this amazing book about fighting invisible diseases and fighting to live
One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read, even though it ripped my heart out.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This had me sobbing into my pillow at 23:55 when I should have been sleeping. Could not put it down
It was just one of those books where a girl's about to die, and moves to another place to get a change of scenery, finds her love yadda yadda... It was an okay read. Not much to love about the story or any character in particular and the end is very cliche and predictable
emotional
informative
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
I don’t really ever write reviews for books, but after spending 2 hours ranting to my boyfriend about a book he 100% does not care about, I thought it was worth writing about.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS??
Okay, where to begin? First off, I would like to say that I never read emotional books - I am emotionally unstable enough as it is and therefore it is completely unnecessary to mix this in with my escapism. With that being said…
H O L Y S H I T this was an absolute rollercoaster. It had me so invested that when the book came to a conclusion I had so many opinions/thoughts that I absolutely could not stop thinking about it. I still can’t. I legitimately dreamed about this book. Poor, sweet Emery - how you completely wrecked me.
So - to start with the rant. In an attempt to forgo any spoilers I’ll just write my thoughts as they come. It might make sense, it might not. I guess we’ll find out.
HER MOM!! man this woman actually made me cry the most. I felt so bad for her especially with the end. To not only be the one to find your first daughter but to also be the one to find your second???? Give this woman a break!! I really hated how within the epilogue(s) you didn’t find out how she dealt with the ending. I really felt this was necessary with how she shaped the h’s perception of her own life/mortality. I really needed to know she was going to be okay.
The relationship between Emery and Kaiden (or the lack thereof) as it was written was absolutely necessary and I HATED IT. Now, I understand that she wanted virtually no connections outside of the family - it’s never outright stated until the end of the book with her epiphany, but I kind of gathered this throughout the book. The fact that they labelled it “best friends” really, TRULY frustrated me because of how much i wanted them to DTR in more ways than they did - even though it was completely relevant in order to maintain the themes of the book. I’m the kind of girl who - even with an ending such as this - feels like heroines should have a relationship with the hero, and this was not the case. And it frustrates me how much I understand WHY. It was a unique spin on the “romance” genre and I am not mad at it, even though, as stated previously, I HATED IT. Are you starting to realise my mixed feelings?
I really, really didn’t like the epilogue. I feel like it should have been more fleshed out? More answers should have been freely given and this was the part of the book that hurt me the most. I spent hours (because yes, I did read this in one sitting) forming a relationship with these characters - experiencing their ups and downs, depression and uncertainty and the ending was just sort of? Abrupt? I don’t know. I would like to see a second book about the aftermath. About the influence Emery (and her subsequent end) had on the characters.
With all this being said, I still gave it 4 stars? Why? Because this book in it’s entirety is absolutely beautiful, heartbreaking and REAL. Mortality is a bitch, huh?
Ok that’s enough of me. Thanks for listening to my ted talk.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS??
Okay, where to begin? First off, I would like to say that I never read emotional books - I am emotionally unstable enough as it is and therefore it is completely unnecessary to mix this in with my escapism. With that being said…
H O L Y S H I T this was an absolute rollercoaster. It had me so invested that when the book came to a conclusion I had so many opinions/thoughts that I absolutely could not stop thinking about it. I still can’t. I legitimately dreamed about this book. Poor, sweet Emery - how you completely wrecked me.
So - to start with the rant. In an attempt to forgo any spoilers I’ll just write my thoughts as they come. It might make sense, it might not. I guess we’ll find out.
HER MOM!! man this woman actually made me cry the most. I felt so bad for her especially with the end. To not only be the one to find your first daughter but to also be the one to find your second???? Give this woman a break!! I really hated how within the epilogue(s) you didn’t find out how she dealt with the ending. I really felt this was necessary with how she shaped the h’s perception of her own life/mortality. I really needed to know she was going to be okay.
The relationship between Emery and Kaiden (or the lack thereof) as it was written was absolutely necessary and I HATED IT. Now, I understand that she wanted virtually no connections outside of the family - it’s never outright stated until the end of the book with her epiphany, but I kind of gathered this throughout the book. The fact that they labelled it “best friends” really, TRULY frustrated me because of how much i wanted them to DTR in more ways than they did - even though it was completely relevant in order to maintain the themes of the book. I’m the kind of girl who - even with an ending such as this - feels like heroines should have a relationship with the hero, and this was not the case. And it frustrates me how much I understand WHY. It was a unique spin on the “romance” genre and I am not mad at it, even though, as stated previously, I HATED IT. Are you starting to realise my mixed feelings?
I really, really didn’t like the epilogue. I feel like it should have been more fleshed out? More answers should have been freely given and this was the part of the book that hurt me the most. I spent hours (because yes, I did read this in one sitting) forming a relationship with these characters - experiencing their ups and downs, depression and uncertainty and the ending was just sort of? Abrupt? I don’t know. I would like to see a second book about the aftermath. About the influence Emery (and her subsequent end) had on the characters.
With all this being said, I still gave it 4 stars? Why? Because this book in it’s entirety is absolutely beautiful, heartbreaking and REAL. Mortality is a bitch, huh?
Ok that’s enough of me. Thanks for listening to my ted talk.
I’m sorry, I just didn’t like this book. I didn’t like the writing. It felt like a 6th grade fictional essay. Nothing stood out. And I can’t get over the step sibling romance. I don’t care the situation. It’s too weird. It wouldn’t be as weird if the steamy scenes weren’t SOOO steamy. But then again it probably would.
Currently sitting on my bathroom floor crying my eyes out. I can’t even see what I’m typing but I need to write it out. I’m feeling completely broken and shattered. The raw reality that this book demonstrated is what hurts the most. There are people out there who are living with incurable chronic illnesses and they are fighting to live. Emery will forever be ingrained in my heart. Her strength and bravery is unmatched. Oh god, Kaiden. That is a true friend. A soulmate. They were meant to find each other. I love the purpose they served for one another. Their love is one of a kind. I really appreciated the real emotions that the adults demonstrated in this book. I cannot fathom the pain and anger a parent must feel when their own children have to suffer this much. Wow. This story was extraordinary.
Thank you, Barbara Celeste. ♥️
Thank you, Barbara Celeste. ♥️
4.25/5★
It's raw. It's honest. It breaks your heart. It's a beautiful depiction of life and loss and pain.
It's raw. It's honest. It breaks your heart. It's a beautiful depiction of life and loss and pain.