Reviews

I'll Leave You with This by Kylie Ladd

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indoorg1rl's review

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emotional informative inspiring reflective tense 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? No

4.5

4.5 stars.

The four O’Shea sisters, Allison, Bridie, Clare and Emma, couldn’t be more different from each other. When their common denominator, Daniel, their beloved brother, was suddenly and tragically killed, they tried to renew the connections they had by tracking down the strangers whose lives were saved by Daniel’s organ donations.

I really appreciated the fact that this story was part inspired by Kylie’s own brother who was a registered organ donor and passed away unexpectedly in 2013.

When I saw the synopsis of this book, I had thought it would be a complete tear jerker with a lot of dramatic scenes. I was so happy when I found that the book didn’t play the sappy card, and the result felt real, balanced and amazing.

It was also very interesting that the siblings were named in alphabetical order, which made it very easy to remember who was who (and their birth order), especially at the start when we got introduced to all the characters in one go.

This book gave me a fresh perspective on grief, family dynamics and organ donation. I loved it so much, it was my favourite book of the month (in April 2023).

(Thanks to Penguin Australia for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review)

tasmanian_bibliophile's review

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Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

‘At first he thinks it’s fireworks, a quiet popping in the distance.’

Ms Ladd’s novel deals with some complex issues including family relationships and organ donation. There were five children in the O’Shea family: Allison, Bridie, Clare, Daniel, and Emma. Both of their parents are dead. Allison is a busy obstetrician, trying to balance work with the demands of her young family. Bridie, a prizewinning film director, is looking for her next directing opportunity. Clare is devasted when her wife leaves her after their latest IVF failure, while Emma finds that her church fills the loneliness in her life. And Daniel? His life was tragically cut short.

After Daniel is killed, the sisters drift apart. Over lunch on the third anniversary of Daniel’s death, Clare suggests tracing the recipients of the organs harvested after Daniel’s death. While such contact is not encouraged, it is possible.

Allison is not in favour of the idea and Bridie is, initially at least, indifferent. That is until she considers its potential as a documentary. Emma is happy to support Clare, but only Daniel’s former lover, Joel, is enthusiastic.

As the story unfolds from the different perspectives of the sisters, we learn more about each of them, their relationships with each other and the issues they face. We also learn about Daniel’s beloved dachshund John Thomas. Poor John Thomas. He’s been looked after by different sisters since Daniel’s death, but he’s not really become part of anyone’s family.

This is a terrific, thought-provoking novel. We meet some of the recipients of Daniel’s organs and learn how their lives have changed. I particularly enjoyed the way that Ms Ladd made each of her characters real and individual.

‘It’s possible up to twenty individuals have had their lives changed by Daniel’s generosity’.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

lovefourreading's review

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emotional inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

gracied's review

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emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? No

3.5

fiction_book_reviews's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

peita_hansen's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0

traceyanderson's review

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challenging emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

4.0

Content Warnings

ellawells12's review

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

naiomi78's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

5.0

thereadingmum's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

This is not the sort of book I usually enjoy. I don't really go in for contemporary family drama such as Jodie Picoult, Cecilia Ahearn, etc. However, Kylie Ladd has simply blown me away with this book.

I selected it as the February book for a book subscription that I run, Sweet Read (www.novelteabookclub.com) almost purely for the cover. #sorrynotsorry Thinking it would appeal to a good part of our demographic but not necessarily me. I read it because we received an extra copy from the publisher. I could not put it down.

I was genuinely involved in every one of the characters' stories from the start. Each sister and even the deceased Daniel are so very different, each has their own unique struggle or tragedy. Each sister misses Daniel equally and he seemed to be the gel that bound their separate orbits together. I actually teared up at the end, which says a lot.

My only niggle was Emma's story, which seemed like it was going to take a predictable route. I'm glad it wasn't totally so, but still had to skim it a bit. That's totally my own bugbears though.

As a Christian, I also loved how Ladd wove in Emma's faith without being overbearing or fanciful.

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