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livlosiewicz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
Pros:
·this BOOK. The WRITING. Newman captures the human experience of living and watching others live and die SO beautifully and in SUCH a real way. This book really hit me in the feels and yet it wasn’t all sad; it was filled with so many slivers of love and light
·I absolutely loved the characters: flawed and so so human
Cons:
·having characters named Jules, Jude, and Jonah was a lot for my brain to keep track of
Recommendation: I wholeheartedly recommend this book to people who like emotionally resonant books that are more “slice of life” or character-based vs following a plot. This was a masterpiece of what it means to be a person who loves and feels and is imperfect. I’m someone who likes to plow through books but I had to stop a few times to sob uncontrollably while reading this one- all worth it, but know going in that it’s an emotional journey. Also avoid if you want something with a plot, a different genre, etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Terminal illness
absolute_bookery's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Heart breaking because I put myself in ash's shoes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cancer, Grief, Medical content, and Terminal illness
emzireads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Cancer, and Death
alexisgarcia's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
this is such a raw and honest portrayal of grief and loss. just be sure to check content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Vomit, Grief, Medical content, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Cancer
jackbifrost's review against another edition
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Infidelity
Minor: Alcohol
raelong12's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Terminal illness
jen_again's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Death, Grief, Cancer, and Death of parent
Moderate: Miscarriage and Medical content
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, and Sexual content
kchessrice's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
“Everyone dies, and yet it’s unendurable. There is so much love inside of us. How do we become worthy of it? And, then, where does it go? A worldwide crescendo of grief, sustained day after day, and only one tiny note of it is mine."
Edi and Ash have been friends forever and been there for all of life's adventures - navigating high school, first loves, backpacking across Europe, marriage and children. Now they face one final journey together - Edi is dying. Ash and her family rally round and get Edi checked into a hospice near their home in Massachusetts, and this is where we pick up the story.
Every day, Ash visits Edi bringing her treats (the good chocolate with the sea salt), the fizzy drinks that Edi loves, lotion to rub into Edi's dry hands - anything to bring comfort. Ash's heart is breaking and she cannot find anything to comfort herself.
I have never been in a position where I have nursed a loved one in their final days so I have no personal point of reference, however from reading We All Want Impossible Things I think that I have a better understanding of the emotional toll it must take. For about three-quarters of the novel I was so frustrated at Ash's coping mechanism of sleeping with unsuitable people when her husband is clearly still in love with her (they are separated) - but I loved it when her youngest daughter calls her out on it! Ash KNOWS it's not helping - but no-one has a manual to help you get through the death of your best friend.
In the obvious ways, this is a modern, tender, bittersweet novel about loss and grief, however the relationships between all the characters are heart-warming and life affirming. The way that Ash and her daughters talk to each other is very different to how I talk to my mum, but lovely to see that they have such a deep bond. There is a really great energy between the characters that comes off the page.
There were only two things that stopped me from loving this novel. The first thing was that Edi is taken away from where she lives in New York to see out her days in a hospice in a different state, leaving her young son behind. I get that it must be a tremendously difficult decision to make about whether your child should see you die but to just whisk his mother away felt quite cruel to me. The review on @julia_flyte grid is much more eloquent on this!
Second thing (which some might argue is quite picky!) is that there are too many characters who have names beginning with J! I found it so hard to keep track of Jules (Ash's daughter), Jude (Edi's husband), Jonah (Edi's brother) and Jelly (the cat) that it was quite distracting from what was actually going on, so I am taking off half a point for that - sorry...
Overall it was deeply moving and thought provoking, really enjoyed reading it (and now want some Italian lemon polenta cake!).
Edi and Ash have been friends forever and been there for all of life's adventures - navigating high school, first loves, backpacking across Europe, marriage and children. Now they face one final journey together - Edi is dying. Ash and her family rally round and get Edi checked into a hospice near their home in Massachusetts, and this is where we pick up the story.
Every day, Ash visits Edi bringing her treats (the good chocolate with the sea salt), the fizzy drinks that Edi loves, lotion to rub into Edi's dry hands - anything to bring comfort. Ash's heart is breaking and she cannot find anything to comfort herself.
I have never been in a position where I have nursed a loved one in their final days so I have no personal point of reference, however from reading We All Want Impossible Things I think that I have a better understanding of the emotional toll it must take. For about three-quarters of the novel I was so frustrated at Ash's coping mechanism of sleeping with unsuitable people when her husband is clearly still in love with her (they are separated) - but I loved it when her youngest daughter calls her out on it! Ash KNOWS it's not helping - but no-one has a manual to help you get through the death of your best friend.
In the obvious ways, this is a modern, tender, bittersweet novel about loss and grief, however the relationships between all the characters are heart-warming and life affirming. The way that Ash and her daughters talk to each other is very different to how I talk to my mum, but lovely to see that they have such a deep bond. There is a really great energy between the characters that comes off the page.
There were only two things that stopped me from loving this novel. The first thing was that Edi is taken away from where she lives in New York to see out her days in a hospice in a different state, leaving her young son behind. I get that it must be a tremendously difficult decision to make about whether your child should see you die but to just whisk his mother away felt quite cruel to me. The review on @julia_flyte grid is much more eloquent on this!
Second thing (which some might argue is quite picky!) is that there are too many characters who have names beginning with J! I found it so hard to keep track of Jules (Ash's daughter), Jude (Edi's husband), Jonah (Edi's brother) and Jelly (the cat) that it was quite distracting from what was actually going on, so I am taking off half a point for that - sorry...
Overall it was deeply moving and thought provoking, really enjoyed reading it (and now want some Italian lemon polenta cake!).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Grief
hatjane's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, and Grief
Minor: Sexual harassment
ambersbakesandbooks's review against another edition
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, and Death