Reviews with content warning for Drug use - All's Well

THIS BOOK. Wow. This was wild.

This book recreates chronic pain, ableism and healthism, and medical trauma very well. I'm not sure I've read another novel like this, especially not one staged with so many supernatural and thriller-like elements. The scenes between Miranda and her PT were excruciating and hyper-realistic. You can tell Mona Awad's had her own pain and disillusionment with the medical-industrial complex.

Miranda is an amazingly developed and flawed character, and reading through her perspective

especially as she becomes more frantic and manic throughout the book

is captivating. The mix between supernatural mysticism and Shakespeare retelling is littered just enough to make the plot work, but Miranda, the harm done to her, and the harm she does take center stage.

Miranda's use of Brianna and Ellie as caricatures heightens the drama, especially early on, and I was cringing with Miranda's simultaneous pity and love-bombing of Grace. And the blurs between Paul and Hugo... oof. I feel like Miranda herself and Miranda's view on the people around her strayed close to stereotyping at points, but the narration was so carefully orchestrated to make that the scary point? Like, how ordinary this story is and how easily we can ignore the complexity and humanity of others? And the ending was really bittersweet with this slight zoom outward to all the women in chronic pain, potentially haunted in similar storylines. It wasn't too heavy-handed and it brought everything in the novel to an emotional and targeted end.

Content Warnings

morriganslibrary's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Content Warnings

elliesberrie's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

mena_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

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? Yes

4.5

I think there’s something to be said here about the medical field often ignoring or diminishing female pain…So what is it? I’m going to have to read this 20 times before I can complete that thesis but there’s something in here for sure!

The main character, Miranda, reminded me of a darker, less likeable Fleabag. There’s a lot of dark humour, but not much to root for with her. Miranda suffers with an inexplicable, chronic pain that can be felt through the page. You carry that burden with her throughout the first half of the book and it can get pretty exhausting, but I think that speaks to the author’s merits rather than making this an unenjoyable read. Definitely not for everyone but I love it.

I truly believe Mona Awad is a master of her craft. Bunny is one of my favourite books of all time and I will read anything Awad puts out. All’s Well is quite similar in that you are placed in this surrealist world that leaves you with lots of questions and not necessarily a lot of answers, but that’s the beauty of it. Both novels showcase Awad’s incredible talent, so I definitely recommend them, especially in a bookclub scenario seeing as there is a lot to talk about!!

I really wished I had read All’s Well That Ends Well before this, so I could try and catch more Shakespearean allegories but alas! Next time. ;-)

Content Warnings

ninjamuse's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

More...