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A review by laurenabayne
Love at a Funeral and Other Awkward Conversations by Sophie Andrews
emotional
reflective
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
4.25
Don't let the cute cover fool you: this is a deeply emotional and poignant look at grief.
We are thrown into it at the very start, with police showing up at Cass's door: her beloved older brother collapsed and was found dead. Soon the rest of her family is thrown into disarray: her mom numbs herself with pills, her dad grows violent and leaves the house for days at a time, and Cass tries to keep everything together. With the help of Vince, the town funeral director and Cass's childhood crush, she navigates her grief and how to get through a life without the one who held them together.
There were so many positives to this story. It shows different facets of grief, including how it changes over time, especially how it can cause mourners to feel guilty about feeling happy. It stresses the importance of getting help and not facing things alone, and it never shames Cass for being emotionally unstable and for floating through life. I also loved how it did not portray Ray to be a perfect person; it talks a lot about martyrdom after death and how we tend to only remember the positives, even though Ray was not necessarily a good person. The uniqueness of sibling relationships is explored. The inclusion of Instagram posts is particularly strong, a unique spin on epistolary storytelling.
Honestly, the only thing that knocked this down a star for me is the romance itself. A lot of the development in their relationship was glossed over, and the ending was pretty rushed. He was an absolute gem and I wish I could have seen more of him. If this is being advertised as a romance, and not as a coming-of-age or meditation on loss, then give me some more romance!! Especially when the date and spice scenes are that good :)
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I loved this one!
We are thrown into it at the very start, with police showing up at Cass's door: her beloved older brother collapsed and was found dead. Soon the rest of her family is thrown into disarray: her mom numbs herself with pills, her dad grows violent and leaves the house for days at a time, and Cass tries to keep everything together. With the help of Vince, the town funeral director and Cass's childhood crush, she navigates her grief and how to get through a life without the one who held them together.
There were so many positives to this story. It shows different facets of grief, including how it changes over time, especially how it can cause mourners to feel guilty about feeling happy. It stresses the importance of getting help and not facing things alone, and it never shames Cass for being emotionally unstable and for floating through life. I also loved how it did not portray Ray to be a perfect person; it talks a lot about martyrdom after death and how we tend to only remember the positives, even though Ray was not necessarily a good person. The uniqueness of sibling relationships is explored. The inclusion of Instagram posts is particularly strong, a unique spin on epistolary storytelling.
Honestly, the only thing that knocked this down a star for me is the romance itself. A lot of the development in their relationship was glossed over, and the ending was pretty rushed. He was an absolute gem and I wish I could have seen more of him. If this is being advertised as a romance, and not as a coming-of-age or meditation on loss, then give me some more romance!! Especially when the date and spice scenes are that good :)
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I loved this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Minor: Infidelity, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders