stellakichi 's review for:

Life on the Refrigerator Door: Notes Between a Mother and Daughter, a novel by Alice Kuipers

2.0

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I just want to start by saying younger me thought this book was brilliant. Adult me, however, is left with a lot to be desired. This is not a bad story by any means - in fact, it’s just the opposite. It was sweet, and as an adult I can appreciate the nuances I assume the author intended. Life can speed by in the blink of an eye, and with everyone wrapped up in their own stories it’s often easy to forget that we’re part of someone else’s. In fact, the entire vibe of this story reminded me of a juvenile Jodi Picoult. The execution just fell flat to me. Throughout the duration of the book I just kept getting frustrated at both Claire and her mother. In life, we make time for the ones we love. ESPECIALLY given the

breast cancer

revelation.

I don’t know…I just wish I could recapture the emotion I felt so intensely the first time around. I was 13/14 and sobbing when it was completed. Claire’s final letter to her mother was achingly sweet. I would often wonder about the context in between the notes - but during my re-read whenever they would reconcile after a fight through a post-it note I would roll my eyes. Perhaps I’ve become cynical and jaded. Perhaps I’ve grown up.

Either way, this story has dropped from a 4-5 star read to a 2 star read. My apologies to the author and other readers who enjoyed it. If I were to recommend it, I would suggest pre-teens read it. They would definitely appreciate it more than I.