A review by abbypeekreads
Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez

emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.0

I hadn't expected much from this book when I first picked it up. I had liked Jimenez's other books, but they weren't my absolute favorites. But Life's Too Short was really something special for so many reasons, and is by far my favorite book by Abby Jimenez that I've read so far!

The characters in this book are some of my favorites in any book I've ever read. Adrian and Vanessa grabbed my heart from the beginning. I adored how sweet Adrian was and how big his heart was, especially towards Vanessa, and I loved how real Vanessa was from the beginning, no matter how messy she thought her life was. 

Their character growth was quite literally top tier. They had a big struggle to overcome, and even though it was so heart-wrenching to read, it was also so beautiful in the end to watch them navigate it (together and separately). It made for some incredible and compelling storytelling and character development, so much so that I couldn't put the book down. 

I've always appreciated how Jimenez tackles an important and difficult topic with each of her books. While I don't have any experience with chronic illness, I enjoyed being able to learn more about how chronic illnesses affect and shape people's lives and families. The way Jimenez handled it in this particular book felt very authentic as well.

As with her previous books, I felt the writing was still a bit cheesy at times. But because the story itself was so compelling, it honestly didn't detract from my experience all that much. All in all, this was truly a special read that I'm sure will stick with me for a long time.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings