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A review by bookishmillennial
Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Full disclaimer: I’ve been lucky enough to not have experienced too much loss in my life (yet) — one of my aunts (dad’s cousin) passed when I was in elementary school, another aunt (my mom’s cousin’s wife) passed when I was in college & my grandpa passed in 2017 (all to cancer💔). However, for the most part, my loved ones have been pretty healthy (knock on wood).
I’ve never been in Eve’s shoes. To lose your life partner. To lose the love of your life. I can only imagine that level of grief, despair & anger. Onyi painted such a rich, nuanced, poignant picture of that grief though, & I’m so grateful for that.
Something that frustrated me about Eve’s journey was the fact that no one just ✨let her be✨ She was always having to accommodate or make room for someone else’s grief or questioning. Eve was never given the space to just grieve on her own, the way she wanted.
If you have a trigger for horrible mother-in-laws, take note that Aspen is the absolute worst 😭 this is honestly a note for me that if we ever adopt kids, to be a kind and welcoming mother-in-law because I do not want to be the villain in my future in-law’s story 🥺😔
I think this was an excellent story on how grief operates within different family dynamics and how it can never be about onlyyyy you. There’s everyone else who loved that person & sometimes to share that grief feels suffocating. I wanted to throw hands for Eve 🤬 but she had a lot more grace, patience & understanding that I don’t know if I could have??? Anyway, this is a sad but honest and illuminating story & I think it’s an important reminder to make space for others to navigate their feelings, rather than always centering yourself.
Full disclaimer: I’ve been lucky enough to not have experienced too much loss in my life (yet) — one of my aunts (dad’s cousin) passed when I was in elementary school, another aunt (my mom’s cousin’s wife) passed when I was in college & my grandpa passed in 2017 (all to cancer💔). However, for the most part, my loved ones have been pretty healthy (knock on wood).
I’ve never been in Eve’s shoes. To lose your life partner. To lose the love of your life. I can only imagine that level of grief, despair & anger. Onyi painted such a rich, nuanced, poignant picture of that grief though, & I’m so grateful for that.
Something that frustrated me about Eve’s journey was the fact that no one just ✨let her be✨ She was always having to accommodate or make room for someone else’s grief or questioning. Eve was never given the space to just grieve on her own, the way she wanted.
If you have a trigger for horrible mother-in-laws, take note that Aspen is the absolute worst 😭 this is honestly a note for me that if we ever adopt kids, to be a kind and welcoming mother-in-law because I do not want to be the villain in my future in-law’s story 🥺😔
I think this was an excellent story on how grief operates within different family dynamics and how it can never be about onlyyyy you. There’s everyone else who loved that person & sometimes to share that grief feels suffocating. I wanted to throw hands for Eve 🤬 but she had a lot more grace, patience & understanding that I don’t know if I could have??? Anyway, this is a sad but honest and illuminating story & I think it’s an important reminder to make space for others to navigate their feelings, rather than always centering yourself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death