A review by bribreez
Better Left Unsent by Lia Louis

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

*Thank you to Atria for sending me and ARC, I appreciate it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3⭐️

There have been things we wished we could to say to others. From telling your boss that you didn’t appreciate the rude way he spoke to you, or how a colleague from work talked about your body in a way that was highly inappropriate, to wanting to tell your crush how much you liked them. For Millie Chandler, she had a lot to say, but instead she just relied on writing drafts of emails to let it all out. Until one day, the unthinkable happened…all those emails that Millie wrote ended up being sent out to each and every person she wrote to. Suddenly, Millie found herself in hot waters, and faced with the reality that everyone knew what she really wanted to say. Lia Louis wrote an interesting plot line that showed just what happens when our deepest, most inner thoughts of others are revealed without our say. 

Literally everything that happened to Millie was the worst thing I could ever imagine or at least on some level. Having everything Millie has ever wanted to say to coworkers, family, and even her ex boyfriend unraveled into a bit of a mess for her. At the same time, I think it ended up being a good thing for Millie too. Millie seemed like the type of woman who, usually let things build up in her as opposed to speaking her mind. Majority of the book showed Millie feeling a bit guiltily at the aftermath that ensued with her emails being sent out, but also gradually showing her that maybe it was a good thing certain individuals knew what she really thought. Even outside of work, Millie’s life changed with secrets being discovered within her own family, and subsequently changing the dynamics between her parents. As far as the beginning half of this book went, it was a lot of Millie working through obstacles and bettering herself.

One thing I will say that I enjoy about Lia Louis’s writing is how light, and relaxing I find it to be. I’ve also read, “The Key To My Heart”, also written by, Lia Louis, and I actually enjoyed that book as well if not more than this story. Lia Louis has a way of focusing her stories being more character driven with some plot. Millie was the main character, but alongside her friends, coworkers, and family there was other story lines that branched off the main one of Millie’s main dilemma. 

Initially, this book seemed like it would be good, but towards the halfway mark I started to lose interest. I do think this story had good parts to it from the way Millie grew and learned that speaking her mind wasn’t necessarily a bad thing despite how it began at the beginning. Another thing I liked about this story was Jack. Jack was a likable character and I love the way Lia Louis writes her fictional male characters. Towards the end, I found myself skimming the pages, and looking for major plot points instead of feeling fully invested in the characters. Like I said, this book had good points to it, but unfortunately it didn’t hit its mark for me. Maybe for other readers they’ll enjoy this book with the unique plot line of Millie’s story, but yeah this just ended up not being much of a story for me.