Take a photo of a barcode or cover
floral_knight 's review for:
The Wedding People
by Alison Espach
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Books in this style/genre are generally not my cup of tea, but reading this in the midst of recovering from a breakup kept it at 3 stars. The message that it is enough to be here, to stay here, that there are paths forward even if they seem impossible beyond all visibility, makes it a healing read even if your experience is not a 1:1 comparison.
I do agree with other readers that the protagonist's suicidal ideation can come across as a plot device, so the premise itself is a bit crude. Crude is a common theme throughout the book in one way or another, but it does feel in character for the universe and its inhabitants. I almost DNF-ed, but once I decided to meet the premise/characters where they were, I was able to push through. If you have also recently lost a dear relationship, then you may find the book uncomfortable in other ways—in the sense of difficult yet necessary truths. If you are ready, push through, hold yourself, and allow yourself to consider thoughts you hadn't dared look in the eye.
I do agree with other readers that the protagonist's suicidal ideation can come across as a plot device, so the premise itself is a bit crude. Crude is a common theme throughout the book in one way or another, but it does feel in character for the universe and its inhabitants. I almost DNF-ed, but once I decided to meet the premise/characters where they were, I was able to push through. If you have also recently lost a dear relationship, then you may find the book uncomfortable in other ways—in the sense of difficult yet necessary truths. If you are ready, push through, hold yourself, and allow yourself to consider thoughts you hadn't dared look in the eye.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Vomit, Dementia
There are some violent/forceful/harsh sexual fantasies discussed pretty regularly. If you are sensitive to that, I wanted to flag it somewhere... it doesn't seem to be captured accurately in the content warnings section since it's imagined and not explicitly non-con. Take care.