gwenswoons 's review for:

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

5.0

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad fast-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

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I loved this more than anything. It is my favorite book I have read this year. I tried so hard to get it to last longer and longer but to no avail — barely got to spend a week with these beautiful, miraculous people and their story. I had never read any Annie Hartnett, but have already ordered all of her others. There is something just wild and precious about her writing, and about this book in particular: the tenderness and love with which Annie Hartnett renders and approaches each of these characters, every person full of flaws but still such irresistible humanity. I love the lightness of touch with which she handles such painful subjects — trauma, grief, loss, all the human ways we ache and suffer — and yet the book never loses hope or optimism even as it tussles with such heavy stuff. The cat character, Pancakes, is among the most memorable and hilarious beings I’ve ever encountered in all my life of reading (and of loving animals). Whew. What a miracle that books like this exist. I struggled a bit (am still struggling!) with the ending, but I loved every moment of this nonetheless — a book I held to my heart after I finished, which I sent right away to many friends, and which will be with me forever.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment