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bethpresley 's review for:
In Five Years
by Rebecca Serle
I went into this book having heard it would be SO good, SO sad, and probably one of the best things I would ever read. Overall, it was a good story and a good concept, but I think there could have been just a little bit more.
The whole idea of "Where do you see yourself in five years?" versus where you actually end up in five years was solid and realistic, and I appreciated that it wasn't a stereotypical journey and ending. While there are romantic elements in the book, it's definitely not a romance, but it is a love story. This book does a great job of dealing with loss, the grief associated with it, how grief manifests in different ways, and who you become afterward. No, it's not a super in-depth exploration of grief (because that would take so many books to cover), but it's a light, quick view of what people can experience and the choices they make because of it.
I liked that the story didn't end up the way you thought it would. I liked that Dannie's 5-year plan was derailed and altered, and that by the end of it, she was a different person. She showed growth throughout the story and faced some difficult realizations, and while it was sad and heartbreaking at times to watch her journey, I'm content with where she ended up. Usually, I like reading fiction to escape the downers of reality, but it was actually nice to get this little taste of real life without being over the top sad or morbid about the outcome.
Personally, I think the book could have been just a little longer to further watch Dannie in the aftermath of the story, BUT I get the appeal of leaving everything open-ended. It lets us make our own conclusions about where she goes from there, what she pursues, etc., but I just feel like it all was a bit rushed toward the end.
I loved Dannie and Bella's relationship and how they complimented each other SO well. I loved that even though they were polar opposites, they were still the absolute best friends through and through. Aaron was also a precious addition to the story. Even though we're not sure of the role he will play when we first meet him, he grows on you and you can't help but want him around constantly.
No, it was by no means the saddest book I've read or the best I've read, but it really was a good read! I'd recommend it if you want a friendship love story, a realistic look at what you plan versus what can happen in life, a brief exploration of grief and coping, and a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure!
The whole idea of "Where do you see yourself in five years?" versus where you actually end up in five years was solid and realistic, and I appreciated that it wasn't a stereotypical journey and ending. While there are romantic elements in the book, it's definitely not a romance, but it is a love story. This book does a great job of dealing with loss, the grief associated with it, how grief manifests in different ways, and who you become afterward. No, it's not a super in-depth exploration of grief (because that would take so many books to cover), but it's a light, quick view of what people can experience and the choices they make because of it.
I liked that the story didn't end up the way you thought it would. I liked that Dannie's 5-year plan was derailed and altered, and that by the end of it, she was a different person. She showed growth throughout the story and faced some difficult realizations, and while it was sad and heartbreaking at times to watch her journey, I'm content with where she ended up. Usually, I like reading fiction to escape the downers of reality, but it was actually nice to get this little taste of real life without being over the top sad or morbid about the outcome.
Personally, I think the book could have been just a little longer to further watch Dannie in the aftermath of the story, BUT I get the appeal of leaving everything open-ended. It lets us make our own conclusions about where she goes from there, what she pursues, etc., but I just feel like it all was a bit rushed toward the end.
I loved Dannie and Bella's relationship and how they complimented each other SO well. I loved that even though they were polar opposites, they were still the absolute best friends through and through. Aaron was also a precious addition to the story. Even though we're not sure of the role he will play when we first meet him, he grows on you and you can't help but want him around constantly.
No, it was by no means the saddest book I've read or the best I've read, but it really was a good read! I'd recommend it if you want a friendship love story, a realistic look at what you plan versus what can happen in life, a brief exploration of grief and coping, and a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure!