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Young Widows Club
Seventeen-year-old Tamsen Baird didn’t set out to become a teenage widow. All she did was fall in love and get married. But when her nineteen-year-old husband, Noah, dies suddenly in the middle of the night, her whole life changes. Now Tam is forced to return to the existence she thought she’d left behind—beginning with moving back home and finishing high school. But in order to overcome her loss and find her way forward, she’ll need to reinvent herself and reach out to others in ways she never imagined. She’ll need to open herself up to living—and even loving—again.
In Young Widows Club, Alexandra Coutts depicts a teenager whose struggle with grief and disappointment is heartbreakingly real and, in the end, powerfully uplifting.
In Young Widows Club, Alexandra Coutts depicts a teenager whose struggle with grief and disappointment is heartbreakingly real and, in the end, powerfully uplifting.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 10, 2015
5 people are currently reading
2071 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Coutts
2 books52 followersAlexandra Bullen Coutts has been a playwright, waitress, barista, gardener, script reader, yoga instructor and personal assistant. She grew up in Massachusetts, went to college in New York City, and lives most of the year full time on Martha’s Vineyard.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
November 15, 2015
Initial reaction: So, for the record: this was a huge improvement over "Tumble and Fall" in my opinion. Even with a story over such a difficult subject and the potential for connections, there were times when this book had me and other times it lost me. I think Tamsen's insecurities and feelings of loss were palpable, and certainly it wasn't an easy spell considering what she'd been through, but there were other things about this narrative that just didn't sit that well with me. I'm going to give myself a little bit to meditate on it and then write my full review, but it won't be posted here until closer to the book's release.
Full review:
"Young Widows Club" is definitely a book I've never come across in the scheme of YA before, and by the very nature of it, it's a unique premise and something worth reading about. But it's also a touchy topic because...it showcases a teen who marries very young, her new husband, Noah, unexpectedly dies in his sleep, and leaves her behind grapping with both her grief and wondering what to do with her life in the aftermath. I struggled with Coutts's last narrative because of a startling lack of intimacy with the character experiences and gravity for the scenario, but this book did marginally better with showing Tamsen's experiences and adjusting to so much change after the loss of her husband. (Notice I say "marginally" - more on that in a little bit.)
I really appreciated the focus on the grief group and Tamsen's coming to terms even while moving back home with her father and stepmother (which set up an interesting parallel because Tamsen's father married young, and her mother also passed away unexpectedly). Noah's parents are also involved in Tam's life, because they were helping Tam and Noah build a house for themselves. She returns to school reluctantly, but also tries to manage Noah's former band and finds that so much has changed since Noah's no longer part of the band that it gives her a significant amount of grief. And I'll admit, I felt for Tam because of the nature of her loss had not only changed her, but things around her. There's a caveat to this though - I feel like on one hand, Tam's narrative voice still felt at an odd distance. On the other, she's naturally humored and tries to pass off her grief with a distance in her humor. Realistic yes, but the narrative still felt like it didn't give an intimate eye to some of her experiences. Even Tam's memories of Noah were shortchanged and while I could feel her loss and coping, I couldn't fully connect with her relationship with Noah because of the way this narrative chose to narrate that part of her life.
The other thing that bothered me in this narrative was that I couldn't ship the "shipped" relationship here at all. She's 17, the second LI is 26 - that's a huge age gap. Granted, I'm not going to say that aspect isn't realistic because Tamsen's experiences had her mature very quickly in the grander scheme of things. I could also accept - to some degree - that her meeting someone in her grief group whom she connected with was plausible.
But dude, I still didn't really *get* the relationship between Tam and Colin. Colin - at first - seemed to be a nice guy, and I figured "Okay, maybe they'll have a point of connection because they unexpectedly lost someone and maybe be lifelong friends. I've even seen this happen with people in my personal circles, even one where the age gap was just over 10 years." But in this narrative, the overt shipping just didn't...work. Or feel acceptable to me for that matter. It felt awkward, even borderline creepy at times based on Colin's actions. I don't think the narrative treated it realistically. Considering also this is a YA book and not an adult book - you have to be careful about how you portray these kinds of relationships with your audience in mind. If this were an adult novel, and more vetted out with the relationship history, backgrounds, and coming to terms, I'd probably be more likely to see through it without judgment, but there was so much about this narrative that felt lacking despite bringing a different topic, even one in its nature controversial, to the table.
It's a mixed bag of a story for handling and portrayal, so I felt on the fence about it. I definitely appreciated the eye to Tamsen's grief and how it showed her moving forward in the aftermath of Noah's death while grappling with changes in her life and relationships, but there's so much working against it for lack of background, sensitivity to the relationships and mindfulness in how such tough subject come across, that I feel like the narrative didn't completely sell me on everything it was trying to do.
But at least this narrative makes me want to see what else Coutts has up her sleeve storywise.
Overall score: 3/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.
Full review:
"Young Widows Club" is definitely a book I've never come across in the scheme of YA before, and by the very nature of it, it's a unique premise and something worth reading about. But it's also a touchy topic because...it showcases a teen who marries very young, her new husband, Noah, unexpectedly dies in his sleep, and leaves her behind grapping with both her grief and wondering what to do with her life in the aftermath. I struggled with Coutts's last narrative because of a startling lack of intimacy with the character experiences and gravity for the scenario, but this book did marginally better with showing Tamsen's experiences and adjusting to so much change after the loss of her husband. (Notice I say "marginally" - more on that in a little bit.)
I really appreciated the focus on the grief group and Tamsen's coming to terms even while moving back home with her father and stepmother (which set up an interesting parallel because Tamsen's father married young, and her mother also passed away unexpectedly). Noah's parents are also involved in Tam's life, because they were helping Tam and Noah build a house for themselves. She returns to school reluctantly, but also tries to manage Noah's former band and finds that so much has changed since Noah's no longer part of the band that it gives her a significant amount of grief. And I'll admit, I felt for Tam because of the nature of her loss had not only changed her, but things around her. There's a caveat to this though - I feel like on one hand, Tam's narrative voice still felt at an odd distance. On the other, she's naturally humored and tries to pass off her grief with a distance in her humor. Realistic yes, but the narrative still felt like it didn't give an intimate eye to some of her experiences. Even Tam's memories of Noah were shortchanged and while I could feel her loss and coping, I couldn't fully connect with her relationship with Noah because of the way this narrative chose to narrate that part of her life.
The other thing that bothered me in this narrative was that I couldn't ship the "shipped" relationship here at all. She's 17, the second LI is 26 - that's a huge age gap. Granted, I'm not going to say that aspect isn't realistic because Tamsen's experiences had her mature very quickly in the grander scheme of things. I could also accept - to some degree - that her meeting someone in her grief group whom she connected with was plausible.
But dude, I still didn't really *get* the relationship between Tam and Colin. Colin - at first - seemed to be a nice guy, and I figured "Okay, maybe they'll have a point of connection because they unexpectedly lost someone and maybe be lifelong friends. I've even seen this happen with people in my personal circles, even one where the age gap was just over 10 years." But in this narrative, the overt shipping just didn't...work. Or feel acceptable to me for that matter. It felt awkward, even borderline creepy at times based on Colin's actions. I don't think the narrative treated it realistically. Considering also this is a YA book and not an adult book - you have to be careful about how you portray these kinds of relationships with your audience in mind. If this were an adult novel, and more vetted out with the relationship history, backgrounds, and coming to terms, I'd probably be more likely to see through it without judgment, but there was so much about this narrative that felt lacking despite bringing a different topic, even one in its nature controversial, to the table.
It's a mixed bag of a story for handling and portrayal, so I felt on the fence about it. I definitely appreciated the eye to Tamsen's grief and how it showed her moving forward in the aftermath of Noah's death while grappling with changes in her life and relationships, but there's so much working against it for lack of background, sensitivity to the relationships and mindfulness in how such tough subject come across, that I feel like the narrative didn't completely sell me on everything it was trying to do.
But at least this narrative makes me want to see what else Coutts has up her sleeve storywise.
Overall score: 3/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.
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July 31, 2018I really liked this book .. but. There are many buts...
First, let's talk about the weirdness, of which there was quite a bit. The premise of the book is that seventeen year-old Tamsen marries her nineteen year-old boyfriend, and then he dies. I've read a YA book in which high school students want to get married because one of them is about to be deported. I've read dystopian YA in which the characters are forced into a polygamous marriage or just forced into marriage. In fact, in YA dystopians and fairy tales, teens being forced into marriage is a common plot point.
So why did Tamsen and Noah willingly get married? The blurb suggests that she was trying to "escape from her claustrophobic life on the island," but that doesn't seem accurate to me. You don't need to be married to say, leave the island to go to college on the mainland. And after these teen lovebirds tie the knot, they don't escape from the island at all. They live in a Tiny House that Noah's dad built them. A house that's right next to Noah's parents' house. Uh, claustrophobic much?
Why does Tamsen say she got married? As she explains it, "I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Noah. Why wait?" Uh, because you're a seventeen year-old who can't even get married in the state of Massachusetts without parental permission. Because you haven't finished high school yet.
Next we have the problem of the inaccurate title. While "young widows club" is a very catchy one, there is really no such thing in the book. Yes, Tamsen joins a grief support group that is filled with widows and widowers. Many are relatively young (though Tamsen, that cruel, cruel girl, calls them "middle aged") Sorry to break it to you, but there is no club of teenaged widows in this story.
But when I managed to get past the gimmicky quality of the title and premise, I really liked this book. It's a quiet contemporary and I thought it was a moving grief story -- maybe one of the best grief stories that I've read recently. After Noah's death, Tamsen is confused. She's angry. She feels lost and alone. Many grief books add drama by having a character die under some sort of questionable circumstances, but Young Widows Club has Noah die in his sleep from some undiagnosed, congenital condition. I thought that was an interesting choice, because it made the book all about the grief.
The book's whole set-up was beautifully done as well. I think one of the hardest things about grief and loss is that the world just spins along, which feels confusing and wrong. In the story, Noah was in a band, and Tamsen has to deal with the fact that the band decides to move on without him, and to continue to use their old songs, many of which were written about Tamsen by Noah. There's a strong family element, as Tamsen's mother died when she was young and Tamsen's father remarried and had two more children. I really liked the way Tam's father had to struggle to come to terms with some of the ways he'd failed her as a parent as a result of his own grief, and how he worked hard to finally be the dad that she needed. And I loved the way the book showed that, in a grief situation, sometimes the people you thought you could count on let you down, but then you find support in completely unexpected places.
Okay, there's a bit more weirdness I didn't mention before. Let's just get it over with quickly, like pulling off a band-aid: Tamsen starts to fall for an older (*cough* twenty-six year-old *cough*) guy. In a regular YA without married teenagers who want to escape yet don't and then become widows, this kind of relationship would have been a huge deal breaker for me. But given all the other weirdness, I actually thought it worked. Go figure. It was a slow-moving and somewhat bumpy romance, which helped.
tl;tr: In the end, I really liked this. It's a very different book that you might expect, given the title. But if you're looking for a quiet sort of grief book, I suggest you give it a try.
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Check out my Bookstagram! Or check out my Jen In Ten reviews on Youtube - get the lowdown on current books in 10-30 seconds!
First, let's talk about the weirdness, of which there was quite a bit. The premise of the book is that seventeen year-old Tamsen marries her nineteen year-old boyfriend, and then he dies. I've read a YA book in which high school students want to get married because one of them is about to be deported. I've read dystopian YA in which the characters are forced into a polygamous marriage or just forced into marriage. In fact, in YA dystopians and fairy tales, teens being forced into marriage is a common plot point.
So why did Tamsen and Noah willingly get married? The blurb suggests that she was trying to "escape from her claustrophobic life on the island," but that doesn't seem accurate to me. You don't need to be married to say, leave the island to go to college on the mainland. And after these teen lovebirds tie the knot, they don't escape from the island at all. They live in a Tiny House that Noah's dad built them. A house that's right next to Noah's parents' house. Uh, claustrophobic much?
Why does Tamsen say she got married? As she explains it, "I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Noah. Why wait?" Uh, because you're a seventeen year-old who can't even get married in the state of Massachusetts without parental permission. Because you haven't finished high school yet.
Next we have the problem of the inaccurate title. While "young widows club" is a very catchy one, there is really no such thing in the book. Yes, Tamsen joins a grief support group that is filled with widows and widowers. Many are relatively young (though Tamsen, that cruel, cruel girl, calls them "middle aged") Sorry to break it to you, but there is no club of teenaged widows in this story.
But when I managed to get past the gimmicky quality of the title and premise, I really liked this book. It's a quiet contemporary and I thought it was a moving grief story -- maybe one of the best grief stories that I've read recently. After Noah's death, Tamsen is confused. She's angry. She feels lost and alone. Many grief books add drama by having a character die under some sort of questionable circumstances, but Young Widows Club has Noah die in his sleep from some undiagnosed, congenital condition. I thought that was an interesting choice, because it made the book all about the grief.
The book's whole set-up was beautifully done as well. I think one of the hardest things about grief and loss is that the world just spins along, which feels confusing and wrong. In the story, Noah was in a band, and Tamsen has to deal with the fact that the band decides to move on without him, and to continue to use their old songs, many of which were written about Tamsen by Noah. There's a strong family element, as Tamsen's mother died when she was young and Tamsen's father remarried and had two more children. I really liked the way Tam's father had to struggle to come to terms with some of the ways he'd failed her as a parent as a result of his own grief, and how he worked hard to finally be the dad that she needed. And I loved the way the book showed that, in a grief situation, sometimes the people you thought you could count on let you down, but then you find support in completely unexpected places.
Okay, there's a bit more weirdness I didn't mention before. Let's just get it over with quickly, like pulling off a band-aid: Tamsen starts to fall for an older (*cough* twenty-six year-old *cough*) guy. In a regular YA without married teenagers who want to escape yet don't and then become widows, this kind of relationship would have been a huge deal breaker for me. But given all the other weirdness, I actually thought it worked. Go figure. It was a slow-moving and somewhat bumpy romance, which helped.
tl;tr: In the end, I really liked this. It's a very different book that you might expect, given the title. But if you're looking for a quiet sort of grief book, I suggest you give it a try.
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Check out my Bookstagram! Or check out my Jen In Ten reviews on Youtube - get the lowdown on current books in 10-30 seconds!
August 1, 2015
Reader, I skimmed this.
A month or so ago, on Twitter, I asked out of curiosity if anyone knew whether or not young married girls belonged in YA. The general consensus was, "As long as the protagonist is YA-aged and the subject is presented in a way that makes sense for the audience, it goes."
And then, a few people asked me if I had The Young Widows' Club on my radar.
Let me be honest: from the bottom of my heart, I went in wanting to like this. It was a trope I was curious about, it seemed like it had the potential to be heartwrenchingly, touchingly dealt with, and the summary sounded like it'd live up to what it promised.
And I gave it a good old-fashioned try, but...I am just not connecting with it. At all. Compared to what I expected, it feels more like it is exploring the usual element of remarried parent, hating the stepmother for seemingly erasing the mom's memory, wanting to escape from school and live independently...the entire element of a lost marriage, and bereavement, felt like it took a backseat and was altogether forced.
Maybe I'll try this again. It might be just me, and not this book. But I got midway, skipped to the end and had some of my suspicions about where it was heading confirmed...and I think that's it for right now.
A month or so ago, on Twitter, I asked out of curiosity if anyone knew whether or not young married girls belonged in YA. The general consensus was, "As long as the protagonist is YA-aged and the subject is presented in a way that makes sense for the audience, it goes."
And then, a few people asked me if I had The Young Widows' Club on my radar.
Let me be honest: from the bottom of my heart, I went in wanting to like this. It was a trope I was curious about, it seemed like it had the potential to be heartwrenchingly, touchingly dealt with, and the summary sounded like it'd live up to what it promised.
And I gave it a good old-fashioned try, but...I am just not connecting with it. At all. Compared to what I expected, it feels more like it is exploring the usual element of remarried parent, hating the stepmother for seemingly erasing the mom's memory, wanting to escape from school and live independently...the entire element of a lost marriage, and bereavement, felt like it took a backseat and was altogether forced.
Maybe I'll try this again. It might be just me, and not this book. But I got midway, skipped to the end and had some of my suspicions about where it was heading confirmed...and I think that's it for right now.
January 17, 2016
I'm moonwalking away from this book muttering nope nope nope under my breath.
February 1, 2016
17-year-old Tamsen Baird dropped out of school to marry her 19-year-old sweetheart, only to have him die on her a month later. Suddenly on her own again, she is back to living with her parents and going to high school. She thought she had escaped. Now she has to remember how to live again.
The concept of this book fascinated me. A 17 year old widow? Talk about possibility. I loved the idea of a "teenager" who has become an "adult" having to go back to being a "teenager." Her grieving aside, that makes for an interesting setting. Adding on her grief/difficult home life only added more dimensions.
In some ways, this book lived up to my hopes. Tam is a strong, unique character. The author does a good job of capturing her grief. The "Young Widows" group could have used some more development, but it too provides a sympathetic look at women from different walks of life struggling with their loss.
Overall, this book does a good job of illustrating Tam's adjustment back into everyday life.
However, in the end it was still YA. Tam copes with her grief by becoming somewhat romantically involved with someone and though I found it understandable, even realistic, I did not like it at all. I felt frustrated every time they were together. He was too old for her and clearly emotionally not ready.
It was also frustrating how...mature Tam was. Although I came to this book drawn to the idea of a "maturer" heroine, I quickly realized that it would have been more true to her age to make her more of a teenager. I mean, yeah, she does a ton of stupid stuff (from breaking and entering to underage drinking) but emotionally she responds and acts like an adult. I just don't think it would happen that way. It jarred the rest of the story and her actions.
And while this didn't have a typical "happily ever after" ending, there was a sense that everything turned out okay. It was a little...disquieting. After all that, things are just going to keep on looking up?
Maybe?
Overall, though, a nice addition to the YA world. It is good to see a different kind of heroine on the "opposite" side of her romance.
The concept of this book fascinated me. A 17 year old widow? Talk about possibility. I loved the idea of a "teenager" who has become an "adult" having to go back to being a "teenager." Her grieving aside, that makes for an interesting setting. Adding on her grief/difficult home life only added more dimensions.
In some ways, this book lived up to my hopes. Tam is a strong, unique character. The author does a good job of capturing her grief. The "Young Widows" group could have used some more development, but it too provides a sympathetic look at women from different walks of life struggling with their loss.
Overall, this book does a good job of illustrating Tam's adjustment back into everyday life.
However, in the end it was still YA. Tam copes with her grief by becoming somewhat romantically involved with someone and though I found it understandable, even realistic, I did not like it at all. I felt frustrated every time they were together. He was too old for her and clearly emotionally not ready.
It was also frustrating how...mature Tam was. Although I came to this book drawn to the idea of a "maturer" heroine, I quickly realized that it would have been more true to her age to make her more of a teenager. I mean, yeah, she does a ton of stupid stuff (from breaking and entering to underage drinking) but emotionally she responds and acts like an adult. I just don't think it would happen that way. It jarred the rest of the story and her actions.
And while this didn't have a typical "happily ever after" ending, there was a sense that everything turned out okay. It was a little...disquieting. After all that, things are just going to keep on looking up?
Maybe?
Overall, though, a nice addition to the YA world. It is good to see a different kind of heroine on the "opposite" side of her romance.
August 11, 2015
Okay first I have to say that this book was both crazy and maddening for me. I loved to love it and I loved to hate it. I mean getting married at such an early age was a new one for me. I have been married for many years and it took me a lot to get married because it is a serious matter and when Tam got married she was happy until tragedy happened to her.
She is only 17 years old and she loses her husband. After losing her husband she knows she has to start her life all over again. She does not want to go back to her home town because there was nothing there for her so why go back to nothing. But she knows she has to do something to move on. Be fore she does she will go through a series of ups and downs and decides she needs to start a therapy group called The Young Widows Club.
This club will help Tam and others heal from the pain of the loss of a spouse. This book will have you both yelling and crying because it is so emotional.
She is only 17 years old and she loses her husband. After losing her husband she knows she has to start her life all over again. She does not want to go back to her home town because there was nothing there for her so why go back to nothing. But she knows she has to do something to move on. Be fore she does she will go through a series of ups and downs and decides she needs to start a therapy group called The Young Widows Club.
This club will help Tam and others heal from the pain of the loss of a spouse. This book will have you both yelling and crying because it is so emotional.
November 15, 2020
well I picked up this booking thinking that, as it is a story about a girl grieving after her husband of 6 weeks just died, I wouldn't have to endure a romance. Boy was I wrong. Not only does she hook up/ fall in love with, a guy who she met at a literal coping group for young widows meaning his wife had also died recently, just 6 months after her husbands death, THERE WAS A NINE YEAR AGE GAP!!. As in she was 17 and he was 26. SHE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, HE WAS LITERALLY A QUALIFIED LAWYER. Like what are straight people on???? (for legal reasons that was a joke) WHO ACTUALLY LOOKS AT THIS SENARIO AND THINKS 'OOOH A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP IDEA THATS WORTH THINKING/WRITING ABOUT'?????
Also it was like so badly written and all the other subplots sucked, as well as the characters
1.5 stars
Also it was like so badly written and all the other subplots sucked, as well as the characters
1.5 stars
July 8, 2015
How do you both like a dislike a book at the same time? This is the quandary that is Young Widows Club.
Review closer to release date. Maybe then I'll have a better sense of things.
Review closer to release date. Maybe then I'll have a better sense of things.
March 17, 2023
I liked this way more than I thought I would. This book is about a young woman who gets married at 17 and then loses her husband to a silent heart condition 6 weeks later. She wanted to get off the island they grew up on and be his band manager, so when he dies she not only loses her husband, but also her dreams for the future. She does some silly stuff that lands her in court and the sentence is to go back to school and attend a grief club for widows and widowers. She makes some funny friends and starts a close friendship with a guy who is 26 to her 17. I think thats most people's complaints about this book but their relationship for the most part was very chaste and didn't bother me. This book is about a girl coming into her own and finding out who she is and how to live again. She reconnects with old friends, examines relationships with current people, and decides what she actually wants. I thought it was good!
November 20, 2015
This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
This is a hard one, because there were quite a few things I quite liked about it, but there were also a few things that nagged me through the book.
Tam (short for Tamsen, which sounds like some kind of spice, not a girl's name) has just lost her husband, at seventeen. This is where I first was a little unsure of the story, of course. Because why is she married at seventeen? At first I'd assumed he would be in the military, or maybe even one of those A Walk to Remember situations where she knew he was dying, so they got married.
But alas, no. They just... did. Which kind of bugged me through the whole book. Noah (the husband) was nineteen and he died in his sleep of some heart thing that no one knew he had or whatever. Okay, that stuff happens. Obviously, Tam is devastated. She isn't in school because um... reasons? Noah is was in a band, and I guess she planned on being with them. This makes me sad for Tam on an entirely different level, because who drops out of high school at seventeen and plans to follow a local band around? I digress.
So Tam's plans for her life are basically derailed with Noah's death. She doesn't have a great relationship with her dad or stepmother, and pretty much clings to her old life with Noah. She stays in the house they were fixing up on his parents' property, she spends countless hours with the band, and wants so much for nothing else to change. In this respect, I felt that while it was sad, it was incredibly accurate. I can't imagine a widow, especially one as young and lost as Tam, just leaving everything behind and starting over. The problem was, Noah's band was moving on, and Tam wasn't really part of things anymore.
Eventually, Tam is forced (yes, forced, this isn't her choice) to return to school and to attend a widow support group. The widows aren't all young, as the title suggests. Tam is by far the youngest widow. But the group is a great mix of people with different experiences, and I think it added a lot to Tam's story. School does also, as Tam starts to realize that she can have friends and interests outside of Noah.
There's a bit of an additional romance too. It's another widow, though he is nine years Tam's senior. That didn't really bug me, because they obviously share a lot in common that most people of either of their ages would not understand. So at times, it was a little weird, but it was also not a fast moving romance, so it didn't seem wildly inappropriate, given the situation.
Tam's dad and stepmother seemed so unfeeling and unsympathetic. Though I guess for people who okayed their daughter's marriage at seventeen for no legitimate reason, it fit. Noah's parents were amazing. I loved them, and their love for Tam was evident. Even through their suffering, they looked out for Tam. Here's the problem I had: I didn't care about Noah. I mean, sad that a young person died, of course, but other than that? Eh. I didn't get any sense of who he was, honestly. And because of that, I felt like his death actually did Tam a huge favor. She'd never have gone to school, met new people, or really even had a chance to find out who she was.
Bottom Line: I enjoyed Tam's story and evolution. I wish I'd had more insight into why she'd given up her identity for Noah to begin with, but I enjoyed watching her grow without him all the same. I probably would have felt more if I hadn't been as apathetic about the loss.
This is a hard one, because there were quite a few things I quite liked about it, but there were also a few things that nagged me through the book.
Tam (short for Tamsen, which sounds like some kind of spice, not a girl's name) has just lost her husband, at seventeen. This is where I first was a little unsure of the story, of course. Because why is she married at seventeen? At first I'd assumed he would be in the military, or maybe even one of those A Walk to Remember situations where she knew he was dying, so they got married.
But alas, no. They just... did. Which kind of bugged me through the whole book. Noah (the husband) was nineteen and he died in his sleep of some heart thing that no one knew he had or whatever. Okay, that stuff happens. Obviously, Tam is devastated. She isn't in school because um... reasons? Noah is was in a band, and I guess she planned on being with them. This makes me sad for Tam on an entirely different level, because who drops out of high school at seventeen and plans to follow a local band around? I digress.
So Tam's plans for her life are basically derailed with Noah's death. She doesn't have a great relationship with her dad or stepmother, and pretty much clings to her old life with Noah. She stays in the house they were fixing up on his parents' property, she spends countless hours with the band, and wants so much for nothing else to change. In this respect, I felt that while it was sad, it was incredibly accurate. I can't imagine a widow, especially one as young and lost as Tam, just leaving everything behind and starting over. The problem was, Noah's band was moving on, and Tam wasn't really part of things anymore.
Eventually, Tam is forced (yes, forced, this isn't her choice) to return to school and to attend a widow support group. The widows aren't all young, as the title suggests. Tam is by far the youngest widow. But the group is a great mix of people with different experiences, and I think it added a lot to Tam's story. School does also, as Tam starts to realize that she can have friends and interests outside of Noah.
There's a bit of an additional romance too. It's another widow, though he is nine years Tam's senior. That didn't really bug me, because they obviously share a lot in common that most people of either of their ages would not understand. So at times, it was a little weird, but it was also not a fast moving romance, so it didn't seem wildly inappropriate, given the situation.
Tam's dad and stepmother seemed so unfeeling and unsympathetic. Though I guess for people who okayed their daughter's marriage at seventeen for no legitimate reason, it fit. Noah's parents were amazing. I loved them, and their love for Tam was evident. Even through their suffering, they looked out for Tam. Here's the problem I had: I didn't care about Noah. I mean, sad that a young person died, of course, but other than that? Eh. I didn't get any sense of who he was, honestly. And because of that, I felt like his death actually did Tam a huge favor. She'd never have gone to school, met new people, or really even had a chance to find out who she was.
Bottom Line: I enjoyed Tam's story and evolution. I wish I'd had more insight into why she'd given up her identity for Noah to begin with, but I enjoyed watching her grow without him all the same. I probably would have felt more if I hadn't been as apathetic about the loss.
July 20, 2021
1.5 Stars...
This had potential in that the premise was interesting, however I wasn't impressed with the execution. There were times when Tam came off as a selfish brat. I hated the way she felt like her father couldn't relate to her pain when in fact his own wife (Tam's mother) had died when she was younger. I also didn't like the fact that people who were trying to help were criticized for not knowing the right things to say. Which is ironic because if they said nothing at all I'm sure Tam would have found fault with that too. She did get better toward the end though which was nice to see, but even then I still didn't like her very much.
Another issue I had was I felt nothing for Tam or any of the characters. Yes, people were grieving, but I didn't feel moved by their stories. The only time I felt true emotion was when Mitch showed up and Tam and Colin were in the house and Mitch was hurt by it. That's it!
As for Colin.... What was that about??? Why was he even in the story at all? The book didn't need a weird inappropriate "romance" between a minor and a man 9 years older than her. There was not one thing I liked about Colin. He was such a creepy character that made every red flag wave high (like when he drove Tam onto a "dirt road" in the middle of nowhere). First of all, what are you doing with a 17 year old kid and I don't care if she had been married, it's still illegal for you to be with her. I hated the way Colin made sure that every time he was around Tam, her father was no where to be found. He never present himself to her father like a decent man, but rather tried to have sex with her in her father's house when he was not home. He even had the nerve to ask Tam if she was sure it was ok for him to have sex with her. Ummm..... (screaming internally) who cares if she says it's ok you manipulative jerk, she is a MINOR!!! I thought Colin was disgusting and honestly I hated every second that his presence was in the book.
If it had not been for that creeper I would have given this a 3, but no I just can't get over a 26 year old professional lawyer taking advantage of a teenage girl who is emotionally unstable. Nope not around here---go take your oysters/clams and go shuck them elsewhere cause we see you buddy------>WE SEE YOU!
I mean really, is the reader suppose to actually cheer Tam and Colin on? (SMH). If a romance of sorts was really that necessary, why couldn't Tam have meet someone in her HIGH SCHOOL around her age? I just don't get it----9 years?
Other than the big fail of a romance, the book was just ok. I did like Tam's dad and Noah's parents. Lula and the Eugene were alright too, but overall, the book fell a bit flat for me. It was missing heart, more emotion, and rawness. I would not recommend this one.
Content: no actual sex. There is one scene that gets kind of graphic between Tam and Colin taking clothes off/touching, but they end up not having sex because they get interrupted. Some kissing.
Language: Some, but not too much. (I think there was only 1 f-bomb)
This had potential in that the premise was interesting, however I wasn't impressed with the execution. There were times when Tam came off as a selfish brat. I hated the way she felt like her father couldn't relate to her pain when in fact his own wife (Tam's mother) had died when she was younger. I also didn't like the fact that people who were trying to help were criticized for not knowing the right things to say. Which is ironic because if they said nothing at all I'm sure Tam would have found fault with that too. She did get better toward the end though which was nice to see, but even then I still didn't like her very much.
Another issue I had was I felt nothing for Tam or any of the characters. Yes, people were grieving, but I didn't feel moved by their stories. The only time I felt true emotion was when Mitch showed up and Tam and Colin were in the house and Mitch was hurt by it. That's it!
As for Colin.... What was that about??? Why was he even in the story at all? The book didn't need a weird inappropriate "romance" between a minor and a man 9 years older than her. There was not one thing I liked about Colin. He was such a creepy character that made every red flag wave high (like when he drove Tam onto a "dirt road" in the middle of nowhere). First of all, what are you doing with a 17 year old kid and I don't care if she had been married, it's still illegal for you to be with her. I hated the way Colin made sure that every time he was around Tam, her father was no where to be found. He never present himself to her father like a decent man, but rather tried to have sex with her in her father's house when he was not home. He even had the nerve to ask Tam if she was sure it was ok for him to have sex with her. Ummm..... (screaming internally) who cares if she says it's ok you manipulative jerk, she is a MINOR!!! I thought Colin was disgusting and honestly I hated every second that his presence was in the book.
If it had not been for that creeper I would have given this a 3, but no I just can't get over a 26 year old professional lawyer taking advantage of a teenage girl who is emotionally unstable. Nope not around here---go take your oysters/clams and go shuck them elsewhere cause we see you buddy------>WE SEE YOU!
I mean really, is the reader suppose to actually cheer Tam and Colin on? (SMH). If a romance of sorts was really that necessary, why couldn't Tam have meet someone in her HIGH SCHOOL around her age? I just don't get it----9 years?
Other than the big fail of a romance, the book was just ok. I did like Tam's dad and Noah's parents. Lula and the Eugene were alright too, but overall, the book fell a bit flat for me. It was missing heart, more emotion, and rawness. I would not recommend this one.
Content: no actual sex. There is one scene that gets kind of graphic between Tam and Colin taking clothes off/touching, but they end up not having sex because they get interrupted. Some kissing.
Language: Some, but not too much. (I think there was only 1 f-bomb)
October 5, 2017
For a book that's about a variety of emotional subjects (the death of a parent, the death of a spouse, the stages of grief, therapy, learning to love again), this was disappointingly unemotional. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters and the story lines seemed to be quickly addressed and wrapped up without any development or drama. Don't get me wrong--I don't think this needed to be some melodramatic soap opera, but it definitely needed more than it gave.
January 5, 2018
Started off with so much potential, then went down hill. I ended up skimming to the end.
June 21, 2017
I saw this on the shelf at the library and picked it up on a whim. I found Tamsen's journey through grief worth reading. I also thought it was interesting to see her pick up the pieces of her life and plan a new journey when the first one she had chosen so clearly didn't work out. I liked the relationship she developed with her family. I liked the descriptions of island life. It made me think of maybe Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard. There is a little swearing and a little bit of a sex scene but not too detailed.
Here are some excerpts I found interesting.
"Upstairs the bath is running, and Dad is trying to convince Gracie not to wear her tutu in the water. The tutu was a gift from Albie, in the sense that Juliet bought it and wrapped it and made Albie give it to her first thing this morning, an attempt to ward off any sibling-birthday envy. Apparently this is something Juliet and her three sisters all did growing up. The kid with the birthday gives the other kids presents before opening up his own. I was an only child, at least until Albie and Grace came along, so maybe I just don't get it, but it seems like a weird and unfair tradition to me."
"'You used to ask a lot of questions.'
I open my eyes. Her pencil is poised above the black and white boxes, and she rolls it gently between her fingers and thumb.
'When you were little,' she says. 'I don't think I've ever met a more inquisitive kid. You drove us all nuts.'
Dad used to give me an encyclopedia every year for my birthday, an old, used volume that he made me promise to consult before asking him something he didn't know the answer to. Unfortunately, each book only covered a few letters, and it was hard to be curious alphabetically.
The judge taps the steering wheel with the eraser of her pencil. 'But your mother was a saint,' she says, with a smile. 'She would answer every one. Even when she obviously had no idea what you were talking about. Where do words come from? Why is the moon following me? She'd make something up.'"
"You've been dealt some unfair cards. I know that. Nobody should have to know the things you know already. But you can't un-know them now. You don't get to pretend. You don't get to fake your way through this."
"This is real. This is your life. It's the beginning, and what happens next is up to you."
"Juliet complains about having a dishwasher every other night, but it's never bothered me, and dishes are usually my chore. There's something about standing at the sink, warm water running over my forearms as I stare through the window, that's sort of meditative."
"I feel a tickle and realize that he's playing with the back of my hair. It falls softly out of its bun and I comb it away form my face. He pulls his arm back and scratches a spot on his elbow, as if maybe my head had just gotten in the way, en route."
"'You know how everyone says it's like a part of you dies?'
'Sorry?'
'I mean, after something . . . when somebody . . . '
'Oh,' he says, smiling. 'Just one of the hundreds of gems I get on a daily basis. My favorite it "One day at a time." I mean, what, exactly is the alternative? Is there a way to get through it faster? Month by month? Year by year? Because that would be awesome. Sign me up.'
'Totally.' I realize that with him, it doesn't feel like talking about this tuff is just what's expected of me. Hoops to jump through. A chore. It feels like something that might actually help.
'I don't know,' I go on. 'I guess . . . I sort of wish it was true. I wish a part of me died when Noah died. But it didn't. I'm still here. All of me. And everything's still so screwed up. No matter how many times I promise to change, to be better, to do better. At the end of the day it's still me trying to figure [it all out].' I wring my fingers together in my lap. 'It just seems unfair. Like I should get a pass or something.'"
"I remember the first time we talked, on the bench outside the gym. She seemed so together. And I was so lost. They say it comes in waves, grief, that it never really leaves you. I wonder if you ever get used to it, or if it hits like a tsunami every time."
Here are some excerpts I found interesting.
"Upstairs the bath is running, and Dad is trying to convince Gracie not to wear her tutu in the water. The tutu was a gift from Albie, in the sense that Juliet bought it and wrapped it and made Albie give it to her first thing this morning, an attempt to ward off any sibling-birthday envy. Apparently this is something Juliet and her three sisters all did growing up. The kid with the birthday gives the other kids presents before opening up his own. I was an only child, at least until Albie and Grace came along, so maybe I just don't get it, but it seems like a weird and unfair tradition to me."
"'You used to ask a lot of questions.'
I open my eyes. Her pencil is poised above the black and white boxes, and she rolls it gently between her fingers and thumb.
'When you were little,' she says. 'I don't think I've ever met a more inquisitive kid. You drove us all nuts.'
Dad used to give me an encyclopedia every year for my birthday, an old, used volume that he made me promise to consult before asking him something he didn't know the answer to. Unfortunately, each book only covered a few letters, and it was hard to be curious alphabetically.
The judge taps the steering wheel with the eraser of her pencil. 'But your mother was a saint,' she says, with a smile. 'She would answer every one. Even when she obviously had no idea what you were talking about. Where do words come from? Why is the moon following me? She'd make something up.'"
"You've been dealt some unfair cards. I know that. Nobody should have to know the things you know already. But you can't un-know them now. You don't get to pretend. You don't get to fake your way through this."
"This is real. This is your life. It's the beginning, and what happens next is up to you."
"Juliet complains about having a dishwasher every other night, but it's never bothered me, and dishes are usually my chore. There's something about standing at the sink, warm water running over my forearms as I stare through the window, that's sort of meditative."
"I feel a tickle and realize that he's playing with the back of my hair. It falls softly out of its bun and I comb it away form my face. He pulls his arm back and scratches a spot on his elbow, as if maybe my head had just gotten in the way, en route."
"'You know how everyone says it's like a part of you dies?'
'Sorry?'
'I mean, after something . . . when somebody . . . '
'Oh,' he says, smiling. 'Just one of the hundreds of gems I get on a daily basis. My favorite it "One day at a time." I mean, what, exactly is the alternative? Is there a way to get through it faster? Month by month? Year by year? Because that would be awesome. Sign me up.'
'Totally.' I realize that with him, it doesn't feel like talking about this tuff is just what's expected of me. Hoops to jump through. A chore. It feels like something that might actually help.
'I don't know,' I go on. 'I guess . . . I sort of wish it was true. I wish a part of me died when Noah died. But it didn't. I'm still here. All of me. And everything's still so screwed up. No matter how many times I promise to change, to be better, to do better. At the end of the day it's still me trying to figure [it all out].' I wring my fingers together in my lap. 'It just seems unfair. Like I should get a pass or something.'"
"I remember the first time we talked, on the bench outside the gym. She seemed so together. And I was so lost. They say it comes in waves, grief, that it never really leaves you. I wonder if you ever get used to it, or if it hits like a tsunami every time."
May 2, 2016
This review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
A few years ago, I fell in love with Alexandra's angelic trilogy also known as the lovely Halo trilogy. I do not know if I would still love it to this day, because my tastes have definitely changed and I cannot really call myself a fan of paranormal fiction anymore (and probably will never call myself a fan of that ever again), but I loved it. And then, Tumble and Fall was released and I fell out of love with Alexandra's writing. I was hesitant to give this beauty a chance, but it turned out to be beautiful, just like I first experienced in Halo. Young Widows Club features a concept that no author has ever battled before. I do not know if it is because authors are scared, or because no author has ever thought about it before. All in all, I must say that a teenage character being a widow is a first.
Reading the title, I expected something a little different. In fact, I expected this novel that was supposed to be all about characters who are all widows. Characters as in a plural word. I expected a group of girls who are each battling their own demons after experiencing horrible circumstances in the past. I don't know why I expected that, having read the summary a little bit (I never like to spoil it too much for me). Anyways, I must say that this turned out to be such a stellar read.
The Reasons WHY YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON THIS STORY:
1. UNO. It's super sad. I love sad books—not because I enjoy when characters get depressed (that's just savaged) but because those books make my feels squirt around and go crazy. I love when books MAKE ME GET THE FEELS. This book did it wonderfully. We see grief (obviously) and themes that are not featured in some of the saddest YA books but are featured here. I love the character relationships too.
2. TAMSEN, THE MAIN CHARACTER. Tamsen's character is a representation of how many people overcome grief. She's such a great person overall and Alexandra added just the right amount emotion into her to make her story seem real. I liked her independence (sass, at times), and personality as a whole.
3. The Ending. Puzzle pieces, people. Everything was placed together beautifully. I LEGITIMATELY HAD TEARS IN MY EYES. I cannot relive these moments again.
~~
I was bothered by the romance. HONESTLY? PLEASSSEEE WHY?! I understand that books are written for readers' entertainment, but I was not entertained by Tamsen's new romance/love story at all. This is a story about grief, my friends, and not a new connection. *yawns*
Young Widows Club was ten times more better than I expected. I loved how concerned I felt with it all and how entitled I felt to continue reading it in a sitting. It is extremely light, quick, but meaningful to everyone, even though some of us have not yet experienced love. It's a rare find that makes you want to feel all angst-y and upset. But hey, a lot of us are teenagers, and we sometimes overreact. This was not a young woman's overreaction... at all.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*
A few years ago, I fell in love with Alexandra's angelic trilogy also known as the lovely Halo trilogy. I do not know if I would still love it to this day, because my tastes have definitely changed and I cannot really call myself a fan of paranormal fiction anymore (and probably will never call myself a fan of that ever again), but I loved it. And then, Tumble and Fall was released and I fell out of love with Alexandra's writing. I was hesitant to give this beauty a chance, but it turned out to be beautiful, just like I first experienced in Halo. Young Widows Club features a concept that no author has ever battled before. I do not know if it is because authors are scared, or because no author has ever thought about it before. All in all, I must say that a teenage character being a widow is a first.
Reading the title, I expected something a little different. In fact, I expected this novel that was supposed to be all about characters who are all widows. Characters as in a plural word. I expected a group of girls who are each battling their own demons after experiencing horrible circumstances in the past. I don't know why I expected that, having read the summary a little bit (I never like to spoil it too much for me). Anyways, I must say that this turned out to be such a stellar read.
The Reasons WHY YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON THIS STORY:
1. UNO. It's super sad. I love sad books—not because I enjoy when characters get depressed (that's just savaged) but because those books make my feels squirt around and go crazy. I love when books MAKE ME GET THE FEELS. This book did it wonderfully. We see grief (obviously) and themes that are not featured in some of the saddest YA books but are featured here. I love the character relationships too.
2. TAMSEN, THE MAIN CHARACTER. Tamsen's character is a representation of how many people overcome grief. She's such a great person overall and Alexandra added just the right amount emotion into her to make her story seem real. I liked her independence (sass, at times), and personality as a whole.
3. The Ending. Puzzle pieces, people. Everything was placed together beautifully. I LEGITIMATELY HAD TEARS IN MY EYES. I cannot relive these moments again.
~~
I was bothered by the romance. HONESTLY? PLEASSSEEE WHY?! I understand that books are written for readers' entertainment, but I was not entertained by Tamsen's new romance/love story at all. This is a story about grief, my friends, and not a new connection. *yawns*
Young Widows Club was ten times more better than I expected. I loved how concerned I felt with it all and how entitled I felt to continue reading it in a sitting. It is extremely light, quick, but meaningful to everyone, even though some of us have not yet experienced love. It's a rare find that makes you want to feel all angst-y and upset. But hey, a lot of us are teenagers, and we sometimes overreact. This was not a young woman's overreaction... at all.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*
October 10, 2015
3 stars (liked it)
I wanted to read Young Widows Club because I am drawn to books about death and dying, and ones that deal with grief. I lost my dad, and my mom is dealing with being a widow, so I feel like I can empathize and sympathize with Tam. Books like this help me because it gives a glimpse into other's emotions and grief process. I appreciate that everyone is different and deals with big feelings like this in other ways.
The book starts on the day of his funeral, and Tam is definitely a mess. We get to see the depth of her emotion, and it sets things up for the rest of the book. Family is an interesting element in this one. Tam's dad has changed a lot since marrying her stepmom, and Tam has a hard time wrapping her head around it. I did like her interactions with the siblings though. As far as Tam and Noah's family, they were helping them build a house, so I did appreciate that dynamic, that they supported them even though they were young.
She gets in trouble though, and she is back at home with her dad and stepmom as well as back in school. Some things are the same as before, and others changed so much. She still tries to manage and help the band, even though they have a new singer, and it hurts her heart and always makes her think about Noah.
I like that she is back in school, even though she doesn't put a lot of effort into it at first, which I can understand to some level with the grief, but I guess I also just really didn't like that she dropped out of high school to start with. I know that each person has their own choices and decisions, and staying in school is one of them, but that is part of her recklessness and bad decision making that bugged me about her.
Maybe it is just because I am so different than her, I was a rule follower, liked school and keeping up appearances, and pleasing others. But that rebellion, the questioning and pushing had always been a part of who she was, and she just made different choices for her life. She did do a lot of growing, some through the help of an old friend, other through the court mandated support group, and yet more self realization from just letting herself go through the cycles of grief, and realizing that she has to make her future, no matter how much the past and what is going on with her hurts in that moment.
The support group that she was a part of was very unconventional and I liked that. It wasn't just sit in a circle and share time, although that def has its place and its own way of healing. But the leader took them on outings, helping to demonstrate the different stages of grief, and also ways to cope with the pain.
Overall I enjoyed even with my few issues with Tam. She grew and realized a lot about herself and worked her way through some of her grief.
Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC (advanced review copy). I am not paid for this review, and my opinions in this review are mine, and are not effected by the book being free.
Source: Macmillan via Netgalley
Bottom Line: Interesting premise in the ya genre, liked execution.
I wanted to read Young Widows Club because I am drawn to books about death and dying, and ones that deal with grief. I lost my dad, and my mom is dealing with being a widow, so I feel like I can empathize and sympathize with Tam. Books like this help me because it gives a glimpse into other's emotions and grief process. I appreciate that everyone is different and deals with big feelings like this in other ways.
The book starts on the day of his funeral, and Tam is definitely a mess. We get to see the depth of her emotion, and it sets things up for the rest of the book. Family is an interesting element in this one. Tam's dad has changed a lot since marrying her stepmom, and Tam has a hard time wrapping her head around it. I did like her interactions with the siblings though. As far as Tam and Noah's family, they were helping them build a house, so I did appreciate that dynamic, that they supported them even though they were young.
She gets in trouble though, and she is back at home with her dad and stepmom as well as back in school. Some things are the same as before, and others changed so much. She still tries to manage and help the band, even though they have a new singer, and it hurts her heart and always makes her think about Noah.
I like that she is back in school, even though she doesn't put a lot of effort into it at first, which I can understand to some level with the grief, but I guess I also just really didn't like that she dropped out of high school to start with. I know that each person has their own choices and decisions, and staying in school is one of them, but that is part of her recklessness and bad decision making that bugged me about her.
Maybe it is just because I am so different than her, I was a rule follower, liked school and keeping up appearances, and pleasing others. But that rebellion, the questioning and pushing had always been a part of who she was, and she just made different choices for her life. She did do a lot of growing, some through the help of an old friend, other through the court mandated support group, and yet more self realization from just letting herself go through the cycles of grief, and realizing that she has to make her future, no matter how much the past and what is going on with her hurts in that moment.
The support group that she was a part of was very unconventional and I liked that. It wasn't just sit in a circle and share time, although that def has its place and its own way of healing. But the leader took them on outings, helping to demonstrate the different stages of grief, and also ways to cope with the pain.
Overall I enjoyed even with my few issues with Tam. She grew and realized a lot about herself and worked her way through some of her grief.
Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC (advanced review copy). I am not paid for this review, and my opinions in this review are mine, and are not effected by the book being free.
Source: Macmillan via Netgalley
Bottom Line: Interesting premise in the ya genre, liked execution.
December 4, 2015
Meh, kind of boring. For such a sad subject, I really didn't feel any emotions or connections to the main character. (Very mild spoiler in the next sentence, so beware) I was also a bit creeped out over the fact that she was 17 and the new love interest was 26. What was the point in making that big of an age difference? I couldn't fully ship anything, especially when she didn't have her life together at all. Overall a decent, quick read but I can't say that I really liked it all that much.
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Full review:
Sigh. For a book with such a sad premise, I sure didn’t feel anything. I wasn’t expecting to like this one that much but I wanted to try it out anyways. The writing wasn’t too bad but the feels and emotions were just straight up nonexistent for me.
Tamsen (weird name) got married to her longtime boyfriend Noah when she was just seventeen. Six weeks later, he dies unexpectedly in his sleep. She’s reeling and not sure what to do with herself. Her entire life revolved around him and his band; she even dropped out of high school to work on band manager stuff. The book focused on Tam’s life six months after he passes away. She’s forced to join a Young Widows Club, go back to high school, and think about getting her life back on track.
The overall premise of the book was pretty good and interesting enough. Tam as a character was super boring because she didn’t have a life or interests aside from Noah and his friends. Moving on from his death was a huge deal because she had to figure out what kind of future she actually wanted, without him in it. She spends time getting back in touch with her old friend Lula (another weird name) and repairing her relationship with her dad and stepmother.
Like I said, I definitely didn’t feel a lot of emotion from this book. Her struggles in finding herself and moving on were at the forefront, but they still didn’t feel real to me. They weren’t fully fleshed out. Looking back, it really doesn’t feel like anything happened. This is the kind of book that could benefit from another 50 pages or so of details added throughout. There weren’t enough memories of Noah for me to feel anything, enough information about her family or what happened to their relationship when she decided to get married, or even enough about the Young Widows Club (which was given the most attention out of everything, I think).
The Young Widows Club was a cool concept in the book. I liked their group exploring the stages of grief and trying to move on. Colin, one of the people in the group with Tam, is a 26 year old widow that lost his wife to cancer. I was creeped out by him View Spoiler » Just, NOPE.
I liked the ending. I think it left some things to the imagination but was very hopeful. You can assume what may or may not happen next without having everything laid out perfectly. I can’t really say that I recommend this book because it was pretty boring and middle-of-the-road, but if you’re interested in the topic I’d just give it a shot. I don’t regret reading it but it certainly didn’t leave a lasting impression.
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Full review:
Sigh. For a book with such a sad premise, I sure didn’t feel anything. I wasn’t expecting to like this one that much but I wanted to try it out anyways. The writing wasn’t too bad but the feels and emotions were just straight up nonexistent for me.
Tamsen (weird name) got married to her longtime boyfriend Noah when she was just seventeen. Six weeks later, he dies unexpectedly in his sleep. She’s reeling and not sure what to do with herself. Her entire life revolved around him and his band; she even dropped out of high school to work on band manager stuff. The book focused on Tam’s life six months after he passes away. She’s forced to join a Young Widows Club, go back to high school, and think about getting her life back on track.
The overall premise of the book was pretty good and interesting enough. Tam as a character was super boring because she didn’t have a life or interests aside from Noah and his friends. Moving on from his death was a huge deal because she had to figure out what kind of future she actually wanted, without him in it. She spends time getting back in touch with her old friend Lula (another weird name) and repairing her relationship with her dad and stepmother.
Like I said, I definitely didn’t feel a lot of emotion from this book. Her struggles in finding herself and moving on were at the forefront, but they still didn’t feel real to me. They weren’t fully fleshed out. Looking back, it really doesn’t feel like anything happened. This is the kind of book that could benefit from another 50 pages or so of details added throughout. There weren’t enough memories of Noah for me to feel anything, enough information about her family or what happened to their relationship when she decided to get married, or even enough about the Young Widows Club (which was given the most attention out of everything, I think).
The Young Widows Club was a cool concept in the book. I liked their group exploring the stages of grief and trying to move on. Colin, one of the people in the group with Tam, is a 26 year old widow that lost his wife to cancer. I was creeped out by him View Spoiler » Just, NOPE.
I liked the ending. I think it left some things to the imagination but was very hopeful. You can assume what may or may not happen next without having everything laid out perfectly. I can’t really say that I recommend this book because it was pretty boring and middle-of-the-road, but if you’re interested in the topic I’d just give it a shot. I don’t regret reading it but it certainly didn’t leave a lasting impression.
December 1, 2015
**My original review can be found here, at No BS Book Reviews! Check it out!
While the synopsis sounded very heartfelt and meaningful, I have to admit that I am left slightly underwhelmed.
Paige married her first love before she even turned 18. Six weeks later, she finds herself a widow. My first problem here is how easily she seemed to get married at 17. We did not get too much backstory on how that whole situation went down. My next issue is that we never were given a really clear reason why she felt so necessary to drop out of school and get married. I mean, usually when things like this happen, pregnancy is involved. No offense to anyone, that is just realistic. I was in love in high school. We got married…. in our twenties. So I, personally, needed a better reason than “because she wanted too” or “because she didn’t like her step mommy”. It’s not even like she was some big time teenage rebel. I just need a decent reason for this story to be reasonable for me.
Then there is a new love interest. Which I thought was great, because she is so young, and there are going to be other love interests, and she will have to move on eventually. I actually really liked him. There was one glaring problem with them though that was only mentioned once in the entire book. View Spoiler » So there’s that. Also, the way the story between the two of them wrapped up really left me just feeling so blah, like, there was so much potential there.
Paige does manage to learn to deal with her sadness and anger in a productive way, and gets her life back on track. She mends some broken relationships and comes to terms with many things. The story was sweet, cute, and funny at times. Dealing with death is very hard, especially at a young age. I know from experience. So I am sure writing a book about it is pretty complicated as well. I suppose in the end I just was neither super happy or sad or disappointed…. it was just eeehhhh. Like an average YA contemporary, but unique in the fact that we don’t see many protagonists who are widows. I think many YA contemporaries are just not for me, so for people who enjoy YA contemporary, then you may like this much more than I did!
While the synopsis sounded very heartfelt and meaningful, I have to admit that I am left slightly underwhelmed.
Paige married her first love before she even turned 18. Six weeks later, she finds herself a widow. My first problem here is how easily she seemed to get married at 17. We did not get too much backstory on how that whole situation went down. My next issue is that we never were given a really clear reason why she felt so necessary to drop out of school and get married. I mean, usually when things like this happen, pregnancy is involved. No offense to anyone, that is just realistic. I was in love in high school. We got married…. in our twenties. So I, personally, needed a better reason than “because she wanted too” or “because she didn’t like her step mommy”. It’s not even like she was some big time teenage rebel. I just need a decent reason for this story to be reasonable for me.
Then there is a new love interest. Which I thought was great, because she is so young, and there are going to be other love interests, and she will have to move on eventually. I actually really liked him. There was one glaring problem with them though that was only mentioned once in the entire book. View Spoiler » So there’s that. Also, the way the story between the two of them wrapped up really left me just feeling so blah, like, there was so much potential there.
Paige does manage to learn to deal with her sadness and anger in a productive way, and gets her life back on track. She mends some broken relationships and comes to terms with many things. The story was sweet, cute, and funny at times. Dealing with death is very hard, especially at a young age. I know from experience. So I am sure writing a book about it is pretty complicated as well. I suppose in the end I just was neither super happy or sad or disappointed…. it was just eeehhhh. Like an average YA contemporary, but unique in the fact that we don’t see many protagonists who are widows. I think many YA contemporaries are just not for me, so for people who enjoy YA contemporary, then you may like this much more than I did!
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August 25, 2015YOUNG WIDOWS CLUB was a touching exploration of grief and finding yourself after tragedy. Tam Baird dropped out of high school to marry her musician boyfriend and act as manager for his band. They began dating when Tam was an eighth grader and Noah was a sophomore. They got to spend almost no time together after they married because Noah died in his sleep just six weeks later.
Since then Tam has been camping in the house Noah and his father were building for them and just drifting through life with no plans and no goals. When she and another of Noah's bandmate friends break into a summer home and swim in the indoor pool, they are caught by the police and arrested. After going to juvenile court, presided over by a friend of her late mother's, Tam is sentenced to return to high school and to attend a young widows group.
Going back to high school lets her connect with her childhood friend Lula Bee and the support group introduces her to a number of other widows and widowers. None of them are really young. The closest is Colin who is a twenty-six year old lawyer hiding out in his parents' summer home after his wife died from ovarian cancer. Tam things the activities planned by the group leader are odd but, having been through therapy after her mother's dead in a hit and run accident when Tam was ten, she feels she knows how to game the system and say what the leader wants to hear.
This story works its way through the stages of grief as Tam has good days and bad days. Like Bunny, the support group leader says, the different stages don't come in order and don't end. Tam and Colin become close which makes Tam feel guilty. She also starts exploring things for her future that wouldn't have been a part of her life if Noah had lived which also makes her feel guilty and uncertain.
This was a very touching story. I liked the support that Tam receives from Lula Bee and from others on the island. I liked that she was finally able to connect with her father about how he moved on from her mother's death. I liked that the ending was hopeful and that Tam was exploring new options and moving on.
Since then Tam has been camping in the house Noah and his father were building for them and just drifting through life with no plans and no goals. When she and another of Noah's bandmate friends break into a summer home and swim in the indoor pool, they are caught by the police and arrested. After going to juvenile court, presided over by a friend of her late mother's, Tam is sentenced to return to high school and to attend a young widows group.
Going back to high school lets her connect with her childhood friend Lula Bee and the support group introduces her to a number of other widows and widowers. None of them are really young. The closest is Colin who is a twenty-six year old lawyer hiding out in his parents' summer home after his wife died from ovarian cancer. Tam things the activities planned by the group leader are odd but, having been through therapy after her mother's dead in a hit and run accident when Tam was ten, she feels she knows how to game the system and say what the leader wants to hear.
This story works its way through the stages of grief as Tam has good days and bad days. Like Bunny, the support group leader says, the different stages don't come in order and don't end. Tam and Colin become close which makes Tam feel guilty. She also starts exploring things for her future that wouldn't have been a part of her life if Noah had lived which also makes her feel guilty and uncertain.
This was a very touching story. I liked the support that Tam receives from Lula Bee and from others on the island. I liked that she was finally able to connect with her father about how he moved on from her mother's death. I liked that the ending was hopeful and that Tam was exploring new options and moving on.
June 30, 2015
I received an ARC from NetGalley. You know it's a good book when it leaves you wanting more. I wanted to know what happens in Tam's life after the book, but it leaves off at just the right spot. One of the few books to actually bring tears to my eyes, definitely worth the read.
October 26, 2015
I thought this was great. More soon!
December 10, 2015
2.5 - needed more depth
December 19, 2015
This had teen chick lit lover's dream written all over it, but the characters were are so uninteresting that it fails to strike an emotional chord (or, at the very least, mine).
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September 21, 2016Skimmed this, automatically marked as a DNF due to bad writing and a what the fuck main character
December 30, 2021
I should've paid attention to the very low reviews for this book, as well as the author's other published book Tumble and Fall. However, when your grandmother gives you a book she's incapable of finishing, you must check it out for yourself, right?
In Young Widows Club, 17-year-old Tamsen Baird got married to her 19-year-old boyfriend, Noah, who dies (very randomly) in the middle of the night. Now Tam has to move back home with her dad, stepmom, and unrealistic younger siblings (her little brother spoke as if he were five years older than what he was said to be; that was very weird to read, having been a child development major in college) and finish high school. She also joins a young widows club, hence the title.
I have no idea where to begin and I wish I would've kept notes on what I hated about Young Widows Club, but I'll do the polite thing and discuss what I loved about it first. So here I go: Colin the love interest.
That's it. He saved the show. He was charming, real, and with him being 26 and myself being a nice, legal 22-year-old, I'd date him for sure. Which actually leads me into my first issue: I could date him. The 17-year-old main character legally should not. If the author had written her to be a young widow of, let's say, 19, their age gap wouldn't seem so big. Sure some details would have had to change along with that (i.e.- the main character going back to high school), but, honestly, that would've been for the better. Heck, write her as a 22-year-old college dropout and have her go back to college instead. But please, PLEASE, please do not write a teenager making out with a 26-year-old man.
Also, there was no good reason why Tamsen would have gotten married at 17. I believe the reason written was to travel with Noah and escape her small island, but she could do that without marriage like the majority of individuals do. And they move into his parents' backyard... so she didn't do much of an escape.
This next complaint will be my last only for the sake of keeping this review short: The way Tamsen treats her stepmother at the beginning was juvenile and ridiculous. Basically, she hates her stepmother because she treats her dad well and screams at him less than her mom did. Girl. Maybe I'm getting old, or maybe teenagers losing their moms react to their dad's new spouse in completely hateful, uncalled for ways, but if you're going to write a teenage character who is old enough to get married and have an almost-thirty love interest, make sure you're making their maturity level fairly consistent and believable.
Overall, Colin was cute and there were some "swoony" parts, which saves my rating from being 1 star (by the way, it's a solid 2.5 rounded up because I'm nice), but Tamsen was a main character I couldn't help but hate and the age gap was uncomfortable. Read at your own risk, maybe I'm actually just a jerk.
In Young Widows Club, 17-year-old Tamsen Baird got married to her 19-year-old boyfriend, Noah, who dies (very randomly) in the middle of the night. Now Tam has to move back home with her dad, stepmom, and unrealistic younger siblings (her little brother spoke as if he were five years older than what he was said to be; that was very weird to read, having been a child development major in college) and finish high school. She also joins a young widows club, hence the title.
I have no idea where to begin and I wish I would've kept notes on what I hated about Young Widows Club, but I'll do the polite thing and discuss what I loved about it first. So here I go: Colin the love interest.
That's it. He saved the show. He was charming, real, and with him being 26 and myself being a nice, legal 22-year-old, I'd date him for sure. Which actually leads me into my first issue: I could date him. The 17-year-old main character legally should not. If the author had written her to be a young widow of, let's say, 19, their age gap wouldn't seem so big. Sure some details would have had to change along with that (i.e.- the main character going back to high school), but, honestly, that would've been for the better. Heck, write her as a 22-year-old college dropout and have her go back to college instead. But please, PLEASE, please do not write a teenager making out with a 26-year-old man.
Also, there was no good reason why Tamsen would have gotten married at 17. I believe the reason written was to travel with Noah and escape her small island, but she could do that without marriage like the majority of individuals do. And they move into his parents' backyard... so she didn't do much of an escape.
This next complaint will be my last only for the sake of keeping this review short: The way Tamsen treats her stepmother at the beginning was juvenile and ridiculous. Basically, she hates her stepmother because she treats her dad well and screams at him less than her mom did. Girl. Maybe I'm getting old, or maybe teenagers losing their moms react to their dad's new spouse in completely hateful, uncalled for ways, but if you're going to write a teenage character who is old enough to get married and have an almost-thirty love interest, make sure you're making their maturity level fairly consistent and believable.
Overall, Colin was cute and there were some "swoony" parts, which saves my rating from being 1 star (by the way, it's a solid 2.5 rounded up because I'm nice), but Tamsen was a main character I couldn't help but hate and the age gap was uncomfortable. Read at your own risk, maybe I'm actually just a jerk.
December 26, 2022
✧ L E T M E S U M M A R I S E ✧
A gripping portrayal of young love and loss, Young Widows Club follows Tamsen in the wake of her late husbands death. At seventeen years old, becoming a widow was never part of the plan, but now Tamsen has no choice but to pick up the pieces of the life she ran away from while recovering from her devastating loss.
✧ W H A T W O R K E D W E L L ✧
I liked Tamsen and my heart genuinely hurt for her while reading the story. I’m lucky enough to be engaged the man of my dreams, so the idea of losing him at any point is awful. To actually experience such loss, especially just a few weeks after your wedding, would be just too much to deal with. Tamsen was resilient and strong, and despite her grief, managed to achieve a lot of great things in the novel in terms of recovery and self-discovery.
✧ W H A T N E E D E D W O R K ✧
As much as I liked Tamsen, I felt like her need to deflect her grief and feelings with humour took away a lot of the emphasis put on her relationship with Noah. The author sort of sacrificed a lot of their romantic moments discussed in the book and cheapened the moment. For someone who was grieving, I would have liked to see Tamsen a lot more ‘in the moment’. After all, those memories of Noah would be crushing, but would also be the one thing to keep her going.
I didn’t particularly like the fact that we were introduced to a second love interest either. Colin was a decent guy, albeit a little creepy at times. However, there was a huge age gap in the story – Tamsen being 17 and Colin being 26. I’m not sure about in America, but here in the UK, that’s not seen as particularly great, especially at such a young age. It felt a little … predatory. But considering how the book was about the loss of her husband, I didn’t want to see Tamsen so quick to move onto someone else, even if it was to help her heal her heart.
✧ W H A T T H R E E W O R D S ✧
Unique, heart-breaking but frustrating.
✧ T O C O N C L U D E ✧
My thoughts on Young Widows Club are pretty scattered but I think the book was a decent read overall. It wasn’t anything to really rave about – the portrayal of grief was realistic and the beginning of the plot genuinely broke my heart. However, although Tamsen was a pretty good protagonist, she came across as too mature for someone who went from being a teenager, to an adult, to a teenager again in the space of a few months. Also, the romance with Colin was just a little gross for me to get on board with.
⭐⭐⭐
A gripping portrayal of young love and loss, Young Widows Club follows Tamsen in the wake of her late husbands death. At seventeen years old, becoming a widow was never part of the plan, but now Tamsen has no choice but to pick up the pieces of the life she ran away from while recovering from her devastating loss.
✧ W H A T W O R K E D W E L L ✧
I liked Tamsen and my heart genuinely hurt for her while reading the story. I’m lucky enough to be engaged the man of my dreams, so the idea of losing him at any point is awful. To actually experience such loss, especially just a few weeks after your wedding, would be just too much to deal with. Tamsen was resilient and strong, and despite her grief, managed to achieve a lot of great things in the novel in terms of recovery and self-discovery.
✧ W H A T N E E D E D W O R K ✧
As much as I liked Tamsen, I felt like her need to deflect her grief and feelings with humour took away a lot of the emphasis put on her relationship with Noah. The author sort of sacrificed a lot of their romantic moments discussed in the book and cheapened the moment. For someone who was grieving, I would have liked to see Tamsen a lot more ‘in the moment’. After all, those memories of Noah would be crushing, but would also be the one thing to keep her going.
I didn’t particularly like the fact that we were introduced to a second love interest either. Colin was a decent guy, albeit a little creepy at times. However, there was a huge age gap in the story – Tamsen being 17 and Colin being 26. I’m not sure about in America, but here in the UK, that’s not seen as particularly great, especially at such a young age. It felt a little … predatory. But considering how the book was about the loss of her husband, I didn’t want to see Tamsen so quick to move onto someone else, even if it was to help her heal her heart.
✧ W H A T T H R E E W O R D S ✧
Unique, heart-breaking but frustrating.
✧ T O C O N C L U D E ✧
My thoughts on Young Widows Club are pretty scattered but I think the book was a decent read overall. It wasn’t anything to really rave about – the portrayal of grief was realistic and the beginning of the plot genuinely broke my heart. However, although Tamsen was a pretty good protagonist, she came across as too mature for someone who went from being a teenager, to an adult, to a teenager again in the space of a few months. Also, the romance with Colin was just a little gross for me to get on board with.
⭐⭐⭐
March 4, 2018
2.5
I stress bought this book in the middle of exam season because it sounded like something I could fly through in between periods of study-induced panic. I don't know what I expected this book to be, but it wasn't really anything I was thinking.
The whole reason I picked this book up was because I thought the main character would be going to a support group for teen widows and I thought that sounded so unique, if albeit a bit unusual, but that didn't happen at all lol. Tamsen was the youngest person in the support group.
I read Coutts' other book Tumble and Fall in the past and also picked that book up because of how unique it sounded. But I ended up not liking it at all. Had I known that this book was buy the same author when I purchased it (because like I said it was the middle of the night during a study session and I wasn't thinking I just wanted to buy BOOKS ok??) I might not have gone through with it. Her writing is just bland to me and there's nothing really that stands out and captures my attention. I did enjoy this book more than her previous work that I read but again, it was just meh.
Overall, I didn't get from this book what I was expecting to. There were incredibly moving and heartwarming moments that made me bump the rating up from 1 stars to 2.5 but other than those few emotional scenes, there wasn't much about this book I cared about. I didn't really connect with the characters and I was just bored a lot of the time. It took me a longer time to finish than I was expecting, I was hoping this would be a short book I could fly through but I didn't feel motivated to read it at all. But if this sounds like something you'd enjoy then I definitely recommend giving it a go.
I stress bought this book in the middle of exam season because it sounded like something I could fly through in between periods of study-induced panic. I don't know what I expected this book to be, but it wasn't really anything I was thinking.
The whole reason I picked this book up was because I thought the main character would be going to a support group for teen widows and I thought that sounded so unique, if albeit a bit unusual, but that didn't happen at all lol. Tamsen was the youngest person in the support group.
I read Coutts' other book Tumble and Fall in the past and also picked that book up because of how unique it sounded. But I ended up not liking it at all. Had I known that this book was buy the same author when I purchased it (because like I said it was the middle of the night during a study session and I wasn't thinking I just wanted to buy BOOKS ok??) I might not have gone through with it. Her writing is just bland to me and there's nothing really that stands out and captures my attention. I did enjoy this book more than her previous work that I read but again, it was just meh.
Overall, I didn't get from this book what I was expecting to. There were incredibly moving and heartwarming moments that made me bump the rating up from 1 stars to 2.5 but other than those few emotional scenes, there wasn't much about this book I cared about. I didn't really connect with the characters and I was just bored a lot of the time. It took me a longer time to finish than I was expecting, I was hoping this would be a short book I could fly through but I didn't feel motivated to read it at all. But if this sounds like something you'd enjoy then I definitely recommend giving it a go.
January 7, 2024
This was surprisingly good for me. I would actually call it a coming-of-age book since Tamsen (age 17) is growing up while also growing through the grief following the death of her husband (of 6 weeks). When she does something stupid and illegal, she is obliged to go to a program for young widows. She's the youngest, of course, and she's not really into it, but she does her best to participate, and eventually she finds herself growing and changing. She's also forced to return to school to finish her senior year and the time she's missed. Again, she gives herself a chance, recognizing that she's actually been missing the goals and plans that she'd given up when she got together with Noah. Her personal support group (parents, in-laws, teachers) is strong, but she resists their help at first until she grows up enough to accept their solidity. New friends at the support group help too, including a guy who is also struggling with his own loss. It was sadly interesting to watch her move through her grief, and I liked that the book reiterated that there's no correct way to grieve but that each person must find his/her own way. "This is a should-free zone." I liked that sentiment, understanding it to mean that there's nothing that "should" happen in your journey; you just have to find your own path. Tamsyn is a likeable character. I was especially impressed that although she was struggling, she was willing to embrace hope, even if only a little. She just had to figure it all out and accept her new life, something that anyone of any age would have a hard time doing.
February 8, 2019
I liked this book but a few things bother me as well.
Tam (short for Tamsen) is seventeen and widowed. Her nineteen year old husband, Noah, died in his sleep. We follow her journey to rediscovering herself, past and future.
First, i would have liked to learn more about Tam and Noah’s relationship.
Second, I thought there were too many characters that were unnecessary for her journey.
Third, I feel like there was something missing but I can’t quite pinpoint what that is.
I loved the idea of her rediscovering herself by befriending an old friend and choosing a different future then what she intended on doing while with Noah. However, it made me think that she married Noah just because the were together and he was about to leave with his band, so she was doing what he wanted without thinking about herself and her future.
Tam (short for Tamsen) is seventeen and widowed. Her nineteen year old husband, Noah, died in his sleep. We follow her journey to rediscovering herself, past and future.
First, i would have liked to learn more about Tam and Noah’s relationship.
Second, I thought there were too many characters that were unnecessary for her journey.
Third, I feel like there was something missing but I can’t quite pinpoint what that is.
I loved the idea of her rediscovering herself by befriending an old friend and choosing a different future then what she intended on doing while with Noah. However, it made me think that she married Noah just because the were together and he was about to leave with his band, so she was doing what he wanted without thinking about herself and her future.
May 29, 2019
At first, I was apprehensive to read this. I was not sure how I felt about 1. a teenager being married at 17 and 2. the death of a teenager. Having experienced the death of a friend in high school, I was truly hoping that this book did not glamorize death.
As a parent, I had a really hard time believing that Tam's parents allowed her to drop out of high school and get married at such a young age and be ok with it.
I loved how Coutts took a concept that many young adults and even adults in their 20's and 30's do not want to talk about and brought it to the forefront. Death at any age is hard to deal with. I can not imagine dealing with the loss of a spouse as a teenager and all the struggles that it comes with. Coutts does an excellent job with detailing the rollercoaster of emotions that a person with grief faces.
As a parent, I had a really hard time believing that Tam's parents allowed her to drop out of high school and get married at such a young age and be ok with it.
I loved how Coutts took a concept that many young adults and even adults in their 20's and 30's do not want to talk about and brought it to the forefront. Death at any age is hard to deal with. I can not imagine dealing with the loss of a spouse as a teenager and all the struggles that it comes with. Coutts does an excellent job with detailing the rollercoaster of emotions that a person with grief faces.
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