I Wanted You To Know

by Laura Pearson

Dear Edie, I wanted you to know so many things. I wanted to tell you them in person, as you grew. But it wasn’t to be.

Jess never imagined she’d be navigating single motherhood, let alone while facing breast cancer. A life that should be just beginning is interrupted by worried looks, heavy conversations, and the possibility of leaving her daughter to grow up without her.

Propelled by a ticking clock, Jess knows what she has to do: tell her daughter everything. How to love, how to lose, how to forgive, and, most importantly, how to live when you never know how long you have.

From best-selling author Laura Pearson comes her most devastating book yet. Honest, heart-wrenching, and emotionally raw, I Wanted You To Know is a true love letter to life: to all its heartache and beauty, to the people we have and lose, to the memories and moments that define us.



I Wanted You To Know is Laura Pearson's third novel.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Grief, Audiobook, Book Club, Friendship

Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2019

Reviews

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog

This was such a heartbreaking read, especially since the author went through her own health issues, so have the tissues handy. I think I found it so emotional as my beloved aunt was recently put into palliative care and she is only 65. She is only eight years older than I and is more like a big sister than an aunt. It was a hard day yesterday seeing her yesterday at her care home and her not knowing who I was.

I love epistolary novels so the chapters that were Jess' letters to Edie were my favourite parts of the book. I liked that the story showed how a terminal illness can happen to anyone, young or old and how the repercussions can reverberate throughout the ill person's friends and family. The book doesn't really focus on the illness or the character being sick the focus is on the thoughts and feelings of our main character. Jess was so strong through her diagnosis. How scary it must have been thinking about leaving your baby behind.

I loved the way the book showcased how "unconventional" Jess' family and support system was. It brings to light that we don't all have a spouse, dad or significant other to rally around us and we need to do whatever it takes for our kids and ourselves. This isn't just another cancer story, it's more about mother-daughter relationships...Jess and her mom but also Jess and her infant daughter. I would love a sequel to see how Edie, Jake, Gemma and Caroline are doing in the future. All. The. Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

[Meagan✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Dear Edie, I want to promise you things, I thought I could promise to always be here with you, but now I don’t know…Edie you’re my love. My big love, And I’ll do anything I can to make sure I’m here to look after you. But if I can’t, I’ll make everything right for you when I’m gone. I’ll make sure you’re always looked after by the people who love you. ”

Whew.. damn the lump in my throat while writing this review. Omg. The way I sobbed uncontrollably, the snot bubbles.. embarrassing.😭

The Plot- Jess is a twenty-one year old who is mother to a newborn. While breast feeding she feels a lump in her breast. She goes to get it check out thinking it’s just a clogged milk duct. Unfortunately, she get diagnosed with breast cancer that spread throughout her body/bones. I’m sobbing again. Looking at her daughter Edie, and picturing a life where she will grow up with out her, Jess knows what she has to do. She has tell her daughter everything that a mother would share with her daughter growing up. She writes Edie a series of letters. These letters include- how to love, how to choose your friends, how to lose, how to forgive, and, most importantly, how to live your life to the fullest everyday.

🎶🎶🎶 I’ll Stand By You- Pretenders 🎶🎶🎶

“ I hope you have adventures with the friends you make. I hope you laugh the way that sort of hurts and that makes you cry and that you think will never stop”

The Writing & Pace- The story is in third person, but the letters are in the first person pov. Every other chapter is a letter to Edie. I cried so much reading each letter. I flew through this book. If I didn’t have to go to sleep I would have read it in one sitting. This is not a fun, easy, light hearted read – it really does make you think about being grateful for what you have right now.

“ So just focus on what you have rather than what you don’t, and you’ll be fine. I wanted you to know what it’s like to be a daughter and a mum. I hope you’ll find out one day"

My Thoughts- I really enjoyed this book. This booked destroyed me. I wish the book was written entirely from Jess’s point of view. I don’t really enjoy stories in the third person but I was able to overlook that. I still felt connected to the story. I would recommend this book, especially to mother and daughters. There is so much to relate to regarding relationships and regrets. It serves as a reminder that life is precious.

🎶🎶🎶 I Hope You Dance - Lee Ann Womack 🎶🎶🎶

🌼For everyone that has a relationship with their moms give her a call today.

🌺Some mother-child relationships are strained or tense. And I’m so so sorry. I see you, I hear you, and I’m here for you. The family you choose to surround yourself with love you dearly.

🌸 For everyone with moms who are not here with us, I'm holding you in my heart today; I hope you are thinking and remembering all the good in your mom.

So many beautiful quotes in this book

✨That first love isn’t always the right love”

✨“ I wanted you to know that friends are everything. It’s truly magical, to love someone like that and be loved right back. You’ll know it when you see it. Edie, when you do cling to it”

✨”You should feel free to do all the reckless things young people do. You should feel invincible. You can’t get everything right the first time. Make mistakes and enjoy making them”

✨“ I wanted you to know that being mum is the hardest thing I’ve done, but it’s the best, too”

✨”....God, I hope you’re seventy. Edie I hope you’re wrinkled and getting tired with life. I hope you are a mother and a grandmother. I hope you are surrounded by friends and family” **This one broke me

I could go on for pages with these quotes they are all so touching and so relatable.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCERPT: Jess climbed into bed and held the phone in place with her shoulder while she lifted Edie to her breast. 'A year ago, I was getting pissed at student nights and trying to drag myself into uni with a hangover. And now I have a baby and I have cancer. How the hell did that happen?'

ABOUT 'I WANTED YOU TO KNOW': When Jess gives birth to Edie, it’s the happiest day of her life. She knows, from the moment her little girl’s hand grasps her finger, that her daughter owns her heart, completely and utterly. And even though Edie’s father has left them, and single motherhood isn’t easy, her beautiful, innocent child brings her untold joy. But then Jess receives a diagnosis that changes everything. Edie’s life – that is just beginning – is interrupted by worried looks, heavy conversations. And Jess must face the possibility of leaving her daughter to grow up without her. Propelled by a ticking clock, Jess knows what she has to do. She begins to put pen to paper, to tell her daughter everything she might need to know. How to love, how to lose, how to forgive, and, most importantly, how to live when you never know how long you have…

MY THOUGHTS: I Wanted You to Know is one of the most heartbreaking books I have ever read, definitely not recommended for reading in public, but it is also full of the true joys of life. I cried. I smiled. I smiled through my tears. I now feel totally emotionally wrung out and exhausted, but in the best possible way.

Laura Pearson reminds us of what is truly important in our lives, and it's not material possessions. It is friendship and love and family. She has written characters with amazing reserves of strength and compassion, though they do have their 'wobbles' along the way, Jess's mum in particular.

Jess doesn't want Edie to not 'know' her and so writes her a series of letters about her life to be given to Edie when she is older. In doing so, she is forced to take an honest look at herself, her relationships, and to take responsibility for her mistakes and rash judgements. It's not always easy to like Jess. She holds onto grudges and can be very judgmental. But she loves her baby daughter and wants to do her best for her in what little time she has.

The writing is beautiful. Just when I though my heart couldn't take any more, Laura Pearson would change tack and give me a joyous moment to hold onto.

I unreservedly recommend this book which I read in under 24 hours. Warning: You will need copious amounts of tissues. 🥲🥹😢😭🥹

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

#IWantedYouToKnow #NetGalley

Publication Date October 10 2023

THE AUTHOR: Laura Pearson has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester. She lives in Leicestershire with her husband and their two children.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Boldwood Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of I Wanted You To Know by Laura Pearson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Casey Reads 🌸 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I searched “heartbreaking books” and this one came up, so I decided to give it a try. It lived up to that title.

Be aware this book is about dying at a young age and the people you leave behind. It is raw and not sugar coated. There is anger, sadness, denial, etc. It will probably be extremely hard to read for people that have had someone very close to them die of cancer.

I am not a crier & I cried throughout the entire last 50 pages. This was heartbreaking and at times was hard to read.

I had never heard of this author before, but she definitely knows how to break a heart.

[warhawke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Women’s Fiction
Type: Standalone
POV: Shifting – First and Third person
Rating:





First-time motherhood was supposed to be a wonderful experience for a woman. But for Jessica (Jess) McKinley, raising her newborn alone was only a fraction of her problem. Every day became a battle when her body turned against her. And she wanted her daughter to know her and impart lessons in life before it’s too late.



I love books that hurt and nothing hurt more than things that happened to people in real life. This book flayed my heart with its raw take on people who faced difficult situations and how it affected them and their loved ones.

How could she die? How could she leave these people who she loved so fiercely? How could that love not be enough?

The characters in this book showed tremendous strength amid adversity, but it also showed that it’s ok to be weak. I loved the thoughts and the actions Jess took in making sure her daughter has a good future.

This is what it’s going to be like, now, she thought. Goodbye after goodbye after goodbye.

I Wanted You To Know is a heartbreaking story of acceptance, forgiveness and making the most out of life. It would appeal to readers looking for realistic fiction with a difficult subject.








For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has got to be one of the SADDEST books I’ve ever read. I think I’ve only cried reading 3 books and this one sure had me at the end! I knew what was coming but it still got to me anyway. How could it not?? Cancer just plain sucks - for EVERYONE involved. I’ve sadly lost a couple of friends and family members to cancer and it was one the worst things to go through. But I also have several friends who are cancer survivors!! Thank you NetGalley for granting my wish to get this book. All opinions are my own.

[Chrissie]

I have really enjoyed the books I have read by Laura Pearson, so I was delighted to learn that this audiobook was included in my Audible membership. I added it without reading anything about it. Normally, this is a positive way for me.

If I had known the subject matter, I would not have started it.

Unfortunately, most of us have known people who have had some form of cancer, and I lost my incredible mother to it when I was only 21. Last year, however, I lost another friend to it, and it is still raw.

I should have stopped, but I can never quite bring myself to DNF.

So, I only seek to warn prospective readers that this is an unbelievably heartbreaking story.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think it has ever taken me 12 days to read a book I was enjoying...but this book did. I cried so many times that I had to pick and choose when would be an appropriate time to read through tears. Beautifully written and exceptionally heartbreaking.

[Louise Beech · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be one of my books of the year. I read it in two sittings. It broke my heart. I won't forget it for a long time. That is all.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely heartbreaking. I haven't cried like this reading a book in a long while. The emotions are so raw but quiet, almost contained, which makes them somewhat more impactful. It's just an emotional gut punch that book. Loved it.

[Elaine and Tess the Springer. I won’t be on GR for a bit. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly wonderful and heartfelt story.
I was gripped from the first word to the last.
The characters were so good and so believable that every page felt so real. Jess, our main character, is a young single parent with a newborn baby. We follow her journey as she begins to fight breast cancer.
None of us know until it happens how we will react to such a diagnosis.

Although it wasn’t breast, two weeks ago, I was given an “it really doesn’t look good” but luckily, on Wednesday, I was told it was benign.

[Lo Bookfrantic · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I loved this story so much!! I definitely got my tears 😭 released haha 😆...Now if I could only find another book to tear me up again LOL 😝 #needy #pronetothepain #ithurtssogood

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was not an easy book to read and you need to go in this one with the expectation of reaching for the tissues. There is no happy ending and Pearson brings to light the harsh realities of a terminal disease. Brace yourself, it’s an emotional one.

A young, single mother and a ticking clock that is counting down to her final days, this book is all about Jess preparing for this ending and gathering around her those she loves. Her young daughter, mere months old, needs that support network and it is heart-breaking to know that Edie will never remember her mother’s touch, her mother’s voice, her mother’s face. Throughout the story, not only do we watch Jess’s decline, but we read the letters she has prepared for her daughter.

Detailing how she and Edie’s father first met, advice for Edie as she grows older and memories, these letters are just as emotional as the story itself. There is no moment where readers escape the reality that Jess is facing and this is deliberate from the writer, showing how even the best medicine cannot always succeed. Frequently I imagined myself in Jess’s situation, balking at the emotional strain that would come with it. Indeed, like Jess, I picture the scenario with my own children and then moving to placing myself as the daughter that has lost their mother… nothing brought comfort.

This is a not a tale of smiles and laughter. It is a recognition of how devastating a disease can be, the ripple effects from the patient and beyond. I admired all of Jess’s trusted circle and thought that Pearson wrote this novel from the heart. It is completely draining to read but so expertly written. Despite not liking how events developed, I was pulled into Jess’s story of loss, acceptance and love.

To be honest, I finished the book feeling completely miserable and not very optimistic. But I think the success of the story comes from recognising the importance of love and prioritising what really matters: not agonising over the small, mundane details, but ensuring those around you realise how much you care for them. I’m not going to lie, it was an incredibly difficult story to read and I think the novel will haunt me for a while, but I believe this is a reflection of what happened with Jess’s friends and family after the closing chapter.

If you or someone you know has been impacted by life-changing illness, this probably is not the read for you. You definitely need a tough constitution to get through the pages and anticipate having the tissues on stand-by. However, I applaud Pearson for writing about a subject that is incredibly sensitive, portraying a mother’s love for her daughter in a situation that is hopefully only one of make-believe for most of us. It is a novel that hurts to read but one that will reverberate with me for a long time to come.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Tracy Fenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is being talked about on social media platforms as one of the most powerful, emotional and heartbreaking books in 2019 and whilst I try to avoid sad books in general I knew that I Wanted You To Know is a book with an important message and one that I needed to read.

When you start the book there is an Author’s Note explaining how and why Laura wrote this book, and this in itself is emotional and heartbreaking, so those of you who cry in books – be prepared and stock up on Kleenex in advance.

Jess is our main character and we meet her on one of the worst days of her life, she’s 21 years old, a single mum to a gorgeous baby girl Edie who is a few months old and she’s just been told she has Breast Cancer. Instead of enjoying motherhood and getting to know her daughter she’s undergoing surgery and chemotherapy whilst trying to come to terms with her diagnosis.

Living with her single mum and without a father figure herself, Laura starts writing letters to baby Edie for her to read when she is old enough – things she knows she won’t be able to tell her in person and these beautiful letters are shared with the reader between chapters.

We learn about Jess’ often strained relationship with her mum, her estranged father, her best friend Gemma and Edie’s father Jake throughout the book and even though Jess is only 21 years old, her maturity and life observations are beautiful.

This isn’t a happy ever after book – this is a sensitively written book about cancer and those who are affected during and after diagnosis. It’s beautifully narrated and whilst the reader is thinking “it isn’t fair” and “why Jess?” throughout the book Jess is brave and calm and dignified.

I didn’t actually cry during this book but I think that’s because I’m obviously an emotionless, cold hearted fish, but I know a great book when I read it and this is a great book. Highly recommended and a quick thank you to the author for sharing her story with us and wishing her and her family only good health, happiness and love in the future.

[Honestmamreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I firstly want to thank Agora Books and Laura for allowing me the opportunity to be on the blog tour for this book.

Where do I start to review this book? There aren’t many books out there that can bring me to actual tears, however, I Wanted You To Know by Laura Pearson turned little ole me into an emotional snivelling tear stained woman. I had to stop reading and take a break on numerous occasions because the tears were just too much.

The story revolves around 21 year old Jessica. She is bringing up Edie, her 4 month old daughter alone, the reasons unfold throughout the story. And, she has also been diagnosed with breast cancer.

What follows is an emotionally charged story of Jessica’s journey. Told through the eyes of Jessica and also through the format of letters to her daughter.

We live in an age now where cancer seems to be all around. I’m sure you have had personal experience with the awful disease, whether you’ve had cancer yourself, or know of family, friends or colleagues who have had it. You may have lost loved ones to the disease.

Myself, I have lost a few close family members to cancer, I have also got cancer survivors in my family. A couple of years back I lost a very close friend of mine to cancer, she was only young and she left behind a family. Cancer sucks big time.

Because of all the personal experience that is why I felt more emotionally attached to the story. I could relate easily to what the characters were going through and the emotions they were dealing with.

Laura herself has dealt with breast cancer it comes across through the book, it is written from the heart. This truly is a life-affirming story.

I loved all the different relationships within the story and how each went through its own journey. We have mother/daughter relationships. I was raised by a single mother, so I could relate a lot to Jessica and her mother’s relationship.

I fell in love with Gemma, the fierce and loyal friend. Strong throughout it was a beautiful friendship and even thinking of it now it’s bringing tears to my eyes.

I wanted you to know that this story may be a tear-jerker, a heart-rending story. It may bring back memories of experiences you have had with cancer. But, above all this story is about learning to love and treasure what we have and live each moment to it’s fullest.

[Suzanne Illingworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

ive read missing pieces by laura and thoroughly enjoyed it but i’d put off reading this one for a while as we lost my lovely 42 year old sister in law to breast cancer 18 months ago.
this is a heart rending story of jess,her very young baby and her battle with breast cancer.it explores the challenges and cruelty of this awful disease and its sometimes devastating consequences,whilst focusing on relationships,family and love.
jess deals with her shocking diagnosis with courage and conviction,always putting her precious baby first.
beautifully written from the heart, love is always at the forefront of this heartbreaking book.

[Adele Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is hard to put into words how heartbreaking and real this book is.

Having suffered so many losses due to cancer, I know what it is like to be left behind. Upon reading this book, it has made me think of how it must feel for the person who actually has the cancer.

Although I lost my Mum this time a year ago, I know it still has yet to hit me, but also I know that she would be proud of what I have achieved since she left us.

Please don't take people and life for granted. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

[دُعاء| Doaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s predictable

[Stef L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having loved both of Laura’s previous books, I had the highest of expectations when I started I Wanted You To Know. In her opening letter to her readers Laura tells us a little about the inspiration behind her newest offering and about her own emotional journey.

As soon as I read the first page I knew that this wasn’t an ordinary book. My heart was in my mouth from the get go and it stayed there until, tears rolling down my cheeks, I turned the final page.

Meet Jessica, 21 years old and a new mother. After a hospital visit for what she believes is a routine appointment both us and Jessica learn that nothing will be the same ever again.

Although I Wanted You To Know is beautifully written nothing is sugarcoated and that’s what makes it so heart wrenching. It made me think about everyone around me, the things I take for granted and the times I’m grumpily pulling myself out of bed on a Monday morning. It made me thankful, in fact, that sometimes the biggest hurdle I have to face in a day IS pulling myself grumpily out of bed.

What Laura does so well is to tenderly weave her own experience into each and every word and it resonates from the page - every single sentence crept its way deep into my heart. Jessica’s voice is eloquent and sincere, her youth only serving to make her story even more poignant as her hope and sorrow commingle. Her narrative is peppered with letters to her daughter, Edie. Letters of all of the things that she wants her daughter to know. These letters also breathe life into Jessica’s back story so we get to know the real her. The one before the Cancer came and stole away her hopes and dreams.

In I Wanted You To Know, Laura Pearson has perfectly encapsulated what it is to be a woman. The friendships, the lost loves and the biggest loves. The familial ties that anchor you to life. What it is to be a mother and what it is to be a daughter. It is without a doubt a masterpiece of a book, an important book that deserves to be on everyone’s bookcase. Not only is it the most emotional book I’ve ever read it is also so much more than a tear jerker. It’s a book about hope, about love and what makes us who we are and it is quite simply stunning.

[لميس محمد · Rating 3 out of 5]

" أردتُّ لكِ أن تَحظي بأم، حتى لو كانت مجرَّد حبرٍ على ورق"
بهذِه الجملة التي دُوِّنت في آخر رسائل جيس لإبنتها
تنتهي تلك الرسائل
التي قررت جيس المُصابة بسرطان الثدي أن تكتبها لطفلتها
التي كانت لم تتجاوز الأشهر الأولى من حياتها.

جيس الأمّ التي واجهت الكثير في حياتها و عانت من حرمانها للأب و وجوده في حياتها و من حرمان وجود الأب في حياة إبنتها فيما بعد.
قد يكون خبر محزن هو بمثابة نهاية الحياة و انطفائها إلى تحوّله إلى شُعلة أمل و بصيصٌ من نور من جهةٍ أُخرى.
رواية لطيفة عن الأمومة المُنتظرة وما يُصاحبها من أعباء و لحظات جميلة في ذات الوقت
عن الألم و الموت والفقد الذي يلوّح من بعيد لكنه حتمًا قريب أقرب مايكون
رواية خفيفة ،لطيفة كُتبت بأسلوب جميل و سلس لكنها مؤلمة جدًا.
ملاحظتي عليها:
بعض المشاهد و التفاصيل المُزعجة التي غالبًا لا تخلو من اي عمل مترجم
لكنها بالمجمل قليلة.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This doesn’t come close to Pearson’s subsequent book, The Last List of Mabel Beaumont, which was so spectacular I happily dived into her backlist. I’m sure this affected my rating of this book, which was certainly moving, but very heavy handed.

[Jasna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m being generous with 3 stars. The story is sad, but the writing felt too basic, like it was written in point form by a teenager. Not something I’d read again.

[Sallie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know what to say. Through tears, I believe this book was sent to me by a greater power. From the subject to even the publication date of my birthday. I lost my mother last year to cancer and three months later breast cancer took my best friend. I have struggled with the loss of both of them so deeply. As a woman, the closest to you are your mom and friends. Jess, in this book, gave me the peace I needed. She answered many questions I held silently. I learned the struggles my best friend felt as she worried about her young children and husband she was leaving behind. I thought about my mother and the worries she held for me. Ms Pearson, thank you. Thank you for the beauty in your writing, the pictures playing in my mind and the chance to try to understand what struggles as mothers, daughters, best friends and lovers we face. I loved your book and I recommend it to anyone who is losing or has lost a loved one. It brings beautiful closure to your soul. The story is incredible.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5★

This is a very heartbreaking story that will take many readers on an emotional roller coaster.
This story sends a strong message of the importance of life and those closest to us. Life is short and we treasure every minute of it and never take any of it for granted. I was drawn to this book for its cover and it's beautiful and very eye-catching.

[Basant Hosam · Rating 4 out of 5]

تمنيت أن تعرفي مني الكثير من الأشياء، وتمنيت أن أخبرك بها بنفسي الواحدة تلو الأخرى وأنت تكبرين أمامي. ولكنني لا أستطيع.

نبذة عن الرواية:
_جيس هي فتاة وأم في أول العشرينات تكتشف فجأة إصابتها بمرض السرطان فتبدأ كتابة عدة رسائل لابنتها الرضيعة لكي تمنحها فرصة قراءتهم ومعرفة أمها إذا لم تكن موجودة عندما تكبر.

رأيي:
_أولًا الترجمة رائعة جدًا هذه أولى تجاربي مع ترجمات بيت الكتب وكانت بداية مبشرة فالترجمة نقلت المشاعر والحوارات بصورة تلمس القلب وكأنها بلغتها الأصلية..
_القصة مليئة بالمشاعر، حزينة ولكن ممتعة، أحببت العلاقات والروابط في الرواية، رابطة الأم، رابطة الصداقة وأيضًا الحب.
_في النهاية الرواية جزء منها قصة والجزء الآخر ممكن أن تعتبروه أدب رسائل وككل هي تصف حياة جيس في شبابها وفي مرضها ليس أكثر إن كنتم تنتظرون المزيد.

اقتباس
عجيب أمر الذاكرة، تخفي عنك ذكرياتك، ولكنها تظل محتفظة بها.
______
رواية: تمنيت أن تعرفي
الكاتبة: لورا بيرسون
ترجمة: ياسمين أكرم
عدد الصفحات: 384
دار النشر: بيت الكتب
_______

[Jeannine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t see the appeal in a book like this. It is set out to try to be a tear jerker? Well it wasn’t one for me. I just couldn’t wait for it to end. I didn’t enjoy this at all, and I don’t think it’s because I’m not empathetic to sad stories, but it’s just that barely anything happened that you couldn’t expect from the first 6 pages. It was boring! And on top of that I felt that it was poorly fact checked. I have NEVER heard of someone taking rigorous courses of chemo for an aggressive cancer and not being the least bit ill?? Like cmon, she was barely sick at all, just tired and not hungry? This was distracting and made it hard to buy in to the reality of the story, because it just felt totally unrealistic. 2 stars, not giving it one star because the writing itself was not terrible, just all the plot was, so it gets a star for that.

[Claire Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tissues at the ready

3.75 rounded up

PLEASE CHECK TRIGGERS...

This book in parts broke me. I cried a few times. It was raw at times , poignant , emotional.
I mean, being a mum at 21 myself and now having a 21 year old, this brought up all kinda feels.
How would I feel if this happened to my daughter? How would she feel?
It was moving and touching the love Jess had for her daughter Edie. She was extremely level and seemed to deal with her diagnosis head-on. Writing the letters to Edie was touching .
Jesse's mum was the most realistically written character in this book. Her emotions were messy, she made mistakes, did what she thought was right, but choices were questionable at times.
Gemma was the best friend anyone could wish for. With Jess every step of the way.

The issue I had was that Jess never got angry, really. There was no exploration until the last few chapters of her feelings, how she truly felt about her diagnosis. The love story between her and Jake was somewhat romanticised, and it was predictable what was gonna happen there. I think it needed to be explored more , and for 21 and 23 , they didn't act that way. That's where the biggest disconnect for me was. I felt the characters were a lot older in parts and then wanting a fairytale, in other parts.
I think there needed to be more exploration of the complexities of having cancer at such a young age, with being a new single mum, the exhaustion, the sickness. I mean, there obviously was some, but the reality of having intensive chemo was missing.

All that being said, it drew me in, and I felt heartbroken and flew through it.

[Ellie Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love this author. Such a sad but beautifully written story, literally whizzed through it! Would recommend

[Di · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m really unsure as to why I chose to read this book. It is incredibly sad. Jess is a young, single mother to baby Edie. When she receives a scary diagnosis she starts writing letters to Edie so that Edie would know about her father and all about her mother.

I love the letters Jess writes to Edie. They are raw, open and honest. She tells her the truth about everything. She gives Edie life advice.

While illness plays a part in the story, it's also about relationships. It's about mothers and daughters. Both Jess and her mother and Edie and her mother. It’s about friendship, Jess and her best friend Gemma. Every girl/woman should have a true best friend like Gemma. Gemma makes playlists for every single life occurrence! Gemma is always there to support Jess. And, it's about acceptance and reconciliation.

Jess is a remarkable character. She is so strong but weak at the same time. I guess you could call that realistic. She shows maturity in her letters to Edie, even though she is only 21. She has squeezed a lifetime into 21 years.

A well written and emotional read. Compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a story! Moved me to tears on numerous occasions. Such a sad tale - not giving anything away - a proper tear jerker and something you’d not wish on your worse enemy